Cranberry Kissel Holiday Jelly
A thicker, festive kissel set into a trembling ruby jelly — tart cranberry sweetened with honey. Rides the 2026 "wobbly texture" trend and the old Slavic tradition at once. The jiggle is the money shot.
Why you'll love this recipe
- An old world recipe, made the way it always was
- Not one spoon of refined sugar
- Sweetened with real honey
- Naturally gluten free
- Makes enough for 6
What you'll need
Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 4 cups (960 ml) water
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey (off heat)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch + 4 tbsp cold water
- 1 strip orange peel, 1 cinnamon stick
How to make it
Simmer cranberries with water, orange peel and cinnamon 10 minutes until they burst.
Strain, pressing the fruit, for a clear kissel (or leave rustic).
Return to a simmer; whisk in the starch slurry.
Cook 2–3 minutes until glossy and thickened. Off the heat, stir in honey.
Pour into a mold or cups; chill 2 hours until softly set and wobbly. Turn out to serve.
Save this one for later — hover the image to pin it.
Storage
Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.
Questions about this recipe
Is Cranberry Kissel Holiday Jelly really made without refined sugar?
Yes. All the sweetness comes from honey - there is not one spoon of white sugar in it. That is the whole point of how I cook.
Is Cranberry Kissel Holiday Jelly gluten free?
Yes, it is naturally gluten free as written - there is no wheat flour in it. Do check any packaged ingredient you use carries a gluten-free label, just to be safe.
How long does Cranberry Kissel Holiday Jelly keep?
Kept covered in the fridge it holds for three to four days. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months - hold back any fresh topping until just before serving.
How many does Cranberry Kissel Holiday Jelly make?
This makes enough for 6. It scales cleanly, so use the 1x / 2x / 3x buttons on the recipe card if you need more or less.
Cranberry Kissel Holiday Jelly
A thicker, festive kissel set into a trembling ruby jelly — tart cranberry sweetened with honey. Rides the 2026 "wobbly texture" trend and the old Slavic tradition at once. The…
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 4 cups (960 ml) water
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey (off heat)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or potato starch + 4 tbsp cold water
- 1 strip orange peel, 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Simmer cranberries with water, orange peel and cinnamon 10 minutes until they burst.
- Strain, pressing the fruit, for a clear kissel (or leave rustic).
- Return to a simmer; whisk in the starch slurry.
- Cook 2–3 minutes until glossy and thickened. Off the heat, stir in honey.
- Pour into a mold or cups; chill 2 hours until softly set and wobbly. Turn out to serve.
