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Chocolate Covered Cranberry Sauce

Chocolate covered cranberry sauce made on the stovetop with simmered cranberry compote, then stirred with chopped dark chocolate for a glossy finish. Chill until thick and spoonable, finished with dark chocolate shavings for a rich topping.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 240
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry base
  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 0.75 cup water
  • 0.25 cup orange juice
Chocolate finish
  • 3 oz dark chocolate (60-70%), chopped
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.0625 salt pinch
Garnish
  • 1 Dark chocolate shavings

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Simmer the cranberry sauce
  1. Bring sugar, water, and orange juice to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the liquid looks clear and bubbling. Cook for 2-3 minutes to stabilize the boil.
  2. Add cranberries and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the sauce thickens to a spoon-coating consistency. You should see split skins and a darker, jammy texture.
Melt in the chocolate
  1. Remove from the heat, then stir in chopped dark chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt until fully melted and glossy. Scrape the bottom and sides until the mixture turns smooth and shiny.
Chill and garnish
  1. Cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes until no longer steaming, then chill until set and thick. The surface should look smooth and lightly glossy.
  2. Top with dark chocolate shavings right before serving for a visible chocolate layer. Spoon alongside turkey or over cheesecake or ice cream.

Notes

For the glossiest texture, wait until the cranberry mixture is off the heat before stirring in the chopped dark chocolate so it melts evenly without separating. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freezing is not recommended because the cranberry texture can soften. For a lighter option, swap the dark chocolate for semisweet or use 1/2 the amount of chocolate while keeping the vanilla and salt for balance.