Dried Cranberries Nutrition Calculator — Sugar Content, Proanthocyanidins & Calories per Serving

Dried cranberries (FDC 168596 — sweetened) contain 72.56g sugar per 100g — making them the highest-sugar common dried fruit, surpassing even dates (66.47g) and raisins (59.19g). A standard quarter-cup serving (~40g) has 29g sugar — more than a typical chocolate bar. This is the single most important data point for anyone logging dried cranberry intake ^[1].

The critical context: fresh cranberries have only 4.27g natural sugar per 100g — among the lowest of any fruit. Cranberries are so tart they are essentially inedible unsweetened. The drying process concentrates the natural sugar modestly (to roughly 15-18g), but manufacturers then add approximately 50-55g of sugar per 100g of final product (typically as sucrose or apple juice concentrate) to make them palatable ^[1][2].

Total calories reach 308 kcal per 100g — 6.7x the fresh fruit's 46 kcal. The calorie jump is primarily from added sugar, not from the natural concentration effect. By comparison, raisins (299 kcal) achieve similar calorie density from naturally concentrated grape sugars without any sugar addition ^[1].

Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs) with a rare A-type linkage between flavonoid units — a structural feature uncommon in most fruits, which typically have B-type PACs. Research has measured cranberry PAC content at approximately 164-297mg per 100g fresh weight, with dried cranberries retaining a significant portion depending on processing temperature ^[2][3].

A-type PACs are found in only a few foods: cranberries, plums, avocados, peanuts, and cinnamon. The specific structural characteristic of A-type vs B-type linkages has been the subject of extensive research, particularly regarding their interaction with bacterial adhesion in laboratory settings. The drying and sweetening process partially reduces PAC concentrations but does not eliminate them ^[2][3].

For nutrition journaling, PAC content is not included in USDA standard panels — it's tracked in specialized food science research. The practical implication is that cranberries' bioactive compound profile is dominated by these specific PACs rather than the anthocyanins found in blueberries or the ellagitannins in pomegranates — three completely different polyphenol families ^[2][3].

Despite the sugar content, dried cranberries provide 5.3g fiber per 100g (19% DV) — comparable to prunes (7.1g) and dates (6.7g) among dried fruits. A quarter-cup serving delivers 2.1g fiber (8% DV) alongside the 29g sugar. The fiber comes from the cranberry skin and flesh structure that survives the drying process ^[1].

Manganese at 0.306mg per 100g (13% DV) is a standout trace mineral — quarter-cup provides 0.12mg (5% DV). Vitamin E at 2.1mg per 100g (14% DV) is also notable, though lower than dried apricots (4.33mg). Vitamin K contributes 5.1mcg per 100g (4% DV) ^[1].

The mineral profile is otherwise sparse: potassium at only 49mg per 100g (1% DV) vs 1,162mg in dried apricots, calcium at 9mg, iron at 0.39mg. The sugar infusion process during commercial drying dilutes mineral concentration — this is fundamentally different from naturally dried fruits like raisins or prunes where all minerals concentrate. For mineral tracking, dried cranberries rank at the bottom of dried fruits ^[1][2].

Per 100g: fresh cranberries have 46 calories, 4.27g sugar, 4.6g fiber, 13.3mg vitamin C and 85mg potassium. Dried cranberries have 308 calories, 72.56g sugar, 5.3g fiber, 0.2mg vitamin C and 49mg potassium. The calorie and sugar numbers aren't just concentrated — they're inflated by added sugar ^[1].

Vitamin C is almost entirely destroyed: 13.3mg in fresh vs 0.2mg in dried per 100g — a 98.5% loss. Heat exposure during drying and the long shelf life both degrade ascorbic acid. If vitamin C is part of your tracking, dried cranberries contribute essentially zero — choose fresh or frozen cranberries or cranberry juice instead ^[1].

Fiber actually decreases per serving: because people eat much less dried cranberry by weight (40g typical serving) than fresh (95g per cup). A quarter cup of dried has 2.1g fiber, while a cup of fresh has 4.4g. The fresh form delivers 2.1x more fiber per typical serving at one-third the calories (44 vs 123 kcal) ^[1].