Christmas Cranberry Honey Butter Recipe (Holiday Perfection!)

This Christmas cranberry honey butter is about to become your new holiday tradition. It’s sweet, tart, festive, and absolutely delicious on pretty much everything. We’re talking softened butter whipped with honey and dried cranberries into the most beautiful, flavorful spread you’ve ever had.

I started making this a few years ago for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and now my family requests it every single holiday. It’s so much better than plain butter, and the cranberries give it this gorgeous festive color that looks amazing on the table. Plus, it’s ridiculously easy to make.

The best part? You can make this ahead of time, and it also makes a fantastic homemade gift. Put it in a cute jar with a ribbon, and you’ve got something way more thoughtful than store-bought. Let’s make the easiest, most delicious holiday butter ever.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Festive and Beautiful – The bright red cranberries mixed into creamy butter create this gorgeous pink-red swirl that just screams holiday season. It looks as good as it tastes and makes any table feel more festive.

Sweet and Tart Balance – The honey adds natural sweetness while the cranberries bring that tart, fruity flavor. Together, they create this perfect balance that’s way more interesting than plain butter or even regular honey butter.

Ready in 15 Minutes – Seriously, this takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. Soften the butter, whip everything together, and you’re done. It’s the easiest holiday recipe that makes the biggest impact.

Perfect for Gifting – Pack this in cute jars or containers, tie a ribbon around it, and you’ve got homemade gifts that people actually want. Way better than store-bought and so much more personal.

Versatile Beyond Bread – Sure, it’s amazing on rolls and biscuits, but try it on pancakes, waffles, sweet potatoes, roasted turkey, or even stirred into oatmeal. It’s surprisingly versatile.

Make-Ahead Friendly – Make this up to a week ahead and store it in the fridge. Actually, the flavors get even better after sitting for a day or two as the cranberries infuse the butter more.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this festive cranberry honey butter.

For the Cranberry Honey Butter:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (must be room temperature)
• ⅓ cup honey (use good quality honey)
• ½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional but amazing)
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• Pinch of salt

Key Ingredient Notes:

Room Temperature Butter is Essential – The butter needs to be truly softened to room temperature, not melted. If it’s too cold, it won’t whip properly. If it’s melted, the texture will be wrong. Leave it on the counter for 1-2 hours before making this.

Dried Cranberries Work Best – Dried cranberries are concentrated in flavor and won’t add excess moisture like fresh ones would. Chop them finely so they distribute evenly throughout the butter.

Honey Quality Matters – Use good quality honey—it’s one of the main flavors here. Local honey, wildflower honey, or clover honey all work great. The better the honey, the better the butter.

Orange Zest is Magic – The orange zest is technically optional, but it adds this bright, citrusy note that makes the cranberry flavor pop even more. Highly recommend including it.

Unsalted Butter – Use unsalted butter so you can control the saltiness. Just a pinch of salt brightens all the flavors without making it taste salty.

How to Make Christmas Cranberry Honey Butter

This is so easy you’ll wonder why you’ve never made flavored butter before.

Step 1: Soften the Butter

Make sure your butter is truly softened to room temperature. It should be soft enough that you can easily press your finger into it, but not melted or greasy.

If you forgot to take it out ahead of time, you can cut it into small cubes and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Don’t microwave it—melted butter won’t whip properly.

Pro tip: Properly softened butter is key to getting that light, fluffy, whipped texture.

Step 2: Chop the Cranberries

Finely chop the dried cranberries. You want them small enough that they distribute evenly throughout the butter and don’t create big chunks. A sharp knife works fine, or pulse them a few times in a food processor.

Pro tip: If your dried cranberries are really tough, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry before chopping.

Step 3: Whip the Butter

Place the softened butter in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it’s light and fluffy.

The butter should look pale and have increased in volume slightly. This whipping process incorporates air and makes the butter spreadable and creamy.

Step 4: Add Honey and Mix

Add the honey to the whipped butter and continue beating on medium speed for another 1-2 minutes until the honey is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

The butter will take on a beautiful golden color from the honey.

Pro tip: Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly mixed.

Step 5: Fold in Cranberries and Flavorings

Add the chopped dried cranberries, orange zest (if using), cinnamon (if using), and a pinch of salt. Use a spatula to fold everything together until the cranberries are evenly distributed throughout the butter.

Don’t overmix at this stage—you want to see those pretty cranberry pieces throughout the butter.

Step 6: Shape and Chill

Transfer the cranberry honey butter to a serving bowl or container. You can also roll it into a log using plastic wrap (great for slicing), or pack it into small jars for gifting.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let it firm up and allow the flavors to meld together.

Pro tip: To make a butter log, place the butter on plastic wrap, shape it into a log, roll it up tightly, twist the ends, and refrigerate until firm. Then slice into pretty rounds for serving.

Step 7: Bring to Room Temperature Before Serving

Take the butter out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving so it softens slightly and becomes spreadable. Cold butter is hard to spread, and you want this to be soft and creamy.

Serve in a pretty dish with a butter knife, and watch it disappear!

What to Serve With Christmas Cranberry Honey Butter

This butter is incredibly versatile and makes everything taste better.

Dinner Rolls – Warm, fluffy dinner rolls with cranberry honey butter is classic holiday perfection. It’s basically mandatory at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

Biscuits – Flaky buttermilk biscuits with this butter are heaven. The sweet-tart butter complements the buttery biscuits perfectly.

Cornbread – Sweet cornbread with cranberry honey butter is an amazing combination. The honey echoes the sweetness in the cornbread.

Pancakes or Waffles – This is incredible on breakfast items. The cranberries and honey make regular pancakes or waffles feel special and festive.

Toast or English Muffins – Turn your morning toast into something special. This makes everyday breakfast feel like a holiday treat.

Sweet Potatoes – A dollop of cranberry honey butter on roasted sweet potatoes is absolutely delicious. The flavors complement each other beautifully.

Roasted Turkey or Chicken – Put a pat of this on hot sliced turkey or chicken. As it melts, it creates this amazing sweet-tart glaze.

Muffins or Scones – Cranberry orange muffins or plain scones with this butter are perfect for holiday brunches.

Storage Tips

This butter stores beautifully, which makes it perfect for making ahead or gifting.

Refrigerator Storage:

Store the cranberry honey butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The butter will firm up, so take it out 30 minutes before serving to soften.

Pro tip: The flavors actually improve after a day or two as the cranberries infuse the butter more. Make it a few days ahead of your holiday meal for the best flavor.

Freezer Storage:

This freezes beautifully! Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.

Pro tip: If you made a butter log, you can slice it while it’s still partially frozen, then thaw just the slices you need.

Gifting Tips:

For gifts, pack the butter into small mason jars (4 oz jars are perfect), tie a ribbon around the lid, and attach a tag with storage instructions. Keep refrigerated and consume within 2 weeks.

Make sure to tell recipients to store it in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving.

Presentation Ideas:

For serving at holiday meals, you can press the butter into decorative molds, roll it into balls using a melon baller, or pipe it into pretty rosettes using a pastry bag. These look beautiful on a butter dish!

Final Thoughts

This Christmas cranberry honey butter is one of those small touches that makes holiday meals feel extra special. It’s so easy to make, but it elevates every single thing you put it on. Plus, it’s gorgeous and festive-looking, which we all need during the holidays.

I love that it’s versatile enough for everything from Thanksgiving dinner rolls to Christmas morning pancakes. And the fact that it makes great homemade gifts? That’s just a bonus.

So whip up a batch (or three) this holiday season. Your dinner rolls will thank you, and so will everyone at your table. 🙂