5 Compound Butter Recipes That Will Make Any Meal Butter (2024)

We’ve found a guaranteed way to put you in a butter mood: compound butter. This is just a fancy way of saying a log of flavored butter that can be sweet, savory, or somewhere in between. It can be a way to clean out the herbs in your fridge before they go bad, a reason to eat cake-inspired butter with sprinkles on your morning bagel, or a flavorful way to make a steak dinner even more decadent.

And luckily it’s easy to make compound butter. All you need is softened, unsalted butter—the only time we’ll probably ever call for unsalted other than baking—plus mix-ins and a little craftiness to roll it into a log and let it set up in the fridge or freezer for butter days ahead. Get a tutorial for the basics on making compound butter, then explore five flavor-packed ideas to upgrade any meal. And if you want more butter in your life...they pair perfectly with our new Ultimate Butter Robes and Squishy Waffle Slippers.

How to Make Compound Butter

Each recipe makes about ½ cup.

  1. Mash the softened, unsalted butter with all the ingredients in a bowl using a fork, spoon, or even a potato masher until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

  2. Arrange a 12-inch piece of plastic wrap on top of a 12-inch piece of aluminum foil. (The foil helps to make the rolling part easier and keeps it from getting freezer burnt!)

  3. Transfer the compound butter mixture to the plastic wrap, about ⅓ of the way up from the bottom into an approximately 4-inch by 2-inch log. It doesn’t have to be perfect at this point—it’ll look like a blob.

  4. Fold the plastic over the butter loosely then roll it gently upward so it is covered in the plastic. Use the foil to wrap the plastic into a cylinder, then twist from both ends to force the butter into a tight log and seal.

  5. Chill for 2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes to set. Open it up and slice off a piece to stir into oatmeal, spread on toast, top pancakes, or melt on top of a juicy steak. Butters can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Now Choose Your Flavor!

Birthday Cake Butter

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

• 1 ½ tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 big pinch of kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons Cravings’ Birthday Cake seasoning (or a splash of vanilla and an extra 1 teaspoon of sugar)

HOW TO USE IT:

- Top french toast, pancakes, crepes, or waffles

- Spread onto a graham cracker or dip animal crackers in it

- Make a sweet piece of toast

- Stir into hot oatmeal

- Add on top of grilled pineapple or other grilled fruit

- Mix with crumbled white cake to make cake pop balls

Spicy Thai Butter

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

• 1 tablespoon finely minced red Thai bird chilies

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped roasted peanuts

• 2 tablespoons chopped Thai or regular basil

• 1 ½ teaspoons fish sauce

• ½ teaspoon finely grated lime zest

• ½ teaspoon finely grated ginger

• Tiny pinch light brown sugar

HOW TO USE IT:

- Toss with hot rice

- Melt into steamed broccoli and rice noodles

- Add to cooked vegetables

- Spread on a banh mi sandwich baguette

- Make a Thai-inspired grilled cheese

- Use to finish steak, chicken, or fish

- Mix into oatmeal for a savory twist and top with a fried egg

Ranchiest Ranch & Chive Butter

INGREDIENTS

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

• 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced chives

• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons Cravings’ Ranchiest Ranch popcorn seasoning or a dry ranch seasoning powder

HOW TO USE IT:

- Melt and drizzle on popcorn

- Use as garlic bread spread

- Make ranch-y grilled cheese

- Melt and toss with breadcrumbs to top macaroni and cheese

- Use to finish steak, chicken, or fish

- Add to cooked vegetables

- Stir into rice, polenta, oatmeal, or grits

Berry Crumble Butter

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

• 2 tablespoons fresh blueberries

• 1 tablespoon fresh raspberries

• 1 tablespoon honey

• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

HOW TO USE IT:

- Spread on white toast, a biscuit, plain bagel, or English muffin for an instant fruit crumble experience

- Melt on vanilla pound cake

- Stir into hot oatmeal

- Make a crumble topping with this as the butter

- Top french toast, pancakes, or waffles

Maple Bacon Breakfast Butter

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

• 3 tablespoons crumbled bacon

• 2 teaspoons maple syrup or Cravings’ Maple Doughnut popcorn seasoning

• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

HOW TO USE IT:

- Top french toast, pancakes, or waffles—especially chicken and waffles

- Stir into hot oatmeal

- Spread onto a biscuit or bagel

- Add to your choice of bread for a breakfast sandwich

5 Compound Butter Recipes That Will Make Any Meal Butter (2024)

FAQs

What is your compound butter used for and what does it bring to that dish? ›

What Is Compound Butter Used For? Compound butter is used as a flavor enhancer for meats, vegetables, and baked goods. Discover the top compound butter recipe ideas for steak, turkey, corn, fish, chicken, and bread below.

