If your family is anything like mine, they want the canned cranberry sauce on the Thanksgiving table! But, what do you do with the leftovers? Why, make this chocolate covered cranberry sauce of course! It’s the perfect sweet-tart treat that will become a new holiday favorite.
What is Chocolate Covered Cranberry Sauce?
Chocolate covered cranberry sauce is a unique sweet twist on the traditional cranberry sauce often served at Thanksgiving. This treat uses the canned version, which you cut into slices and then dip into chocolate.
You can use either dark chocolate or milk chocolate (I prefer dark for this recipe), and the resulting sweet and tangy combination is just perfect!
This dish can be served as part of your holiday spread at Christmas or Thanksgiving, where it can be a dessert or a sweet and savory side. Since it’s naturally vegetarian and gluten free, it works for a variety of different dietary needs, which is great when entertaining.
It’s also one of my favorite uses for leftover cranberry sauce, to turn it into something new and delicious post-holiday (you might even get the kids to eat it this way)!
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Ingredients For Chocolate Covered Cranberry Sauce
- 14 ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
- 16 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil (optional, but makes dipping smoother)
Ingredient Tips and Notes
- The jellied cranberry sauce works best because it’s smooth. The whole fruit version comes out lumpy at best, though you could probably use it for clusters or something similar if you’re not concerned about shape
- You can swap other types of chocolate for the dark chocolate if you prefer, but I like this combination the best!
How to Make Chocolate Covered Cranberry Sauce
- Open your can of cranberry sauce and cut into approximately ½” thick discs (about 2 full “ribs” from the can imprint)
- Place the sauce rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and place into your freezer for about 30 minutes to firm (longer is fine too). If you’re in a rush, you can skip this, but I find it makes dipping harder
- Add your dark chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl, and cook for 1 minute on high. Stir, then cook in additional 15-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth
- Remove the sauce from the freezer, and use a fork to submerge each slice completely in the chocolate. Let the excess drip off, then place it back on the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all are coated
- Return to the freezer for about 30 minutes, until the chocolate is fully set. Enjoy!
What to Serve With Chocolate Covered Cranberries
Here are some great options to serve alongside your chocolate covered cranberry sauce, balancing both the sweet and savory flavors:
- Cheese Platter: Pair with soft cheeses like brie or cream cheese, which contrast the tartness of the cranberry sauce and complement the richness of the chocolate. Try my Cranberry Baked Brie in the Air Fryer for this same delicious combo!
- Roast Turkey or Ham: If you’re serving this sauce as part of a holiday meal, it makes a great sweet-savory complement to roasted meats like ham or turkey. Check out my Air Fryer Turkey Breast Filets for an easy recipe!
- Vanilla Ice Cream: For a dessert twist, serve chocolate covered cranberry sauce with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Recipe FAQs
Can I Use Canned Cranberry Sauce To Make Chocolate Covered Cranberry Sauce?
Absolutely. In fact, canned jellied cranberry sauce works best for this recipe.
Simply slice the cranberry sauce into rounds, freeze them to solidify, dip them in melted chocolate, and freeze again until the chocolate hardens.
How Do I Store Chocolate Covered Cranberry Sauce?
Once the chocolate has set, store the chocolate covered cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you need to stack, use a sheet of wax paper between layers. These treats should stay fresh for about a week.
Can I Add Other Ingredients To Chocolate Covered Cranberry Sauce?
Yes, you can customize your treats by adding chili flakes to the chocolate for a spicy-sweet twist, or by topping them with crushed nuts, sea salt, or festive sprinkles.
Just gently sprinkle desired toppings over the chocolate while it’s still wet, and gently press so they adhere, before freezing firm.
What Kind Of Chocolate Works Best For Covering Cranberry Sauce?
Dark chocolate is the most popular choice because its bitterness balances the tartness of cranberries.
However, milk chocolate or white chocolate can also be used, depending on your flavor preference.
