Cranberries: Nutrition, Dried Cranberries and What Research Shows

Cranberries are small, sharply tart red berries from a low evergreen shrub native to North America. Raw cranberries are low in sugar and calories, with useful amounts of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E and manganese in USDA data, but most people eat them sweetened: as sauce, juice drinks or dried cranberries, which carry far more sugar than the fresh fruit. Are cranberries healthy? Fresh berries are a nutritious fruit, and cranberry products are among the better-studied foods for urinary tract health, though the evidence has clear limits. This guide covers cranberry nutrition from USDA, the added sugar question, what the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and a 2023 Cochrane review report, and the warfarin question.

Peptide Labs does not sell fresh or dried cranberries. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What are cranberries?

NCCIH lists two species, Vaccinium macrocarpon, the large American cranberry grown commercially, and Vaccinium oxycoccos, a smaller wild species. The plant is an evergreen shrub that grows in wet habitats in the Northeastern and North Central parts of North America. Cranberries are relatives of blueberries and huckleberries in the Vaccinium genus. The USDA SR Legacy database also lists wild bush cranberries and lowbush lingonberries gathered by Alaska Native communities, a reminder that “cranberry” covers several related berries.

Because raw cranberries are so sour, shoppers meet them more often as juice drinks, sauces and sweetened dried fruit than as fresh berries, and that processing changes the nutrition more than the berry itself does.

Cranberry nutrition: raw cranberries vs dried cranberries

The table compares a cup of whole raw cranberries with a quarter cup of sweetened dried cranberries, the serving sizes USDA lists for each. Percent Daily Values use FDA reference values.

Two things stand out. Raw cranberries are one of the lower-sugar fruits in USDA data, which is why they taste so tart; our guide to fruit sugar levels puts them in context. And drying with sugar turns them into a very different food: the dried serving is less than half the volume yet has nearly three times the calories and about seven times the sugar, while the vitamin C almost disappears. For fruits that keep their vitamin C, see our guide to vitamin C in foods; for fiber, see fiber-rich foods.

Dried cranberries and added sugar

Dried cranberries are usually infused with sugar or juice before drying, because the plain dried berry is very sour. FDA defines added sugars as sugars added during processing, sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices, so a pack sweetened with juice concentrate still lists added sugars. Sugars that occur naturally in fruit do not count. The FDA Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams a day on a 2,000-calorie diet.

In June 2019, FDA issued guidance for certain sweetened cranberry products. They must still declare added sugars in grams and as a percent Daily Value, but FDA allows a symbol after the percent Daily Value that leads to a statement explaining the sugar is added to improve the palatability of naturally tart cranberries. The option applies only when total sugars are no higher than in comparable products. So if you see that footnote, the added sugar is still there; the label is explaining why.

The USDA SR Legacy entry gives total sugars but no separate added-sugar figure, so the only way to know the added sugar in a given pack is its Nutrition Facts label. Here is how dried cranberries compare with other dried fruits per 100 grams:

Per 100 grams, sweetened dried cranberries land close to raisins for calories and sugar, but most of the raisin sugar comes from the grape, while much of the cranberry sugar is added. Our raisins guide covers that fruit, and our sibling guide to currants covers the small dried grapes sold as Zante currants. Dried cranberries often show up in trail mix and granola, so check those labels too. If sweet snacks are hard to stop at, our sugar cravings guide may help.

Are cranberries healthy? What urinary tract research shows

Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs). In lab studies, these compounds keep certain E. coli bacteria from sticking to the cells lining the bladder, which is the idea behind decades of cranberry research. Most trials tested cranberry juice drinks, capsules or tablets rather than whole berries.

• NCCIH (updated November 2024): cranberry products may decrease the overall risk of symptomatic, recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women by 25 percent, and in some cases by more than 30 percent. NCCIH also says cranberry is not recommended for an existing UTI in any population.
• Cochrane review (2023): 50 studies with 8,857 participants. Pooling 26 studies, the authors found moderate-certainty evidence of fewer symptomatic, culture-confirmed UTIs with cranberry products. The effect was probable in women with recurrent UTIs, children, and people at risk after a medical procedure, but there may be little or no benefit for older adults living in care homes, pregnant women, or adults whose bladder does not empty fully because of nerve problems.

That is a large body of trial data for a food on one health question, yet it is not a replacement for medical care. Burning, urgency, fever, back or side pain, or blood in the urine need a clinician, who can confirm what is going on. For capsules and the research on them, see our cranberry pills guide; for a related sugar sold for the bladder, see our D-mannose guide.

Cranberries and warfarin, and other cautions

• Warfarin: NCCIH says there is conflicting evidence about whether cranberry interacts with the blood thinner warfarin. If you take warfarin, tell your clinician before making cranberry products a regular habit.
• Vitamin K: raw cranberries are low in vitamin K, about 4% of the Daily Value per cup in USDA data. Our vitamin K foods guide lists the foods that matter more for people on warfarin.
• Stomach upset: NCCIH notes cranberry can cause stomach upset and diarrhea, particularly in young children.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: NCCIH says the evidence is not conclusive for larger amounts than food, and advises talking with your health care provider.
• Sauces and drinks: canned cranberry sauce and juice cocktails are usually sweetened, so read the added sugars line.

How to enjoy cranberries

• Fresh: fresh cranberries are mostly sold in the fall. Pick firm, shiny, deep red berries and discard soft or shriveled ones.
• Freezing: fresh cranberries freeze well in their bag and can go straight into cooking without thawing.
• Cooking: simmering the berries until they pop makes a quick sauce; tasting as you go lets you control how much sweetener goes in.
• Mixing: chopped raw cranberries add tartness to relishes, salads and baked goods, and pair well with sweeter fruits such as oranges, strawberries or raspberries.
• Dried: compare labels; unsweetened or reduced-sugar dried cranberries exist, but fruit-juice-sweetened packs still list added sugars.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Currants: Black Currants, Zante Currants and Currants vs Raisins, Blueberries: Nutrition, Benefits and Frozen Blueberries, Foods High in Vitamin C: USDA List of Fruits and Vegetables, Cranberry Juice: Nutrition, Cocktail vs 100% Juice and Research, Lingonberries: Nutrition, Lingonberry vs Cranberry and Research.