Rich vanilla beans and local honey adds sweetness to these tart little berries, making this Vanilla Bean and Fresh Cranberry Butter just perfect for Fall. Enjoy with some plain yogurt, in your morning oatmeal, on toast, or on top of some fresh pumpkin waffles.
Fresh cranberries are great for baking as they add a little bit of sweetness and a gorgeous color! Try using cranberries in this Cranberry and Honey Cornbread Muffin or this Clove and Cranberry Apple Sauce in the Instant Pot.
Vanilla Bean and Fresh Cranberry Butter
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I love making all kinds of fruit butter with seasonal fruit!
In summer, we devoured heaps of this homemade Lemon Curd and Peach Butter, and now that Fall is here, we have been enjoying this Vanilla Bean and Fresh Cranberry Butter with everything.
Homemade fruit butter is so easy to make, and really takes advantage of the natural sweetness of in-season fruit.
Fresh cranberries are naturally quite a tart fruit, but the addition of honey and vanilla bean here really draws out the sweetness and offsets that tart flavor that can be a bit overwhelming.
You can try vanilla extract if you don’t have vanilla bean paste on hand (or it is super expensive where you are), but if you can get your hands on the bean paste then do yourself a favor and use that.
Seriously worth a little splurge.
A Note On Ingredients
Cranberries
You want to use fresh or frozen whole cranberries for this recipe, not dried cranberries.
Fresh cranberries can be found in the fruit and veg section of a well stocked supermarket in Fall/autumn.
Frozen cranberries can be found in the frozen fruit section, although these can tend to be seasonal as well.
If you do end up using dried cranberries, they are more often than not already sweetened, so you will need to adjust the added honey so as not to end up with an overly sweet butter.
Vanilla Bean Paste
Vanilla bean paste is a lot more expensive that vanilla extract or vanilla essense.
The flavour is a lot more luxurious, and definitely worth the little splurge to really balance out the flavour in this cranberry butter.
In a pinch, you can get away with vanilla extract.
What To Do With Fresh Cranberry Butter: How To Serve Up
This spread is super versatile, try out some of these options for serving up:
- spread on toast;
- spread on top of some waffles with a dollop of yogurt and some slices of banana (this is what we will be having for our Thanksgiving breakfast this year);
- dollop on top of some pancakes;
- pair with some vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt;
- enjoy on top of your warm morning oats;
- or add to overnight oats for a great pop of color.
Simply use homemade cranberry honey butter anywhere you would normally use a jam or other similar spread.
How To Store Cranberry Butter
Vanilla bean and cranberry butter keeps well stored in the fridge for about 3 weeks if it is kept in an airtight container.
You will need to give it a good stir when you remove it from the fridge, as it takes on a jammy consistency, and can get quite thick.
Cranberry butter also freezes really well!
I tend to make a big batch and freeze a couple of jars so I can still satisfy my cranberry fix when the season is done.
Just make sure you leave some headspace in the container you will be freezing the cranberry butter in to allow for expansion, this is especially important if you will be storing it in a glass jar with a lid, we don't want any cracked glass!
More Recipes For Using Fresh Cranberries
If you love baking with fresh cranberries, or your have some leftover cranberries from your Holiday cooking then you might want to check out these recipes:
- Pumpkin and Fresh Cranberry Bread
- Orange and Fresh Cranberry Smoothie
- Cranberry and cornbread mini muffins
- Clove and Cranberry Apple Sauce.
- Slow Cooked Cranberry Apple Cider.
Are you a fan of fresh cranberries?
I would love to know what you think of this cranberry and vanilla bean butter. Be sure to leave a comment, like on Facebook, tweet on Twitter, or pin to Pinterest for later.
Happy eating.
xx
Recipe
Vanilla Bean and Fresh Cranberry Butter
Ingredients
- 1 bag cranberries about 3 cups
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan on medium heat. While continuously stirring, bring to a bubbling simmer and reduce heat to low
- Continue to cook on low until the cranberries have completely broken down, and the mixture resembles a thick jam/butter. This should take about half an hour. Be sure to regularly stir or the honey can stick to the bottom and burn
- One desired consistency is reached, remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer into glass jars with lids. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or in the freezer for a couple of months
Notes
Recipe
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post has been updated from the original October 2015 post to provide readers with more information.