Recipe Tips For the Best Chocolate Covered Cranberry Sauce
- Having a hard time getting the cranberry jelly out of the can? Use a bottle opener or similar to pop a hole in the bottom to release pressure and it should slide right out!
- Make sure to let the excess drip off a bit before transferring to the baking sheet, or you’ll get extremely thick chocolate around the cranberry jelly
- If you have any extra chocolate feel free to use a spoon and drizzle it over the top for a fancy presentation!
- Once you pull them off the sheet after setting, if there’s any chocolate drips, use a sharp knife to trim the excess before serving!
Chocolate Covered Cranberry Storage
- Store your chocolate dipped cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week
- You can also freeze it for a few months, but need to let it thaw in the fridge overnight before serving, as the sauce will get very hard once frozen solid
Final Thoughts
These chocolate dipped cranberry sauce bites are such a fun sweet treat you can make for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Whether you serve them on the snack or dessert table, or just whip up a batch to use up leftover cranberry jelly, they’re the perfect blend of sweet and tart!
I love making them as a sweet treat later in the week to give extra life to that canned cranberry sauce, and I find that these disappear a lot faster than the jiggly slices on their own. Plus, since they’re naturally vegetarian and gluten free, they work for a variety of different needs!
Looking for more ways to use up leftover cranberry sauce? Try my Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Bites for a sweet, tart, and savory combination that works as an appetizer or snack.
Dark Chocolate Covered Cranberry Sauce Bites
Equipment
- Spatula (or spoon)
- Parchment paper (or silicone baking mat)
- Baking sheet (or similar)
Ingredients
- 14 ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
- 16 ounces dark chocolate chips
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil (optional but makes dipping much smoother)
Instructions
- Open your can of cranberry sauce and cut into approximately ½” thick discs (about 2 full “ribs” from the can imprint)14 ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
- Place the sauce rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone mat and place into your freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm (longer is fine too if you want to freeze in advance). If you’re in a rush, you can skip this, but I find it makes dipping harder
- Add your dark chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl, and cook for 1 minute on high. Stir, then cook in additional 15-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth16 ounces dark chocolate chips, 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- Remove the sauce from the freezer, and use a fork to submerge each slice completely in the chocolate. Let the excess drip off, then place it back on the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all are coated
- Return to the freezer for about 30 minutes, until the chocolate is fully set. Enjoy!
Notes
- The jellied cranberry sauce works best because it’s smooth. The whole fruit version comes out lumpy at best, though you could probably use it for clusters or something similar if you’re not concerned about shape
- You can swap other types of chocolate for the dark chocolate if you prefer, but I like this combination the best!
- Having a hard time getting the cranberry jelly out of the can? Use a bottle opener or similar to pop a hole in the bottom to release pressure and it should slide right out!
- Make sure to let the excess drip off a bit before transferring to the baking sheet, or you’ll get extremely thick chocolate around the cranberry jelly
- If you have any extra chocolate feel free to use a spoon and drizzle it over the top for a fancy presentation!
- Once you pull them off the sheet after setting, if there’s any chocolate drips, use a sharp knife to trim the excess before serving!
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, size of slices and thickness of chocolate, any toppings added, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
Very cute idea. Simple and tasty. Great instructions and recipe guidelines.
However, the actual process of slicing and then dipping the cranberry pieces is way more difficult than this lovely expert makes it seem. Mine turned out a total mess. Amateurs beware!!
I appreciate the feedback Carol. I wish there was an easier way to wrangle in that slippery cranberry jello! The good part is that even if you have some “holes” in the chocolate underneath, you’re not really going to miss out on the overall flavor combination. At the end of the day, I’ll go with something that tastes good and let the TV chefs have the gorgeous presentation on their side!
A way to keep that from happening and that I expected to see in this recipe was to remove the jelly from the can and then freeze it. This will stabilize it, and then cut with a hot knife and place back into the freezer flat to complete the restabilization while you ready the chocolate. Hope that’s helpful.
