Sweet, tart and tangy these Balsamic Roasted Cranberries make a delicious holiday side, flavorful appetizer, or cheese board addition. Perfect for Thanksgiving or any special occasion!

Not Your Mom’s Cranberry Sauce

If you’re a fan of sugary cranberry sauce, this recipe might not be for you. It’s lighter on the sweet, heavier on the tart, and even has a dash of tangy.

Similar to roasting vegetables, cooking cranberries at a high heat concentrates their flavor. A splash of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and bright citrus (juice + zest) balance out the maple syrup-sweetened cranberries.

Any leftovers I manage to hide from Tim can usually be found topping a plate of roasted sweet potato rounds or slathered on apple and Havarti grilled cheese sandwiches.

How to Make Balsamic Roasted Cranberries

There are just a few steps to make this impressive cranberry condiment:

1. Toss everything into a baking dish.
2. Roast the cranberries, stirring them about every 5 to 6 minutes until they have popped to your liking.
3. Let the sauce cool, it’ll thicken up more.
4. Try to stop yourself from eating the whole dish with a spoon.
5. Give up and make a second batch!

Want to make this recipe ahead of your holiday feast? Go for it – the cooked and cooled sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

~ Keep scrolling for step by step photos & tips after the recipe ~

Balsamic Roasted Cranberries

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Treat your guest to a sweet, tart and tangy holiday relish with this easy recipe.

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces Fresh Cranberries, washed and dried
• 3 tablespoons Real Maple Syrup
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar (Use the good stuff!)
• 1/2 teaspoon Grated Orange Peel
• 1 tablespoon Orange Juice
• 1.5 teaspoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/8 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
• Pinch Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 425°F.
2. Add the cranberries to a 1-Quart toaster oven-safe baking dish and set aside.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the maple syrup, vinegar, orange peel, orange juice, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.
4. Pour liquids over cranberries and stir well.
5. Cover the pan and roast until most of the cranberries have popped, about 14 to 18 minutes. *Carefully remove the cover and stir the mixture about every 5 minutes while it cooks.
6. Once most of the cranberries have popped, remove the pan from the oven.
7. Allow the mixture to sit uncovered for at least 5 minutes, it will thicken as it cools.
8. Once cooled, give the sauce a final stir and then dig in!

Notes

Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered container for up to 5 days.

As written, the recipe makes 20 Tablespoons (about 1 cup + 1/4 cup). Nutritional Information is an estimate for a serving of 2 Tablespoons.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 36 Total Fat: 0.7g Saturated Fat: 0.1g Sodium: 31mg Carbohydrates: 7.5g Fiber: 1.1g Sugar: 5.2g Protein: 0.1g

Nutritional information provided is an estimate generated by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for advice from a professional nutritionist or your doctor.

4 Quick Cranberry Roasting Tips 

Tip #1: Rinse Your Cranberries. Although they’re sold in a bag, fresh cranberries have not been washed.

Before you get cooking, add them to a colander and give them a quick rinse under cool water. Pour the cranberries onto a clean towel, dry well, and pick out any sad-looking squishy ones.

Tip #2: Keep Things Clean. As the cranberries cook they’ll pop and spray juice. To keep from covering your oven or toaster oven in sticky cranberry spray use a lidded baking dish or cover your pan.

Tip #3: Don’t Fear The Liquid. At some point, it’s going to feel like there’s too much liquid. At least that’s how I felt the first time making this dish.

The picture above is from halfway through the cooking time: pretty unpopped cranberries and LOTS of liquid.

Hang in there! Once the cranberries have popped take the sauce out of the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. It will thicken right up and should look like the photo below.

Tip #4: Creamy Cheese + Balsamic Cranberries = An Easy Appetizer!

To make a quick goat cheese crostini:

• Brush small bread slices with olive and toast until golden.
• Spread toasted slices with cheese.
• Layer on baby kale or arugula.
• Top with a generous spoonful of balsamic roasted cranberries.
• Lastly, add thin slices of persimmon for sweetness and a pop of bright orange color!

If you’re like me and not the biggest goat cheese fan use cream cheese or substitute a non-dairy cheese for a vegan crostini.  

My other favorite option is to make pinwheels. Just take those same ingredients but switch out the toasted bread for a piece of flatbread. Layer everything on the flatbread, roll it tight and slice into pinwheels. 

I’m terrible at getting a tight pinwheel. For pointers on rolling and slicing something that looks truly appetizing check out this recipe for (vegetarian) Buffalo Wing Pinwheels from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen. Megan knows her stuff!

Team Toaster Oven Love has a lot to be thankful for this year, especially all of you that read this tiny little blog and the friends we have made from starting it.  We wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  May your day be filled with good friends, family and lots of delicious food! – Tim & Brie Norris