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+ servings
Three slices of cranberry butter on a black dish, cranberries on the side.
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5 from 3 votes

Cranberry Honey Compound Butter

A savory and sweet compound butter recipe that is perfect for topping a variety of meats such as ham, chicken, salmon, dinner rolls, and toasted bagels! It's also the perfect accompaniment for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter menu! Use this as a whipped or a compound butter!
Prep Time10 minutes
Resting Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Condiments, Sauces
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 221kcal
Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

  • parchment paper

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 cup butter, unsalted
  • 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 2 Tablespoons juice from a fresh orange, optional

Instructions

To Make Compound Butter

  • In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the cranberries, water, honey, and brown sugar into a small saucepan over medium heat.
  • When the liquids start to boil, use a hand held masher to start crushing the cranberries so the juice is released.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to mix the ingredients together for another 1-2 minutes.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and place the mixture in a medium-size bowl to allow the content to cool, about 7-10 minutes.
  • Once cooled, add the room temperature butter to the bowl of cranberry mixture. Using a handheld mixer on low speed, combine the ingredients until well combined.
  • Using a spatula, remove the cranberry butter and place it onto a large piece of parchment paper.
  • Starting from one edge of the parchment paper, carefully roll the cranberry mixture, tucking the paper under the mixture as best you can and form into a log shape.
  • Using both hands, twist the ends on the parchment paper on both sides so it looks like a large tootsie roll.
  • Place the compound butter in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set.
  • Once chilled, slice and serve alongside your favorite meats, breads, or vegetables.

To Make Whipped Butter

  • Follow steps 1-4 as as outlined for making the compound butter.
  • Once the cranberry mixture has completely cooled, add the softened butter to a bowl.
  • Using a handheld mixture, whip the mixture on low speed for 1 minute and then increase the speed to high for an additional 2-3 minutes until the butter is whipped and creamy.
  • From there, add the whipped cranberry butter onto bread, pancakes, or fresh grilled asparagus.

Notes

  • This recipe is delicious both whipped or formed into a compound butter. Spread the whipped version onto a freshly toasted bagel or a piece of freshly baked bread.
  • If you don't have a handheld mixer, you can use a wire whisk to combine the ingredients. 
  • Top a fresh baked sweet potato with slices of this compound or whipped butter. 
  • When making this, I recommend using an unsalted version so that whatever it is being paired with won't be too salty in taste.
  • I highly recommend using a European or Irish version when making this recipe. They tend to be more creamy and smooth in texture.
  • For the cranberries, it doesn’t matter if your cranberries are fresh or frozen, just don’t use canned cranberries or dried cranberries when making this recipe. Fresh cranberries are best.

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 718IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 9mg