Hi June, that’s a great tip! I slice the cranberry sauce first and then freeze it, since I find it freezes a bit faster that way, but you could definitely do the whole thing too (would take up less freezer space that way)! Either way, I agree the best way to go about this recipe is to get the sauce as frozen and firmed as possible which makes it easier to dip!
I actually tried these this past weekend and they’re delicious! I sliced mine probably a little thicker than I was supposed to (because measurements and I are not friends) so I just chucked them in the freezer most of the day and hoped for the best.
I think over-freezing them helped because I didn’t have much trouble with moving the slices around (and I did use the coconut oil, which I think is the right call). Mine were a little uneven on the bottom but I mostly attribute that to my inexperience with dipping things. I’d definitely make them again – even if they were piles of mush they’d still taste amazing!
Glad you gave it a try Hazel! I agree that chocolate dipping definitely can be tricky. I’m envious when I see how easy some people make it look on Instagram!
At the end of the day, I’m glad you succeeded in enjoying a tasty transformed-leftovers dessert!
Sounds interesting! I’m pretty such my boys would love this – I‘ll give it a try. I think I may cut each slice into 1/4s to make bites.
Hi Linda – I bet bites would work great! Cutting the cranberry sauce might make it easier to dip too (the large discs can be a little floppy even after freezing). Perfect for a snack or treat for sure!
You can cut the cranberry sauce into sticks and dip them into the chocolate. Like the candy you find in the candy store 😋
That’s a great idea Valerie – like candy fries! You’d want a nice, wide bowl so you can toss them around for a good coating. I bet it would work well too if you skewered them with a cake pop stick or similar (I think popsicle sticks may be too wide and split them). In that case, I’d transfer the melted chocolate to a disposable paper cup or similar to get the height needed to make dipping easier. Then you have serving sticks included for easy display!
Can you make a head and freeze these? I know kw you can freeze chocolate but wondering if they will swell and Crack with the cranberry in it.im looking fkr things to make ahead and bring to Thanksgiving
That’s a great question! Since the jelly is already frozen before dipping, I don’t think it will crack in the freezer with the chocolate (it shouldn’t expand more). I think you’d see more trouble after taking it out of the freezer as it warms. While I’ve honestly not tried it, other chocolate dipped fruits usually sweat and crack or condensate, so you may run into that issue as they warm. I think if you left them frozen until just before serving it would probably be alright – you may want to try it ahead of time with a small batch though! If you do, let me know how it turns out for sure!
Im allergic to coconut. What oil can I use instead?
Definitely a good idea to avoid the foods you’re allergic to! You can try vegetable shortening instead if that better aligns with your allergies. If you compared two of the desserts side by side, you might notice a slight difference in flavor, but on their own, it shouldn’t result in a massive difference.
I made these today.
Froze my cranberry slices Afro about a hour.
Melted dark chocolate.
But, when I dipped slices into the choc, the chocolate wouldn’t stick to cranberries. 🤷♀️ I don’t know what I did wrong. Read other reviews, nobody had this problem.
That’s a bummer! I’ve never had that happen before, but from making chocolate dipped fruits I know that can happen when there’s too much moisture on them (that’s why you always make sure to dry them well). If the slices started to thaw, created condensation, or your kitchen was humid that could be the culprit.
A few questions…
1. Are these to be served frozen or thawed?
2. Am I able to put back in the freezer after coating with chocolate?
3. If so, how long will they keep in the freezer?
Thank you!
Hi Sabrina! Great questions.
You can eat them frozen (but the chocolate will be pretty hard) or thawed – either work (though I do typically refrigerate mine). They tend to condensate when you remove them from the freezer, so I’d probably opt to take them out ~15 minutes before eating them for the best of both worlds.
You can put them back in the freezer after coating, however chocolate does have a tendency to crack after it comes back out (condensation and temperature change), and if the jelly fully freezes it may expand and crack the chocolate that way too. It will still taste fine, but they may get a little messy!
They’ll keep for a few months if you wrap them well; just defrost overnight in the fridge for best results (so they warm up slower; less cracking).