Cranberry Simmer Pot

Last Updated on December 20, 2025 by becky

A festive cranberry simmer pot with cranberries, whole spices, citrus, and fresh herbs. The best holiday simmer pot recipe to fill your home with the scents of the Christmas season!

Why Make This Cranberry Simmer Pot?

Made by simmering fruit, herbs, and spices on the stovetop in a large pot of water, simmer pots are one of the easiest ways to fill your home with seasonal scents, like lavender and lemon in the springtime; pumpkin spice in autumn; rose petals for Valentine’s Day; and bright citrus during the sunny summer months. Simmer pots are simple to make, and a great natural alternative to candles, air fresheners, and artificial sprays.

For Christmas, I love making a good gingerbread simmer pot, or this festive cranberry version. To start, I pour in cranberry juice; toss in fresh cranberries, star anise, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, thyme, and whole allspice; and finish with slices of fresh lime. It only takes a couple of minutes for everything to warm on the stovetop, and before you know it your kitchen will be full of holiday cheer.

This recipe is especially perfect for using up cranberries or juice left over from cranberry candy, compote, or punch; extra limes from lime curd or margarita cheesecake bars, or rosemary and thyme from baked brie or a loaf of focaccia. But there really aren’t any rules here. Simmer pots are highly flexible with lots of room for creativity, so just toss it all in and let it simmer!

Ingredients for Making a Simmer Pot with Cranberries

To make this cranberry simmer pot, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Cranberry Juice – While I recommend 100% cranberry juice for recipes like cranberry candy and cranberry punch, you can make this simmer pot with cranberry juice, cranberry cocktail, or even a cranberry-apple blend. The juice adds color and scent, but flavor doesn’t matter since you won’t be drinking your simmer pot anyway!
• Cranberries – Fresh or frozen cranberries both work nicely. If you have some left over, you can make sugared cranberries, cranberry muffins, or a cranberry curd tart.

• Whole Spices – I’ve added whole allspice, cinnamon sticks, and whole star anise to my simmer pot. Juniper berries, whole cloves, or whole nutmeg would make nice additions, too.
• Fresh Herbs – I used sprigs of fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. If you don’t have both of these fresh herbs, you can use more of one or the other. Fresh sage makes a good choice, too. Do not use dried herbs.
• CItrus – I added lime to my simmer pot; feel free to add slices of lemon or orange, either instead of or in addition to the lime.

Safety Tips

Never leave a simmer pot unattended, and do not allow the pot to run dry.

While this simmer pot recipe contains edible ingredients, it is not meant to be eaten. After simmering, allow the contents to cool then pass everything through a fine mesh strainer. Dispose of the waterlogged spices and berries with food waste or regular household trash.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

After you’ve assembled and enjoyed this simmer pot, you can save and re-use it 1-2 more times. To save your simmer pot for later, remove the pot from the stove and cover with a lid, then top up with fresh water (or cranberry juice) when ready to re-use.

Other seasonal simmer pot recipes you might enjoy:

Gingerbread Simmer Pot
Vanilla Simmer Pot with Chai
Star Anise and Orange Simmer Pot

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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