Beyond the Sauce: How to Bake With Cranberries

By Adina Steiman

Now that Thanksgiving’s in the rearview, what’s up with all the cranberries that are still at the supermarket? In fact, the whole nation seems to be swimming in surplus cranberries. But just because the time for cranberry sauce is over (or is it?? The stuff is pretty damn tasty swirled into oatmeal or spread on toast), it’s time to start the next phase of Cranberry Consumption - doing as much holiday baking with the tart berries as possible.

After all, these jewel-toned, puckery fruits taste good in dessert for the same reason they’re delicious with turkey and stuffing—they cut through the richness and deliver a punch of acidity that begs for another bite.

So whether you have an extra bag left over from Turkey Day or take advantage of the proverbial low, low prices and pick up some more at the market, it’s time to start baking with those bog berries.

For a cake that’s just as surprising as it is delicious, go for this pudding cake. You simmer cranberries with maple syrup and orange peel, then pour the jam-like mixture into a baking pan and pour a cornmeal batter over the top. When baked, the two layers almost taste like an upside-down cake—only right-side up. You know what we mean.

Get the recipe: Cranberry-Maple Pudding Cake

See more: 25 Amazing Turkeys for Your Family Feast

Sure, cranberries and Thanksgiving will always have a thing for each other. But what about cranberries and Christmas? The berries’ red color works perfectly in Christmas cookies—especially when paired with suitably green pistachios.

Get the recipe: Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies

With their tart, refreshing flavor, cranberries can taste downright wholesome if you let them. And these easy-to-eat bars taste just as good eaten on the go as they do on a holiday dessert buffet.

Get the recipe: Cranberry Bars

See more: The Most Delicious Roast Chicken Dinner You’ll Make This Fall

Cranberries in the spice cake. Cranberries in the compote. It’s cranberry overload. But you don’t mind, do you?

Get the recipe: Cranberry Spice Cake

Another legendary cranberry pairing: Cranberries and vanilla. The tartness of the cranberry is perfectly balanced by the sweet mellowness of the vanilla. You know what to do now, right?

Get the recipe: Cranberry Vanilla Coffeecake

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photos: Antonis Achilleos, Romulo Yanes, Hirscheimer & Hamilton, and Mikkel Vang.