Cranberry Sauce Ideas

Leftover cranberry sauce sitting in your fridge? Here are 15+ creative and delicious ways to enjoy it, before it goes bad.

Once opened, commercially canned cranberry sauce should be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to seven days. If the idea of freezing the cranberry sauce has crossed your mind, you might want to give that idea a pass. Canned cranberry sauce turns quite watery after freezing, degrading both the texture and flavor.

Homemade cranberry sauce generally lasts ten to fourteen days in the fridge. Unlike canned cranberry sauce, homemade cranberry sauce does freeze well. It’s imperative that you store it in an airtight container, such as a vacuum seal bag.

Cranberry Sauce Ideas

Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy leftover cranberry sauce, with minimal cooking effort.

Cranberry Crostini Appetizers

Place small pieces of brie cheese on french bread, spread with cranberry sauce, top with feta, and a sprig of rosemary. Toast in the oven, just until the cheese is melted.

Cranberry Flatbread

Spread a naan bread or herb flatbread with cranberry sauce. Top with goat cheese crumbles and a few sprigs of rosemary. Toast in the oven until the flatbread is browned on the bottom and the cranberry sauce is bubbly.

Cranberry Nut Pinwheels

Combine an eight-ounce package of cream cheese with up to half a cup of whole-berry cranberry sauce. Add one cup of chopped walnuts, mixing well. Spread the mixture on a flour tortilla (any flavor you prefer, we like to use spinach!). Roll the tortilla lengthwise, forming a log, then cut into 3/4″ slices.

Cranberry Butter

Cranberry butter is a lovely blend of cranberry sauce (jellied or whole-berry) and fresh butter mixed together. This blend can be used as a tasty spread for toast, biscuits, bagels, waffles, muffins, and more.

Cranberry Parfaits

Partially melted cranberry sauce can be layered with greek yogurt or cottage cheese for a delicious, light snack or dessert.

Peanutty Cranberry Bars

Cranberry Bundt Cake

Waffle or Pancake Topping

Mix a small amount of cranberry sauce with one tablespoon of maple syrup and serve it over pancakes, waffles, or hot biscuits

Easy Ice Cream Topping

Gently warm cranberry sauce in a saucepan over the stove or in the microwave and serve over ice cream. If you’d prefer, make a batch of homemade vanilla ice cream. While it’s churning, warm the sauce until runny, cool. Spoon the freshly churned ice cream into a container and pour the sauce over the top. Drag a knife through the ice cream to create cranberry swirls. Freeze until solid.