Cranberry Honey Butter Recipe

Cranberry Honey Butter is the perfect addition to your holiday table. Whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just any day of the year, this smooth and creamy slightly sweet dish is delicious, and it makes great Christmas gifts. You will love hearing everyone talk about your delicious gift. And if you like sweet dips, this Oreo Fluff Dip should be on your must-try list!

To make this amazing honey cranberry butter recipe, you only need five ingredients including cranberries, butter, honey, orange zest, and salt. You can actually make it without the orange zest and salt, so you really only need three things if that is all you have.

Some of the items can be switched for a new taste too such as maple syrup for honey and lime zest for orange zest. It only takes minutes with little prep time so you can have it whenever you want to. After all, why use plain butter when you could have flavored butter?

Ingredients needed:

• Finely chopped dried cranberries: Fresh is best but you can use frozen or even the stuff in a can if that is all you have. 
• Honey: For that delicate sweetness. Because… yum!
• Unsalted butter: If you use salted, just omit the Kosher salt from the ingredients.
• Orange zest: This adds a delightful zing to your butter. 
• Kosher salt: To bring out the other flavors.

How to make cranberry honey butter from scratch?

1. Beat: First, beat all ingredients in a bowl until blended. You can use an electric mixer or just whip it with a whisk.
2. Chill: Then, put it in a lidded bowl or glass jar with a lid and chill until ready to use. 
3. Serve: Finally, eat with bread, biscuits, or whatever else you like to spread butter on.

Recipe variations:

• Less fat: For less saturated fat and zero cholesterol, use margarine instead of butter.
• Different zest: Try using lime, lemon, or grapefruit zest for a different taste. 
• Different fruit: In fact, you could use a different fruit like blueberries, raspberries, or cherries. Whatever you like.
• Pumpkin: Add pumpkin puree to a stick of butter to make whipped pumpkin butter. Perfect for the holidays. 
• Add herbs: Feel free to use your favorite fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or basil.
• Spicy spread: Spicy food lovers would enjoy a pinch of red pepper flakes mixed in.
• Other spices: Add other spices to make it unique. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger would be awesome.

How to serve:

• This butter is perfect with a slice of crusty bread, bagels, or toast. 
• Another way to enjoy this is with some delicious muffins. We have lots of great recipes on our food blog you can try like these mini cornbread muffins.
• Sandwiches are also a great way to add flavor. This stuff is great on a ham sandwich.
• Put some homemade cranberry butter in a jar and wrap it in festive plastic wrap. Tie it with a ribbon and you will have an awesome Christmas gift.
• The taste of cranberry butter mixed together with honey also works as a dip. 
• This makes a nice topping for baked potatoes. Especially baked sweet potatoes. 
• Whip up a batch of this and serve it in a small bowl with chips.
• Want to add some pizzazz to breakfast? Add some of this cranberry honey butter to your waffles or pancakes.

Frequently asked questions

What is compound butter?

Compound butter is any kind of butter with other ingredients added for flavor or texture. For example, this cranberry honey butter is a compound butter. You may have also seen or made garlic butter, which is perfect for spreading on all sorts of breads. Flavored butters can be sweet, like honey butter, or savory, like jalapeno butter. You can use whipped butter, regular stick butter, or even margarine.

How can I make my cranberries softer?

If you would rather have softer cranberry butter, cook the cranberries first. Just add them to a small saucepan with water and cook on medium heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Feel free to add a bit of sugar (brown sugar is perfect) or honey. Then, drain the cranberries and save the juice for other recipes.

Can I use fresh cranberries?

Yes, but you will have to cook them first. Add 1/4 cup of white sugar to a cup of water. Then bring to a boil and simmer for about five minutes, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Then, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they pop. The longer the berries are in the hot liquid, the more they break apart, which releases more and more pectin into the water.

How to store leftovers:

• Store: You can store your leftovers just like you would any butter. Put it in an airtight container and it will stay fresh in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.
• Freeze: It is also safe to freeze leftovers for 90 days in the freezer. Just put them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. 
• Thaw: To thaw, we recommend putting it in the fridge overnight before serving.

5 from 4 votes

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Cranberry Honey Butter

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

Cranberry Honey Butter is the perfect addition to your holiday table, or any day of the week. Great on crostini, waffles, and pancakes!

Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cranberry Honey Butter

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 168 kcal

Author: Catalina Castravet

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries finely chopped
• 1/4 cup honey or male syrup, you can also use agave
• 2 teaspoons orange zest finely grated
• 1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• pinch of salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a small-medium bowl, and using an electric mixer beat until blended.

   

2. Transfer to a jar with a lid, or scoop onto a piece of plastic wrap and mold it into a log.

3. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

4. Enjoy on bread, pancakes, waffles, or as a sweet dip.

   

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Honey Butter

Amount Per Serving

Calories 168 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 3mg0%

Potassium 11mg0%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Fiber 0.2g1%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 0.2g0%

Vitamin A 474IU9%

Vitamin C 0.5mg1%

Calcium 6mg1%

Iron 0.1mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe tips:

• You can save prep time by using a food processor or high-powered blender to dice your cranberries.
• Holidays are not the only time to enjoy this tangy mixture of sweet and creamy butter. Since it is super easy to make, you can eat it every day on biscuits, crackers, or whatever else you like.
• Nutrition, calories, and fat content are included at the bottom of the page.
• In a hurry? Feel free to use canned cranberries instead of fresh ones. Just remember, it will not taste as good.
• To make a butter log, place it on a piece of parchment paper and roll it up. Refrigerate for several hours before use.
• You can add some powdered sugar for a sweeter taste.
• Make an unsalted version of this for recipes that already have salt in them. For example, rub it under the skin of chicken or turkey before roasting.