“It’s here! It’s here!” The second week of October had me sending excited text messages to my husband from the grocery store. CRANBERRIES had arrived. 

True story, cranberries are my favorite holiday food, and the runner-up for my favorite food overall (sorry cranberries, but french fries are hard to beat).

Once those first bags hit the shelves, it’s full-on cranberry craziness at my house for the next two months. I only make cranberry sauce and other recipes during their fresh season, never buying frozen in the off-times. Keeping myself to this timeline is my way of making sure I don’t overdo it and burn out my family on cranberry deliciousness. 

Over the years, I have developed quite the recipe collection for cranberry season, and I’ve picked a few of my favorites to share with you. 

Cranberry Sauce

If you’ve only had cranberry sauce out of a can, trust me when I say you are missing out. It’s incredibly simple to whip up a batch of homemade cranberry sauce that has all the sour sweetness you can hope for!

This simple recipe works well, although I substitute orange juice (freshly squeezed!) for the water for a little extra zing. 

Cranberry Doughnuts

This recipe for sufganiyot is actually what started my cranberry obsession. I found it as a way to use “leftover cranberry sauce,” and it sounded like an excellent option to bring to a holiday party. I made my first batch of cranberry sauce ever and used it to fill these little fried puffs of magic, and the rest was history. 

Cranberry Rolls

Move over cinnamon rolls; it’s time for a holiday makeover. Use your favorite cinnamon rolls recipe, and instead of filling the rolls with butter, cinnamon, and sugar, use cranberry sauce for a breakfast treat full of autumn flavor!

Cranberry Scones

It could be all the recently binged episodes of The Great British Baking Show, but cranberry scones are amazing. The recipe I use is actually for chocolate-chip scones, but I substitute fresh cranberries and some orange zest for the chocolate. 

I like mine with a little bit of sparkling sugar on top for extra texture and a nice cup of spiced cider, while my kids prefer them with orange glaze and hot cocoa. 

Cranberry Bread

Full of color and cheer, cranberry bread is my go-to teacher gift during the holidays. One weekend in December, the boys and I roll up our sleeves and make several batches of mini loaves to wrap and pass out as little thank yous to all the teachers at our school. Tasty and big enough to share, but small enough that you don’t have to!

Cranberry Chocolate Cookies

The only recipe with dried cranberries to make the list, this one often makes the rounds during the holiday season. The chocolate chunks and dried cranberries are perfect complements to one another and really add to the hearty oatmeal base. 

Passing on the Love

My children love to be in the kitchen with me and have embraced my love of cranberries with both arms (my husband merely tolerates it).

We put cranberry sauce on everything during this time of year, from gingerbread waffles to on top of our favorite cheesecake. I even throw it in the slow-cooker and make cranberry pork at least once or twice for a savory option. 

I’m unapologetically obsessed and invite you to join me in the cranberry fan club.

Do you have a favorite cranberry recipe to share?