10 Ways to Make Cranberry Juice Taste Better

Sweeteners of any kind will enhance any drink if you have a sweet tooth. Whether you’re enjoying a lemonade, limeade or cranberry juice, putting in some sugar is a great way to make a sour or tart drink a bit better.

But there are several kinds of sweeteners that you can pick from, not just sugar. Honey is another great addition to your drink. Just one tablespoon with your one cup of juice can make for a sweeter and more enjoyable treat.

But if you’re wanting more variety, then you should try adding syrups. One popular trend right now is adding syrups, like Torani syrups into your water, coffee or alcoholic beverages. Some syrups that would be great include orange, pineapple, coconut and strawberry. These syrups will give you more flavors while also sweetening it up to make it a bit more drinkable. This is probably one of the most common ways to make cranberry juice taste better.

While it might seem like an odd option, adding some salt could help reduce the bitterness that you’re experiencing. Salt suppresses the bitter flavors and can help release some more of the natural sweetness that comes with cranberry.

Although, make sure you only add a tiny bit, a light sprinkle, because too much salt will overpower the juice and ruin it completely. Just do a small pinch at a time until you find the right amount. This is a great alternative if you’re not looking for an overpowering sweet drink but still want a quick fix before downing a glass. Another thing to watch out for is if the salt makes the juice bland due to it balancing out the flavor entirely.

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Adding in different fruit juices is one of the other ways to make cranberry juice taste better as it combats the tart and bitterness of cranberry juice, bringing in more flavors and other sweeteners. Thankfully, most of the cranberry juice that you can purchase at the store is already combined with other flavors, like cranberry and raspberry.

However, if you need other combinations, you can add in apple juice, orange juice, pear juice, grape juice, or even pineapple juice. Finding the perfect combination really depends on the person, but there are several options to pick from. Even if you add in some lemon or lime juice can make a great addition to your beverage

But what about some carbonation in your drink? Ginger ale is a great addition, similar to fruit juice, that can help combat that unpleasantness and bring out more of the sweet flavors. Ginger is also a great antioxidant, like cranberries, which helps the pairing go together. There are also several flavors of ginger ale that you can choose from to enhance your drink further.

Canada Dry has summer flavors including Raspberry Lemonade or just plain Lemonade. There’s Blackberry Ginger Ale and surprisingly, already premixed Cranberry Ginger Ale from Canada Dry. Grabbing a package of this will help you get your intake of amazing health benefits of ginger ale without worrying about the taste.

Some more ways to make cranberry juice taste better is just by adding in some coconut water. On the theme of adding in more flavors, coconut water is a great addition to any drink. Coconut water contains electrolytes and several nutrients, which makes it a wonderful addition to cranberry juice.

It’s also light on calories, so it could make a nice blend while not worrying about your intake. All you need to do is add in equal parts cranberry juice to coconut water with some ice, and some lime slices if you want.

For something quick and easy that has no real additives, try just diluting your drink with water or ice cubes. While some might not be able to handle this, as watered-down drinks can be even worse than powerful ones, it’s still a really simple way to get in your glass of cranberry juice if you’re in a rush.

Thanks to its many health benefits, especially when combating UTIs, some might not have the patience to try and find the best combo. Adding some water to make it drinkable might just be the way to go for right now.

Surprisingly, adding in some fruits or veggies to a drink can really help combat the unpleasent tastes. And cranberry juice is no different. If you’re wondering about ways to make cranberry juice taste better, check out adding in these fruits. One of the best ones are oranges, which can be a beautifully festive and healthy creation. Pineapples are another way to make the drink a bit more tropical, adding in some natural sweetness and diluting the tartness.

Somehow cucumbers are also an idea addition, though it’s more in a subtle and fresh way. Cucumbers and celery can be used to mellow out strong tastes in several drinks, which help balance the sourness of cranberries. And of course, one of the best reasons to do this is because of the additional nutritional value that it brings.

But what if you want to add in all these extra ingredients but want it all incorporated a bit better? Try making smoothies. These thicker drinks are refreshing on a hot day, and there are several additives you can have that can work really great together. If you want to drink cranberry juice with oranges and pineapples, for example, drop them all into a blender with some ice, maybe add in some yoghurt, and blend.

Pineapple and bananas are both really great fruits to help hide other flavors as they’re incredibly powerful, so if you’re wanting to get in the cranberry without the worry of tartness, add in those. Or maybe you’re looking for an all-around healthy smoothie. Adding in spinach, protein, and other greens with the cranberry juice can make it even more impactful for the fitness and health lovers.

Try This: Thick And Creamy Mango Smoothie

Tea alone has many health benefits, and adding in cranberry juice can make it that much better. Fruit and citrus in tea is not unheard of, and while lemon tea and peach tea might be more common than cranberry, it’s still one of the best ways to make cranberry juice taste better.

If you’re interested in a quick recipe, try adding 1/4 cup of pure cranberry juice with 1 cup of homemade iced tea, which can be sweetened or not depending on how you like it. Add in some ice and lemon slices and you got yourself a refreshing beverage.

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And lastly, one of the best ways to make cranberry juice taste better is simply by making it into a cocktail. There are several drinks out there that use cranberry, and several pre-made drinks that use it as well, mostly during the fall and winter, but nonetheless have amazing flavors, get you feeling great, all while having the benefits of cranberry.

But what are some great cocktails that you can grab that have cranberry? Sea breezes are based around vodka and cranberry, and all you need to do is add a variety of fruit juices like orange juice or pineapple juice. Long Beach Iced Teas are basically long island iced teas but instead of cola, you have cranberry juice. And what about a cranberry margarita? You can even make a cranberry sangria for the holidays. Whatever alcohol you’re looking for, there is a cranberry cocktail to go with it.

Also Read: 12 Vacation-Inspired Cocktails You Can Make at Home

While all of these additives are a great help, another way to help the bitterness is by chilling the juice before serving or adding in some ice to lessen the intensity.

Instead of adding some more to your drink, you can just add in some amazing food that can help combat the taste. Some foods that you can opt for include sweet pastries like muffins, scones, or Danishes. Or maybe some savory items like cheeses, crackers, or cold cuts.

Try This Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes With a Cranberry Twist

There are several health benefits to drinking cranberry juice. There are antioxidants that can help fight age-related damage such as diabetes, heart disease, digestive health, urinary tract health, cancer and even help support post-menopausal health.

Definitely!

For those that don’t mind a strong bitter or sour taste and enjoy cranberry juice, there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a glass. There are several benefits to drinking it with or without an additive.

Due to the various acids within cranberry juice, like malic acid, quinic acid and citric acid, cranberry juice is incredibly sour which can make it a bit more unbearable to drink depending on the person. +