Beth@FrugalFroggie says
That would be yummy on a biscuit. Thanks for the recipe.
Whole Food Bellies says
Yum, it would be Beth - I haven't had biscuits in ages, need to rectify that 🙂
Kirsten says
This sounds fantastic! I love cranberry relish and this looks a lot like that. Where do you get vanilla bean paste? I've never seen or heard of it.
Whole Food Bellies says
I ordered it from Amazon, as that was the cheapest place I could find it. You can usually find it in the spice or baking aisle of most supermarkets as well
Bonnie @ Living a Fit and Full Life says
This looks yummy! I would love to have it on waffles!
Whole Food Bellies says
My favourite way to have it too 🙂
JanetGoingCrazy says
Oh I bet this is just amazing. I love anything with cranberries in it!
Whole Food Bellies says
Me too Janet 🙂
Blythe A. says
I added this to my Yum cookbook. I happen to have some cranberries in my refrigerator that I bought for a recipe my mom wanted to make, except she doesn't remember which recipe. Now i know exactly what to do with them.
Whole Food Bellies says
Haha I do that all the time Blythe, and then have to come up with something else 🙂 I hope you enjoy!
Lauren Watson {Native Texan Livin'} says
Sounds really good! This would even be a great addition to a gift basket for Christmas! Thanks! 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Good idea Lauren, I should really start giving people nice home-made things for christmas, instead of more 'stuff'!
Katherine G says
I have never had cranberry and vanilla butter before. It looks so delicious! I so want to try this. Now I'm either going to have to make it or find some.
Whole Food Bellies says
You might be able to find a version at a local farmers market? It's so so easy to make though, and you get two jars worth 🙂
Melissa says
I have never tried any butters like this. I love anything with vanilla 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
They are my new favourite thing! Traditional jams weren't working properly for me without the sugar (plus they take so long, I don't have the patience for that), so these butters are my easy alternative.
Kiersten Millican says
Oh my, I never would have thought of making this. It looks so cool and it's super original!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Kiersten 🙂
yanique says
I love cranberries and this cranberry vanilla bean butter looks delicious.
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Yanique!
Debra says
THis sounds amazing! Perfect for waffles!
Whole Food Bellies says
My favourite way to eat it Debra!
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) says
Oh this looks amazing, I would love to make this!
Whole Food Bellies says
I hope you enjoy if you give it a go Cindy!
Cynthia @craftoflaughter says
This looks incredible! I think it would be perfect on a winter morning!
Whole Food Bellies says
Definitely Cynthia! Although it has still been delicious on our (still hot) Fall mornings 🙂
Dia says
How have I not heard about this?!?! I love cranberries! I seriously have a bag in my fridge now. This sounds so yummy. Thanks for sharing
Whole Food Bellies says
Haha thanks Dia! Enjoy your cranberries 🙂
Logan Can says
This looks so delicious! I bet it is amazing on pancakes and biscuits!
Whole Food Bellies says
You are the second person to mention biscuits, and now I am totally craving them 🙂 I guess I will be doing some baking after all the halloween festivities are done!
Sarah @ Sarah's Bake Studio says
I love the cranberry-vanilla bean combo. It sounds delicious! The color is beautiful! 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Sarah! The color turned out really gorgeous hey!
Kathrina says
This butter looks fabulous. Cranberries are the thing I look forward to the most this time of year! I definitely think vanilla beans are always worth the splurge.
Whole Food Bellies says
Definitely Kathrina - I only recently made the splurge (and it was because I was making a wedding cake), and now there is no way I can go back - they make a huge difference!!
Megan Marlowe says
This looks heavenly! Cranberries are so wonderful this time of year. I can see this on my table all season long!
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh thanks Megan 🙂 We have had it on the table every morning since I started making it!
Claire says
This looks so yummy! I am definitely going to try this recipe 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Claire, I hope you enjoy it!
rachel @ athletic avocado says
I LOVE cranberry butter! Great addition of vanilla, YUM!