Breakfast Holidays Winter

Cranberry Maple Syrup

cranberry syrup on waffles with whipped cream

Growing up, my parents would occasionally take the whole family out to dinner on Friday night. My favorite spot had breakfast for dinner on the menu, which I always made sure to order, and pancakes were usually my item of choice. To my delight, syrup was always delivered in a bundle of three: regular maple, apricot, and blueberry. I slathered my short-stack with the blueberry each and every time, and now as an adult, I find prefer the tartness of gently cooked berries mingled with my maple syrup.

Raspberry Syrup is now a family favorite when we make our own breakfast-for-dinner (especially in the summer when they are fresh off our bushes), but this winter-y month was calling for cranberries, and they are also quite delicious in syrup.

The beautiful red shade of the syrup is very holiday-esque, and served with some whipped cream and sugared cranberries on waffles would make for a lovely Christmas morning. But you don’t need any jingling bells to partake; a regular Wednesday night in February will also work just fine to serve this syrup.

Cranberries do have a skin that takes a little longer to break down; I find pulsing them in the food processor after cooking (and then again with maple syrup) makes a smooth syrup that I prefer.

The waffles you see here are the yeasted waffles from my 100 Morning Treats cookbook.

waffles with whipped cream and cranberry syrup
square waffles with cranberry maple syrup

More Cranberry Recipes:

cranberry syrup on waffles with whipped cream

Cranberry Maple Syrup

Servings: 2 cups
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Resting Time: 8 hours
Adding cranberries to maple syrup not only makes for a beautiful ruby hue, but the sour berries balance the syrup, making for a bright, sweet-tart burst of flavor with each bite. Very easy to make and creates an extra delicious waffle, pancake, or slice of french toast.
Sarah Kieffer
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

  • 6 oz [170 g] fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 1/2 cups [510 g] maple syrup

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, water, and salt, and heat over medium-low heat until the cranberries are broken down, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour in the maple syrup, and stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using. The syrup will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.
  • For a smoother syrup: Place the warm, broken down cranberries into a food processor and pulse until smooth, 6 to 8 one-second pulses. Add the maple syrup and pulse again to combine, 3 to 4 one-second pulses.

Notes

Variation: Raspberry, Blueberry, or Blackberry Syrup – replace the cranberries with equal parts berry and follow the directions for cooking. I don’t use the food processor when making the berry version, but you could for a very smooth syrup. 
  • Reply
    Melanie Rowe
    Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 10:47 am

    delish!!!!

  • Reply
    Sabrina
    Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 8:10 pm

    5 stars
    great idea for cutting some of the sweetness of the maple syrup, thank you!

5 from 1 vote

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