Order for Christmas Delivery
Code HOLIDAY24 $100 Off
Shop Sale

Code HOLIDAY24 $100 Off
Shop Sale

1+5 Amazing Cranberry Juicing Recipes You’ll Fall In Love With

February 07, 2024

Beauty comes from the inside.

And it’s not just about your awesome personality. It’s about sustaining your health.

Cranberries have proven health benefits, from a stronger immune system to a healthier heart and UTI prevention.

You’re on the right page to get the best cranberry juicing recipes for specific health goals. 

Basic Cranberry Juice Recipe: Best Overall [And Especially for Urinary Tract Infections]

This basic cranberry juice recipe is potent because it’s very concentrated. Plus, it adds other valuable vitamin C sources to reap more cranberry juice benefits.

And we’ll discuss all those science-backed benefits of cranberry juice in a second.

For now, let’s review the ingredients and step-by-step directions.

Ingredients

  • 32 ounces of water
  • 2 pounds or 8 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup orange juice

Directions

  1. Wash all your fruit.
  2. Grab a Dutch oven or a sizeable saucepan to ensure all these ingredients fit.
  3. Place the cranberries inside the water from the beginning.
  4. Let the mixture boil.
  5. Once it boils, bring down the temperature and cover the saucepan.
  6. Let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes until the cranberries pop.
  7. Grab a fine mesh sieve and push the mixture through it with a spoon.
  8. Place the sifted cranberry juice back in your cooking pot, discarding the rest.
  9. Add your sugar and fruit juices.
  10. Let this mix boil, cooking and stirring to blend everything in.
  11. Take the saucepan off the heat source and let it cool.
  12. Once the cranberry juice is cooled, pour it into a pitcher and cover it well.
  13. Refrigerate.
  14. Enjoy!

assorted-drinking-glasses-on-brown-wooden-surface
Source

Side note: This homemade cranberry juice recipe has disadvantages, such as the time and utensils it takes to prepare. Plus, manual sifting and adding water means less nutritional value and a flatter taste. 

Here’s the solution:

A slow juicer that squeezes your fresh cranberries slowly and at high pressure means more nutritional value and a mouthwatering, authentic cranberry taste. Plus, you have fewer dishes to tackle after savoring your fresh cranberry juice.

Alternative recipes

The other cranberry juicing recipes that strengthen your immune system, improve your digestion, and make you feel more energetic include a variety of:

  • Fruit
  • Spices
  • Preparation methods

All of which have key health benefits you can reap.

Let’s dive in.

1. Cranberry Apple Ginger Juice: Best for Detox

This cranberry juicing recipe is best for detoxing and healing an upset stomach. That’s thanks to the added apples and ginger, which improve your digestive health and add a mix of vitamins to restore your energy.

This juice is also rich in natural sugar, unlike store-bought juices with high sugar content.

Ingredients:

  • 5 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 2 apples
  • 5 ounces ginger
  • 2 kale leaves

Directions:

  1. Wash your fruit thoroughly.
  2. Get the cores off the apples.
  3. Place everything in a juicer.
  4. Savor your freshly-made delicious cup of health.

If you don’t have a juicer for the blender version, you can use the same principles as in the first recipe:

  • Boil your ingredients.
  • Strain the mixture.
  • Let it cool and enjoy.

2. Cranberry-Pineapple Juice: Best for Anti-inflammatory Properties (and Sweetness)

This cranberry juicing recipe is best if your sweet tooth is screaming at you from the top of its lungs. Or your mouth.

Besides, pineapple is known for its anti-inflammatory and tissue-healing properties. That’s why it’s a widely used fruit for workout recovery and even for alleviating symptoms of arthritis.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • And a squeeze of lime

Directions:

  1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
  2. Strain the mixture to remove any pulp.
  3. Serve chilled.

clear-drinking-glass-with-red-liquid-and-sliced-lemon
Source

3. Cranberry-Cucumber-Lime Juice: Best for Blood Sugar Control

If the delicious sweetness above elevated your blood sugar levels, this cranberry juicing recipe is amazing at reducing your sugar spikes.

Plus, this mixture is excellent for hydration and even healthier bones because one cup of cucumber contains 20% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K. And this vitamin is essential for bone formation.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 large cucumber (peeled and chopped)
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • A handful of fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup (optional)

Directions:

  1. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
  2. Strain the mixture and refrigerate for an hour.
  3. Serve chilled with a sprig of mint.

4. Cranberry-Strawberry-Basil Juice: Best Antioxidant Recipe

Berries are a powerful source of antioxidants that alleviate inflammation and promote immune system health.

And that will help you fight acute infections like the common cold better, as well as chronic illness. Numerous studies show that eating berries can protect you against cardiovascular disease and even lower cancer risk.

