Cranberry Preserves (No Pectin, Small Batch)

These cranberry preserves are sweet-tart, packed with orange flavor and full of soft, juicy cranberries. A little cinnamon rounds out the flavor, and the finished preserves are thick and glossy without being completely smooth. You can use regular sugar or honey or maple syrup, and it’s also easy to make vegan and paleo.

I originally made this small batch to use in cranberry tartlets, and it worked beautifully. The cranberries stay in fairly large pieces, so you get a little fruit in every bite, while the syrup thickens enough to make a spoonable filling.

They only take about 10-15 minutes to cook, and there’s no added pectin. Just remember to allow another 20–30 minutes for cooling, since the preserves will thicken quite a bit as they sit.

Ingredients

Please scroll down for the full recipe.

• Cranberries – fresh or frozen cranberries both work. There’s no need to thaw frozen cranberries before cooking them.
• Sugar or maple syrup or honey – balances the sharpness of the cranberries without making the preserves overly sweet.
• Orange juice – adds citrus flavor and provides the liquid the cranberries cook in. The full amount in the recipe produces the thick, glossy preserves shown in the photos, so don’t reduce it.
• Orange zest – provides a stronger orange flavor than the juice alone. Finely grate just the colored outer peel, avoiding the bitter white pith.
• Cinnamon – adds a little warmth without overpowering the cranberries and orange.

How to Make It

There’s very little hands-on work involved, and you only need one saucepan.

1. Combine the ingredients – add the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon to a medium saucepan.
2. Stir to combine – it’ll look like a lot of liquid, but it’ll cook down quickly!
3. Cook the cranberries – set the saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the berries have popped and the liquid has thickened slightly.
4. Cool the preserves – remove from the heat and let cool for about 20–30 minutes. They’ll continue to thicken as they cool. If you’re in a hurry, transfer them to a heat-safe container and refrigerate, stirring occasionally to help them cool evenly.

Why Don’t You Need Pectin?

Cranberries are naturally rich in pectin, which helps the preserves thicken as they cook and cool. That means there’s no need for commercial pectin or cornstarch to achieve a thick, spreadable consistency.

Troubleshooting

• The preserves look runny – give them time to cool before deciding they’re too thin. If they’re still runny when cool, return them to the saucepan and simmer briefly, then cool again.
• They’re thicker than you wanted – stir in a small splash of orange juice to loosen them. Add just a little at a time.
• They’re too tart – cranberries are naturally very sharp. Taste them once they’ve cooled slightly, and stir in a little more sugar while they’re still warm if needed.

How to Use Cranberry Preserves

These preserves are especially good in buttery tartlet shells. I’ll be sharing my cranberry tartlets recipe soon! You could also spoon the preserves over the cream cheese filling in my Fruit Tartlets for a cranberry-orange version.

They’re also delicious spread on toast, English muffins or scones, spooned over pancakes, or stirred into plain yogurt. For dessert, try them as a topping for cheesecake or vanilla ice cream.

Make Ahead & Storage

You can make these cranberry preserves up to 3 days in advance. Let them cool, transfer them to a clean airtight container and keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to use them.

For longer storage, you can freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Leave a little room at the top for expansion and thaw in the refrigerator. I haven’t tested freezing this exact recipe, so the texture may be a little softer after thawing.

This is a refrigerator or freezer preserve, not a tested recipe for shelf-stable canning.

I hope you’ll enjoy these cranberry preserves as much as I do!

Cranberry Preserves

Course Jams and Preserves

Servings 16

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

These small-batch cranberry preserves are sweet-tart, chunky and full of orange flavor, with a hint of cinnamon. They cook in about 15 minutes without added pectin and are great for tartlets, toast and desserts.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon.

• Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the berries have popped and the mixture has thickened slightly. Do not cook until very thick, as the preserves will continue to thicken as they cool.

• Remove from the heat and let cool for 20–30 minutes. To cool them more quickly, transfer to a heat-safe container and refrigerate, stirring occasionally.

• Transfer the cooled preserves to a clean airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

• If you’re vegan, make sure to use sugar or maple syrup. If you’re paleo, use honey or maple syrup.
• This recipe yields about 2 cups.
• The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.

Serving: 2 tablespoonsCalories: 51.9kcalCarbohydrates: 13.3gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 0.7mgPotassium: 49.3mgFiber: 0.9gSugar: 11.2gVitamin A: 45.5IUVitamin C: 11.2mgCalcium: 4.7mgIron: 0.1mgNet Carbs: 12