Cranberry Butter

Cranberry Butter is a wonderful spread to serve with crackers and toast. This easy to make cranberry compound butter is perfect for fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

cranberry butter in a small metal bowl


This is a great compound butter to make with fresh cranberries during the fall. This tasty spread goes well on hot biscuits, homemade bread, and crackers.

The use of an extravagant amount of butter in restaurant cooking has been an open secret for years. Still, there is another, lesser-known way that chefs can use butter to create vibrant flavors and luxuriousness in their foods that many home cooks never try: Making and using compound butters. Compound butter is nothing more than flavored butter. Typically, these flavorings come in the form of spices and herbs, perhaps even a little citrus zest, but you can add almost anything you want. Take cranberries, for example. This fresh Cranberry Butter recipe combines tart, fresh cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, and real butter into a holiday-inspired recipe that you can enjoy all year.

How to Serve Cranberry Butter

Since this butter is fairly wet it will not set up very well, I simply serve this in a pretty dish with a spoon. If you want to prepare this as a compound butter you will need to change the recipe. You will need to double the butter, and use 6 ounces of cranberries, and 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.

Getting your Cranberry Butter into Shape

After mixing up the compound butter, the easiest way to store it is by pressing it into a bowl and coving it with plastic wrap. But it is easy to shape the butter into something a little fancier than that.

You can roll compound butter into logs by spooning the butter onto a sheet of parchment paper. Make a rough log shape in the center and leave free space at both ends. Next, fold the top part of the parchment paper over the butter until it lines up with the lower edge. Next, use the flat edge of a cutting board flat to press the butter away from you while simultaneously pulling the bottom part of the parchment paper towards you. Doing this will help you to form a tight log of Cranberry Butter.

Alternatively, you can use a silicone butter mold or candy mold to form individual servings. Make sure the butter is soft before filling and be sure to put the mold directly in the freezer for about half an hour to solidify. Pop the butter out while still frozen and store it in the fridge.

Cranberry Butter is More than Just Another Spread

Sure, Cranberry Butter tastes great on bread, bagels, and rolls, but why limit yourself to just that? There are many less conventional ways that you can utilize this fantastic recipe.

Cranberries and turkey is a traditional combination that everyone can get behind, so why are you basting your bird with regular butter when you can be elevating its flavor with Cranberry Butter instead? And don’t forget to slather it on the bread of your post T-Day turkey sandwiches. If you are not a turkey person, Cranberry butter works equally well on chicken dishes!

Believe it or not, cranberries go amazingly well with beef. The tartness of the berries cut through the richness of the meat to create a complex flavor profile. Add a dollop of the compound butter on top of any steak while you let it rest. Not only will the butter impart a wonderful flavor the meat, but it will also add a beautiful shine.

It is okay if you don’t want to commit to using flavored butter on the main course. Try adding it to side dishes like wild rice, brown lentils, or even mashed potatoes!

Tips For Storing Cranberry Butter

  • Keep butter in the fridge for up to a week. Because of the additional ingredients, cranberry butter won’t last as long as regular butter in the refrigerator.
  • Compound butter will last for up to three months in the freezer. Store the butter in a sealed container. You may want to portion the butter into individual servings before freezing.

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Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Powdered sugar
  • Lemon Juice
  • Butter
  • Fresh cranberries

How to Make Cranberry Butter

  1. Simply place all ingredients in a food processor and process until thoroughly mixed.
  2. Refrigerate until serving.

Recipe Tips

  • If a lighter-flavored cranberry taste is desired, use an additional stick of butter and process a little longer.
  • If you want a smaller batch, just divide it into thirds and make the smaller batch.
  • Cranberry butter freezes well. Roll it into a log with parchment paper. Cut the log into desired portions and place them in freezer bags.
cranberry butter in a bowl, a knife, and bread slices with the butter on them.

More Cranberry Recipes

Favorite Holiday Sweets

Be sure to check out more of my easy sauce recipes and the best Thanksgiving recipes here on CopyKat!

cranberry butter in a small metal bowl

Cranberry Butter

Cranberry Butter is a wonderful seasonal flavored compound butter to make. 
5 from 5 votes
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Course: Sauces
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cranberry Butter
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 72
Calories: 55kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed is best
  • 12 ounces butter
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until thoroughly mixed. Chill until serving.

Notes

Serve with hot rolls, toast, crackers, etc.
If a lighter-flavored cranberry taste is desired, use one more stick of butter and process a little longer. 
If you want a smaller batch, just divide it into thirds and make the smaller batch.
It does freeze well.

Nutrition

Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 5mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0mg

This recipe was originally posted by creecie.

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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