Try making this refreshing and tangy cranberry ice recipe, similar to a granita or sorbet, for dessert or a holiday side dish and if you’re game, you can customize the flavor!
The origin of this recipe
My inspiration for this recipe is based on our family making cranberry ice instead of cranberry sauce, at the holidays, based on an old family recipe. Here I’ve leveled it up with three flavor customizations. Similar to granita and sorbet, but simpler to make, it makes a great dessert any time of year, or as a cranberry sauce alternative at a holiday meal.
Above: the original recipe and how we serve it over the holidays.
Step-by-step instructions
- Boil fresh or frozen cranberries in water (with or without additional ingredients to enhance flavor – see below)
- Pour cooked cranberries into a sieve, to separate the solids from the liquid. Press the solids some to extract as much liquid and a bit of the finer pulp.
- Add sugar and some citrus juice, stir to dissolve sugar, and decide how to freeze (in individual containers or one larger container).
Optional step flavor the recipe
The original recipe uses lemon, orange juice, and zest to balance the cranberry flavor, or try one of three additional flavor options.
Version #1 Orange, Cloves, Anise
Adding whole cloves (18), star anise (9), and some orange slices (half an orange) to the cranberries as they boil, adds a subtle warmth in flavor from the whole spices. For this version, I used all orange juice (no lemon) when following the recipe.
Version #2 Lemon, Rosemary, Thyme
Sprigs of rosemary (3 good size) and thyme (3 good size), along with slices of half a lemon lend a wonderful familiar flavor from all three of these ingredients. In the recipe for this version, I used all lemon juice and forewent the orange here.
Version #3 Jalapeno, Lime
This version brings a smile to my face, as it turns the simple Cranberry Ice into something for a less traditional meal, maybe alongside enchiladas or a mole. I used two jalapenos and the zest and slices of a whole lime here since I wanted the lime to be strong, alongside the jalapeno heat. I kept the seeds in the jalapenos and sliced them in half before adding them to the pot. You could use a Fresno, Habanero or whatever fresh hot pepper you like. The flavor was smooth and subtle. I recommend it.
Tips for making and serving
- Easy serving: freeze the ice in silicone muffin cups that you can easily pop the frozen ice out of.
- Festive serving: freeze the cranberry ice in a loaf pan or any other container, and use an vintage-inspired, round ice cream scoop to have fun scooping and “plating” the ice with garnishes in pretty bowls, as I have in this post.
- Side dish or dessert: serve this as you would a sorbet or granita, for dessert, or serve as a side dish for your next holiday meal.
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Cranberry Ice (Similar to Granita or Sorbet)
Kitchen Tools
- 12 silicone muffin cups, or a muffin tin or a quart container
- 1 saucepan, to boil cranberries
- 1 bowl, to mix ingredients
- 1 fine mesh sieve, or strainer, to strain solids from liquid
- 1 ice cream scoop, to scoop if not individual
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries (1 12 oz bag)
- 3 cups water
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup orange juice (juice of one orange)
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
Optional flavor: Orange, Cloves, Anise – see notes
- 18 whole cloves
- 9 whole star anise
- 1/2 orange (sliced)
Optional flavor: Lemon, Rosemary, Thyme – see notes
- 3 sprigs of rosemary (good size)
- 3 sprigs of thyme (good size)
- 1/2 lemon (sliced)
Optional flavor: Jalapeno and Lime – see notes
- 2 jalapenos (halved (sub fresno or habanero for more heat))
- 1 lime (sliced (or two if fruit is small and not too juicy))
Method:
- Place 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries and 3 cups water in pot to boil. Add ingredients for one of the optional flavors if desired. Bring to boil and cook until soft, about 5-8 min.
- Pour mixture into sieve placed over heatproof bowl to strain liquid from solids. Press solids a little bit to remove as much liquid as possible and allow some of the finer pulp to push through the sieve.
- Add 1 pinch salt, 4 tbsp lemon juice, 1/3 cup orange juice, 2 tsp lemon zest, 2 tsp orange zest, and 1 1/2 cups white sugar. See notes for how to adjust citrus based on any optional flavors used. Stir until dissolved.
- Pour into individual containers or a quart container if using a scoop.
- Leave overnight or at least 12 hours before serving.
