This Grandma's Candied Cranberry Recipe Has Gone Viral — And It Only Takes 4 Ingredients

Let's face it: It's kind of hard to imagine popping cranberries into your mouth as a satisfying snack. Sure, they're great with turkey, in a juice, and even as cranberry ketchup, but they are typically sweetened up considerably before they get put to use. Well, with a viral recipe that has folks lining up to make snacking cranberries, they are treated the same. That is, they're put through the sugar ringer before they're ready to eat. Let me tell you, if there is such a thing as eating with your ears first (as opposed to your eyes), this recipe might just be the textbook example.

In 2020, TikTok user Erica Kuiper posted a video of her Russian grandma's recipe for candied cranberries, but it wasn't until 2025 that it really took off in views. Using just raw cranberries, apple cider (which is different from apple juice), Sprite Zero, and powdered sugar, Kuiper creates bite-sized treats that look like mini snowballs, and by the time they're ready to eat, they crunch like a glossy candy apple. 

@cookiterica

⭐️CANDIED CRANBERRIES⭐️ 🍒 Grandma Lillian's Candied Cranberries (the OG way) Sweet, tart, sparkly, and a total holiday show-stopper. This is Grandma Lillian's original recipe, and it's as simple as it is perfect. 📝 Ingredients: • 1 bag of fresh cranberries • Apple cider • Sprite • Powdered sugar (organic if possible) 👩‍🍳 Instructions: 1️⃣ Wash and pat dry your cranberries, removing any soft ones. 2️⃣ In a medium bowl, pour in equal parts apple cider and sprite 3️⃣ Add the cranberries and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. 4️⃣ Strain and move to a clean bowl. 5️⃣ Add a generous amount of powdered sugar and shake until each berry is coated. If they're sticky, add a little more powdered sugar. 6️⃣ Preheat the oven to 200°F. 7️⃣ Bake for 5 minutes to help dry out the sugar coating. 8️⃣ Leave them on the counter for a few hours to finish drying 9️⃣ Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 12 hours. They're best served chilled. (They will be good for 4-5 days) ✨ Enjoy and let us know if you try it 💚 💡 Important Tips: • Ocean Spray cranberries give the best texture and flavor. • Always taste your powdered sugar first. If it has cornstarch, it can leave a perfume-like taste. We use organic powdered sugar because it usually doesn't have cornstarch #candiedcranberries #candied #cranberries #viral #holidays

♬ original sound – ERICA & MORGAN

To make them, you soak cranberries in a mix of soda and cider overnight, drain them, and shake them with lots of powdered sugar the next day until they are positively frosted with sugar. You then dry them out for just five minutes in a low oven and cool them for two hours in the fridge. At this point, they have full popping power. If you like sweet, tangy snacks that are as snappy as a Russian babushka, this recipe is for you.

Erica Kuiper explained to Today that her grandmother, Lillian, would soak her cranberries in Champagne or prosecco instead of soda, but either bubbly ingredient clearly works. You can also use regular Sprite or another lemon-lime soda and substitute orange juice for the apple cider. While Kuiper's preparation is the one that has largely turned social media heads, candied cranberries are not an original family recipe. In countries like Belarus and Russia, the sweets have been a popular treat for generations.

In eastern Europe, they are known as klyukva v sakhare, which means "cranberries in sugar," and they have become primarily associated with the holiday season. Some traditional recipes skip the liquid soak altogether and instead cover the cranberries in a sugar syrup. When they are coated and glossy, they are tossed with powdered sugar and dried. This version takes a slightly more skilled person in the kitchen because the berries could easily burst in the warm sugar syrup and may get stuck together once they're sticky with the syrup. However you make them, they're a wonderful, festive, sweet-tart treat with a one-of-a-kind crunch.