Easy Cranberry Honey Butter Recipe

We’ve been making this Cranberry Honey Butter lately, and it’s the little bit of joy I didn’t now my morning was missing. The best part? It only requires 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to blend. You just beat some butter with honey, dried cranberries, and orange zest, and suddenly you have a spread that tastes like you got it from a high-end bakery. Seriously, it’s my new favorite way to make a simple breakfast feel like a treat.

The flavor is a perfect balance of sweet and tart, and the little bites of cranberry give it a great texture. I love making a batch at the beginning of the week and having it ready to go. Not only can you use it to spread on toasted bread and bagels, but it can also be used to give a burst of flavor to Dinner Rolls and Biscuits.

If you love this butter spread, you are sure to love our Honey Butter, Cinnamon Butter, and Pumpkin Butter recipes.

Why we think you’ll love it:

Versatile. Spread it on everything from breakfast bagels to dinner rolls.
Simple. Just blend the 4 ingredients and it’s ready to spread!
Stores well. Because it can be stored for weeks in the fridge or freezer, it’s a perfect make-ahead recipe.

Ingredients to make cranberry honey butter on a kitchen counter.

Cranberry Honey Butter Ingredients

Salted butter, softened (1 cup)- The creamy, rich base that makes this spread smooth and luscious. Softened butter blends easily with the add-ins. If you use unsalted butter, you likely want to increase the amount of kosher salt to about ¼ to ½ teaspoon, adjusting to your taste.
Finely chopped dried cranberries (⅓ cup)- Adds sweet-tart pops of flavor and a festive color that makes the butter so pretty on the table. For a similar texture, you can use finely chopped dried cherries or dried blueberries.
Honey (¼ cup)- Balances the tanginess with natural sweetness and gives the butter a silky texture. You can also use maple syrup, but the flavor will be different.
Grated orange zest (2 teaspoons)- Brings bright, citrusy notes that lift the flavors and pair beautifully with the cranberries. You can also use lemon zest.
Kosher salt (⅙ teaspoon)- Just a touch enhances all the other flavors and keeps the butter from tasting too sweet. You can use an equal amount of flaky sea salt or about half the amount of table salt, since it is finer and more potent.

How to Make Cranberry Honey Butter

Butter cubes, honey, orange zest and chopped cranberries in a mixing bowl.

Cranberry honey butter ingredients blended together in a mixing bowl.

MIX. In a small bowl, add all the ingredients and beat with a hand mixer until well blended.

CHILL. Scrape down sides and pour into an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (or freeze for 3 months).

Two pieces of sliced bread, the top slice is spread with cranberry honey butter, on a plate along with a butter knife holding a mound of cranberry honey butter.

Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

The better the quality of the butter, the better the butter spread will taste.
Knowing how to soften butter quickly and how to zest citrus will help make this recipe whip together smoothly.
Taste the mixture before storing to ensure the salt and sweetness are balanced to your liking.
For a similar texture, you can use finely chopped dried cherries or dried blueberries.

Cranberry honey butter in white rammekin.

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Cranberry Honey Butter Recipe

By: Kristyn Merkley

Using just 4 ingredients, this cranberry honey butter will add a delightful touch to toast, muffins, and more.

Servings: 8

Prep: 10

Total: 10

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup salted butter, softened
▢ ⅓ cup finely chopped dried cranberries
▢ ¼ cup honey
▢ 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
▢ ⅙ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

In a small bowl, add all the ingredients and beat until well blended.
Scrape down sides and pour into an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (or freeze for 3 months).

Notes

Recipe Tips.

The better the quality of the butter, the better the butter spread will taste.
Knowing how to soften butter quickly and how to zest citrus will help make this recipe whip together smoothly.
Taste the mixture before storing to ensure the salt and sweetness are balanced to your liking.
For a similar texture, you can use finely chopped dried cherries or dried blueberries.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to make it easier to spread.

For more substitutions and tips, check out the full recipe post

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 0.3g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 232mg, Potassium: 16mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 711IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

How to store?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to make it easier to spread.