My cranberry butter recipe is a wonderful, festive spread for the holidays. Creamy, sweet, and just the right amount of tart from the cranberries. This flavored butter is delicious on a variety of things like warm biscuits, pancakes, cornbread, even on turkey.

During the holiday season I like making recipes that feel festive but don’t require a lot of work. This cranberry butter is one of my favorites because it looks and tastes fancy, but can be put together in minutes. Its a simple way to add a special touch to breakfast or dinner, and is always a favorite.

Every time my guests see this butter on a holiday table, they instantly reach for it. It’s such a beautiful color but the combination of sweet and tart always has them coming back for more. It has become so popular that I started making extra batches to give as gifts.

Once you try this on a warm biscuit, pancakes, or even a piece of turkey, you will understand why this has become a must make during the holidays.

Be sure to check some of my other flavored butter recipes including this cinnamon butter, garlic butter, and steak butter.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Delicious holiday flavor. This butter has a wonderful combination of flavors. Tart cranberry, a touch of sweetness, and creamy butter.
• Can be used in many ways. This cranberry butter is great on a variety of things like pancakes, biscuits, cornbread and more.
• Quick and easy to make. You can whip this butter together in less than 15 minutes.
• Makes a great gift. Package in a small jar with ribbon for a delicious gift for neighbors, friends, or a hostess gift.

Ingredients

You can make this easy cranberry butter recipe with just a few ingredients.

• Butter: Use unsalted butter softened to room temperature.
• Cranberries: Fresh cranberries or thawed frozen cranberries can be used for this recipe.
• Orange juice: I like using orange juice to boil the cranberries. This gives the cranberries a hint of citrus flavor.
• Powdered sugar: Adds a little sweetness to the butter.
• Salt: A little pinch of salt helps to balance the flavors.

How to make cranberry butter

Scroll to the bottom for the full, printable recipe.

Step one: Place your cranberries and orange juice in a saucepan. Gently boil for about 10 minutes.

Step two: Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bow. Mix together with a mixer until creamy.

Step three: Drain the cranberries. Stir them in with the butter.

Step four: Serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Heather’s recipe tips

• Use good quality butter. I recommend using a good quality butter for the best flavor.
• Let the butter soften. Soften the butter to room temperature to make it easy to mix.
• You can adjust the sweetness. If you prefer your butter less sweet, you can reduce the powdered sugar to 1/4 cup. If you want it really sweet, you can add a little extra powdered sugar.
• Let the cranberries cool before mixing. Once the cranberries finish boiling, drain the orange juice off of them and let the cranberries cool.
• Let the butter chill in the refrigerator to combine. The longer the butter sits, the more the flavors come together.

Variations

There are a few different ways you can make this cranberry butter your own. Here are a few suggestions:

• Orange cranberry butter: Add the zest of one orange in the butter for extra citrus flavor.
• Honey cranberry butter: Substitute the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of honey.
• Spiced cranberry butter: Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin spice to the butter mixture.

Serving suggestions

Some of my favorite ways to serve this cranberry butter include:

• This is a wonderful spread for pancakes or waffles.
• I like serving this with warm, fluffy biscuits during the holidays.
• The butter is so good on a piece of cornbread. The flavors go well together.
• Spread on toast, bagels, or English muffins.
• You can even add this cranberry flavored butter on turkey, pork, or chicken.

Storage instructions

Store: Store any leftover butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Freeze: This cranberry butter can be frozen. Wrap the butter in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

FAQ’s

More cranberry recipes

• Cranberry jalapeno dip
• Cranberry cream cheese pinwheels
• Cranberry Jello salad
• Cranberry cheesecake dip
• Canned cranberry sauce recipe