What are the ingredients for a traditional Maître d Hôtel butter? ›

Ingredients
  • 5 1/3 oz of unsalted butter, softened.
  • 3/4 oz of parsley, finely chopped.
  • 1 lemon, zested, plus half the juice.
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt.
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper.
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, (optional)
  • 1 pinch of cayenne pepper, (optional)

What is the difference between compound butter and regular butter? ›

Compound butter, also known as finishing butter, is butter that has been softened to a pliable state and then has herbs, spices, or sweeteners added to it. This mixture is then rolled into a log shape and chilled until firm. Chefs slice the log into individual portions for spreading or for use in their recipes.

How long does homemade compound butter last? ›

How To Store Compound Butter. You should store compound butter in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. Depending on the ingredients you've added to the butter, it should last in the refrigerator for one week and a maximum of one month. In the freezer, compound butter will last for months.

What is a compound butter in cooking? ›

Compound butters (French: beurre composé, pl. beurres composés) are mixtures of butter and other ingredients used as a flavoring, in a fashion similar to a sauce.

What is Gordon Ramsay's compound butter recipe? ›

Compound Butter:
  1. ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature.
  2. 2 tablespoons chopped sage.
  3. 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary.
  4. 2 tablespoons chopped thyme.
  5. 2 cloves garlic, finely grated.
  6. Zest of 1 lemon.
  7. ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

What is maitre d hotel butter? ›

Beurre maître d'hôtel, also referred to as maître d'hôtel butter, is a type of compound butter (French: "beurre composé") of French origin, prepared with butter, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

What is French flour butter mixture? ›

Beurre Manié (French for “kneaded butter”) is made by mixing equals parts of softened butter and flour. This dough or paste is used to thicken sauces, soups and stews.

Should I refrigerate compound butter? ›

Compound butter can be kept refrigerated for several days. They can also be frozen for several months by being wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in plastic freezer bags.

Why do chefs use compound butter? ›

Compound butter or “beurre composse” in French is simply unsalted butter mixed with other ingredients that add sweet or savory flavor, like honey, herbs, or garlic. This creamy spread can be easily added to meats, and sauces sides to add extra flavor.

Can compound butter go bad? ›

Once the compound recipe is complete, you must store butter in the refrigerator as you normally would. In many cases, herb-infused compound butter can last up to two months in the refrigerator. However, storage time really depends on the ingredients you've included in the compound butter recipe.

Why does homemade butter go bad? ›

butter is composed of at least 80 fat. so it will go through lipid oxidation. turning it rancid over time. the cream used to make butter has been pasteurized.

Can you leave compound butter out overnight? ›

It's almost always safe to leave butter on the counter or to eat butter that has been out of the fridge for a while. Unlike soft cheeses, such as cream cheese, ricotta, or cottage cheese, butter can stay out of the fridge for hours, even days, without the risk of spoilage or food safety issues.

What are the benefits of compound butter? ›

Every cooked meat, every protein, benefits from a good compound butter because it allows the fat to baste and add additional flavor. It's typically incorporated with fresh or fragrant aromatic herbs. As it heats up, the oils and fat heat up, releasing the oils and aromatics for an additional depth of flavor.”

What is the purpose of the butter? ›

It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment, and used as a fat in baking, sauce-making, pan frying, and other cooking procedures. Most frequently made from cow's milk, butter can also be manufactured from the milk of other mammals, including sheep, goats, buffalo, and yaks.

What does butter do in the oven and as a result what does it do to your final biscuit texture? ›

As the dough is baked, the butter melts and creates steam, trapping it in the dough and creating air pockets. Once the dough has cooled, these air pockets become delicate layers of flaky dough. By this point, you've realized that butter adds more than flavor—it develops texture.

How can a compound butter serve as a sauce? ›

Using Compound Butter In Dishes

They can be heated for a sauce, just use the cut rounds and added to a dish. It will enhance steaks, chicken, fish, and vegetables. You can also use the rounds as a flavor-enhancing edible garnish.

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