Cranberry Walnut Jellies are a great change from the fudges, brittles, and other traditional Christmas candies. Not only are they pretty, but they are easy to make, and require absolutely no knowledge of candy making or anything other than basic cooking skills. These delicious candies will remind you of the popular chewy fruit candies, Aplets and Cotlets, although these jelly candies are bursting with cranberry flavor – perfect for the holidays.

Cranberry Walnut Jellies can be made up to a month ahead. The batch makes a lot, so they can be sampled often from Thanksgiving right through the new year. As an added bonus, these holiday candies are lower in fat and calories than most traditional homemade candies; they’ll be popular when added to care packages (they travel well) and cookie or candy trays.

72 3/4” square candies

2 16 oz. cans jellied cranberry sauce
2 3 oz. packages orange gelatin
2 3 oz. packages lemon gelatin
2 cups sugar

3 cups toasted chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups sugar, for rolling

1. Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with foil, bringing the foil up over two of the sides; spray the foil well with non-stick spray and set aside.


2. Scoop the cranberry sauce into a large, heavy saucepan. Whisk in the lemon and orange gelatins and the 2 cups sugar.


3. Turn the heat to medium and stir the mixture until it comes to a boil


4. Scrape down the sides with a heat-proof silicone scraper.


5. Whisk over the heat for another minute or two, stirring constantly, until the sugar crystals have dissolved.


6. Stir in the walnuts and mix well.


7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with the scraper.


8. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the surface of the candy.


9. Refrigerate until the mixture is well-chilled and set; preferably overnight, but chilling can be sped up by placing the pan in the freezer for a few minutes (don’t let it freeze, though).


10. When the mixture has set, use the foil to remove it from the pan; invert onto a cutting board and peel off the foil.


11. With a sharp knife, cut the candy into 3/4 - 1" squares.


12. Pour the 1 1/2 cups sugar onto a large plate.


13. Roll the candy squares into the sugar, making sure each is coated on all sides.


14. Store the candy at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one month.

Note: This candy tastes better if allowed to sit 3 or 4 days before serving to allow flavors to blend.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 112 Calories from Fat 28
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 25% Protein 6% Carb. 68%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 16 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 10 g
Protein 2 g

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 12% Calcium 0% Iron 1%