Name: Two Ingredient Cranberry Simple Syrup (great for drinks!)
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 1 cup cranberry juice ((not cranberry juice cocktail)); Pinch ground cinnamon, cloves, and/or allspice ((optional))

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Tangy, tart, and perfectly sweet this two-ingredient cranberry simple syrup recipe comes together in less than 5 minutes! As a bonus, you can add a dash of your favorite warming spices like cinnamon or allspice to use in your favorite drink recipes during the holidays!

One thing about my Wisconsinite self – if I can figure out a new way to enjoy cranberry, I’m going to. We not only produce nearly 60 – 70% of the nation’s cranberry crops, but we use them in so many recipes!

Want another great two-ingredient cranberry recipe? Might I suggest the Poinsettia Cocktail? It’s a delightful champagne drink that’s all sparkly and sweet.

Ingredients for this recipe

Cranberry Juice – The real deal kind, not cranberry juice cocktail.
Sugar – Can’t have homemade simple syrup without sugar!
Spices – Totally optional but I love adding a pinch of spice like ground cinnamon, cloves, or allspice to the syrup for a nice toasty touch.

Cranberry Juice vs Cranberry Juice Cocktail

For this recipe you’ll want to make sure you’re using real cranberry juice, and not cranberry juice cocktail which comes pre-sweetened and is often mixed with other juices.

Ocean Spray makes small bottles of 100% pure cranberry juice that are the perfect size for this recipe.

The quickest cranberry simple syrup

This is just a brief overview, find detailed instructions in the recipe card below!

Combine the sugar and juice. When I tell you this is fool-proof, I mean it.
Cook until sugar is dissolved. It'll only take a few minutes.
Add some spice. This part is totally optional, but we all know cranberries and warm spices go perfectly together!
Cool and store. Simple syrup keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Enjoy the flavor! In so many kinds of drinks!

Using fresh cranberries for simple syrup

More often than not, I try to use fresh fruit or whole ingredients when I’m making simple syrup. Like my rhubarb simple syrup made with real chunks of rhubarb!

For this simple syrup variation, however, I found that I got better results using the cranberry juice instead of the fresh fruit. It was just more flavorful!

You get a real punch of cranberry in this syrup recipe instead of a more mellow flavor from whole cranberries.

However! If you’re wanting to use whole cranberries, you can. Here’s how:

Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a small saucepan and cook until dissolved.
Add 2 cups (about 7 – 8 ounces) fresh cranberries to the simple syrup and simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain out the cranberry solids and discard.
Use the syrup as you would the two ingredient, juice-based version.

The naturally occurring pectin in cranberries does mean that if you boil the syrup too long though, it’ll be less like a syrup and more like fresh cranberry compote. Sounds strange, but it’s true!

Ways to serve

Stir this cranberry simple syrup into a glass of lemonade or sparkling water for a delightful mocktail. Or, go the full cocktail route and make a cranberry margarita! They’re perfect for your holiday hosting. Or, anytime, really.

Watch the recipe video!

An overhead image of a jar filled with cranberry simple syrup. It's set on a white marble tray.

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