Plus, anecdotal evidence suggests that basil also has anti-inflammatory properties and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.

So grab your pitcher, and let’s start:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • A handful of fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon honey (or sweetener of choice)
  • And a squeeze of lemon

Directions:

  • Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
  • Strain if desired.
  • Add some ice cubes and a basil leaf before serving.

strawberry-juice-beside-strawberry-fruits
Source

5. Cranberry-Mango-Coconut Juice: Best for Heart Health

Mangoes contain potassium and magnesium, which contribute to normal blood pressure and pulse. Plus, mangoes are rich in a substance called mangiferin, which may decrease heart inflammation.

And coconuts are essential sources of fiber with none of the added sugar.

So, this cranberry juicing recipe has excellent cardiovascular benefits.

Especially if your healthcare provider advised weight management as an effective tool in promoting heart health.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 ripe mango (peeled and chopped)
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup (optional)
  • And a pinch of turmeric.

Directions:

  • Add all this to a blender or juicer.
  • Strain the mixture if desired. Using a juicer helps you avoid that.
  • Serve chilled with a sprinkle of turmeric on top.

Homemade Cranberry Juice Tips

Now you can make different cranberry juicing recipes according to your goals.

But before you get your kitchen utensils, read the tips below.

  1. If you’re using frozen cranberries or other fruit, thaw them before cooking.
  2. Don’t add all the sugar at once. If this is your first time making the recipe, add smaller amounts and taste the mixture until you’re satisfied with the result.
  3. Don’t skip the sugar or sweetener in the basic recipe altogether because it may taste a bit sour/bitter.
  4. If you can’t use a spoon to press the cranberries through the mesh sieve, your hands or a nut milk bag should do the trick.
  5. Cranberry juice tastes better right after you make it, so drink up.
  6. You can keep the cranberry juice in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze it for a month.
  7. Don’t throw away the leftover cranberry pulp. You can use it in a smoothie, pie, muffins, or even as organic compost. Or better yet, use a juicer to avoid this problem altogether.

What are the benefits of drinking cranberry juice?

Cranberries have awesome health benefits.

First, they are rich in antioxidants that prevent bacteria from making homes inside your bladder. A 2021 meta-analysis shows that cranberry juice is particularly effective at alleviating UTI symptoms, especially because it keeps you hydrated.

And while the FDA admits that 8 oz. of daily cranberry juice can reduce the risk of yet another UTI, it says the current evidence is limited.

Pro tip: The same antioxidants in cranberries are apparently strong enough to fight H-pylori infection, a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers.

Besides, the anti-inflammatory substances in cranberries may:

  • Reduce symptoms of arthritis
  • Lower the risk of heart disease
  • Support your immune function
  • Improve your gut health

And drinking this elixir may keep you looking young forever.

Or, at the very least, younger for longer.

woman-walking-on-pathway-during-daytime
Source

Nutrition Facts

According to Food Data Central, a cup of cranberry juice has the following stats:

  • Calories: 116
  • Carbohydrates: 9 g
  • Sugars: 6 g
  • Fiber: 253 g
  • Fat: 329 grams (g)
  • Protein: 987 g
  • Vitamin C: 26% of the Recommended Daily Value (RDV)
  • Vitamin E: 20% of the RDV
  • Vitamin K: 10% of the RDV

Optional Add-ins and Variations

If you read the cranberry juicing recipes above, you can play with ingredients according to your goals and taste.

For example:

  • Add honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or agave nectar instead of white sugar.
  • Add other fruit juices to the mix to enhance the taste or curative properties of cranberry juice.
  • Mix in green leaves, like kale or spinach, to play with your micronutrients.
  • Cinnamon sticks can enhance the cranberry flavor, and they're an excellent source of anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal substances.

How Much Should I Drink a Day?

You should limit your cranberry juice to 2-4 glasses per day. In the long run, overconsumption of cranberry juice can lead to kidney stones. And if you’re adding extra sweeteners, it can affect blood sugar levels and weight management.

Which Cranberry Juice Will You Try?

The cranberry juicing recipes above are all delicious but serve different purposes.

The cranberry-only juice will help you fight UTIs fast, and it’s also packed with antioxidants. But you can also try the apple, ginger, and cranberry recipe to fight acute digestive issues or the mango-coconut-cranberry juice for heart health.

Most of these juice recipes can be done the old-fashioned way, boiling and sifting the ingredients.

But that also means throwing more of the extra pulp, adding excess water that dilutes the mixture, and using sugar to enhance the taste. Not to mention the time spent cooking and cleaning.

If you want to avoid those issues, check out how cold press juicers can save the day.