Three-Ingredient Cranberry Chocolate Bites

Updated November 14, 2025

David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Ready In
2¾ hrs
(15 min, plus 2 ½ hrs freezing)
Rating
4(173)
Comments
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Freezing slices of canned jellied cranberry sauce then coating them in a snappy chocolate shell transforms a Thanksgiving side into an irresistible sweet treat, perfect all year round. Thanks to cranberries’ high pectin level, which delivers its characteristic jelly consistency, plus the hefty amount of corn syrup that is commonly found in canned cranberry sauce, these cranberry slices develop a smooth, fudgy, sorbet-like texture when frozen. (Watch Carolina Gelen make this dish in this video.)

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Ingredients

Yield:8 pieces
  • 1 (14-ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce

  • 400 grams dark chocolate, chopped (2 ½ cups)

  • 3 tablespoons/45 grams coconut oil

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

46 grams carbs; 2 milligrams cholesterol; 469 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 30 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 14 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein; 29 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Select a baking sheet that is small enough to fit in your freezer then line it with parchment paper. Slice the jellied cranberry sauce into 8 rounds. Place the rounds on the baking sheet. Freeze the cranberry sauce for at least 2 hours, until the exterior is solid to the touch. The jelly should be easy to hold and less bouncy to the touch.

  2. Step 2

    To a microwave-safe bowl, add 300 grams/about 1 ⅔ cups of the chocolate and the coconut oil. Melt in the microwave, mixing at 15-second intervals. (Or, you can melt them in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.) Add the remaining chopped chocolate to the melted chocolate and mix until melted.

  3. Step 3

    Line another small baking sheet with parchment paper. Work with two frozen cranberry slices at a time since they thaw in a matter of minutes. If there is any noticeable condensation on the cranberry slices, pat them dry using a paper towel to prevent the chocolate from sliding off. Working quickly, dip each round in the melted chocolate, coating both sides by flipping the rounds with two forks. Place each chocolate-covered cranberry round on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rounds. If the chocolate in the bowl hardens slightly, reheat in the microwave for a few seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Place the pan in the freezer. (Pour any leftover chocolate on parchment paper, cool to harden and reserve for another use.) Freeze the cranberry rounds until the chocolate is fully hardened, at least 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container, in the freezer, for up to two months. Serve the cranberry chocolate bites directly from the freezer.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
173 user ratings
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Comments

Wonder if doing them in smaller pieces might be easier to eat? An entire slice of cranberry gel is pretty hefty piece. if you cut into quarters or thirds..they'd be more pop in the mouth size? IMHO

Karin S. Agree & good catch. I plan to make these for Thanksgiving & wouldn't have thought of the size until I was preparing them. I think I'll cut them into 3rds - mini pie wedges. Thanks for the heads up.

@Karin S. Maybe use a melon baller to make small bites? There'd be some "wasted" sauce though that can be used fir something else....

Wait, you don’t say how to get the jellied cranberry sauce out of the can! Open both ends I presume?

I found the chocolate was too hard and shattered when being bitten, making it a messy treat. Would a soft chocolate work better?

I put crushed candy cane on top for some, drizzled peanut butter on others, and did a combo of those on others. Everyone had a different favorite!

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