Easy Cranberry Recipes for Thanksgiving

Here is a long list of cranberry recipes for Thanksgiving you can follow to make cranberry drinks, side dishes, appetizers, desserts and more.

Looking for the best cranberry recipes for Thanksgiving this year??!! We have a ton of them to choose from! There’s nothing that says Christmas time more than a sparkling cranberry drink with some sweet and tart homemade cranberry sauce aside your warm turkey. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. (affiliate links present, originally published 11/21)

Cranberry Thanksgiving Recipes

Whether you’re creating the ultimate holiday menu with turkey or our roast duck recipe this year, you need to pair it with something cranberry. Let us help you find a few new dishes to try.

Our list of cranberry recipes are broken down into categories so you can find just what you need for your cranberry Thanksgiving feast this year. Here we go!

Add a bit more citrus and create our cranberry sauce recipe with orange juice instead, or in addition to “plain”. I will start with cranberry drink recipes that can be made into mocktail style for the kids or cranberry cocktails to serve during your event.

Cranberry recipes for Thanksgiving

Cranberries are not only tasty but sprinkled around a table or strung and hung on the tree or on top of a table they are a great (cheap) holiday decoration too! They don’t have to be cooked either though, you can add them raw into your batter like our banana cranberry bread and let them get tender in the oven.

Cranberry Drinks

• Our sparkling island cocktail is great with a splash of cranberry juice
• Easy Cranberry ginger cocktail
• You’ll love this Cranberry screwdriver drink
• A great mocktail is this Cranberry apple cider punch

Recipes with Fresh Cranberries

This time of year you can find these at the grocery store in the produce department. They are rather cheap and actually make a pretty garnish as well as flavors in a number of different dishes. From drinks to side dishes to a sauce that is great as is or poured on top of your meat.

• You know you’ll love Cranberry margaritas
• This Cranberry Raspberry Punch is really pretty when served
• Spiced Cranberry Hot Toddy
• Fresh Cranberry Smoothie 

Cranberry Brunch Recipes

And we will keep going. Throughout the year I tend to try out something new and will continue adding to this list too so bookmark it!!

• Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cream Cheese Muffins 
• For breakfast time make Cranberry Apple Crockpot Oatmeal 
• Gluten-Free Cranberry Chocolate Bread 
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken Sandwiches
• A great healthy snack = Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
• Cranberry salad sounds amazing
• Add a bit of fruit to your meal with Cranberry Orange Turkey Breast
• Chocolate Cranberry Eye of Round Roast 
• Pressure Cooker Cranberry French Toast 

We love these Cranberry Sauce Meatballs you can see here. Baked or in a pressure cooker they’re a great choice.

Cranberry Appetizers

If we are talking sweets for this holiday I can’t leave out our turkey leg treats. Those don’t have fruit in them but always a hit with kids.

• Pressure cooker cranberry pecan baked brie would be amazing
• A little Cranberry salsa with chips or baguette is great. Add a bit of orange or tangerine juice for tartness.
• Cranberry Salsa Dip  can be served chilled or room temperature
• With crackers this Cranberry Blue Cheese Spread  is fabulous

If you’re having a brunch you could make a number of breads with them dried. Our pumpkin cranberry bread is a great one.

Cranberry Sauce recipes

Like I mentioned above, if you only try one new thing this year off this list you have got to make your own cranberry sauce, it is nothing like the canned version and you’ll never buy that again after making your own.

• Classic cranberry sauce on the stovetop over medium heat can be made in about 15 minutes. It can be made a day in advance for sure too.
• Kentucky Bourbon Cranberry Sauce can be made in under 30 minutes
• Ricotta Orange Pancakes with Cranberry Sauce  can use orange juice for a bold flavor

Most cranberry sauce recipes only call for 3-5 ingredients and you can make it as tart or sweet as you want, as runny or as thick as you want and it’s great as a stand alone side dish if you ask me.

Then with your leftover cranberry sauce you can make our Leftover cranberry apple cobbler which is a family favorite…and I ensure I use all that is left after a day or two.

Cranberry Side Dish

• Instant Pot cranberry applesauce is a perfect Thanksgiving side for the kids
• Fresh Cranberry Butter is great for the holiday season
• Classic cranberry stuffing is a great choice
• Potato stuffing balls with a cranberry center

Great side dish for everyone is Cranberry Apple Chutney. If you’ve never heard of this, try it!

• If you haven’t tried Cranberry Jello Salad you must!
• Creamy Cranberry Apple Slaw 
• Orange Cranberry Wild Rice
• Easy Broccoli Cranberry Salad
• Apple Cranberry Fruit Salad
• We love 1/2 cup of Cranberry Fluff Salad  on your plate too

Cranberry Desserts

• Pumpkin Cranberry Biscotti 
• For breakfast make, Cranberry Chocolate Chip Scones
• Serve Cranberry Orange Swirl Cookies  after Thanksgiving dinner
• Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies 
• A great twist on the traditional, try Cranberry Orange Upside-Down Cake
• No Bake Cranberry White Chocolate Granola Bars