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Compound butter shown six different ways on a piece of brown parchment paper.
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Compound Butter 6 Ways

Learn how to make compound butter in a variety of savory flavor combinations to use as a toast-spread, protein-topper, pasta sauce, and beyond. Each flavor makes about 1/2 cup butter, enough for 8 (1-tablespoon) servings.
Course Pantry
Cuisine American
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 8 servings (1 tbsp each)
Calories 103kcal

Ingredients

Garlic-Herb butter:

Shallot-Chive butter:

Basil-Lemon butter:

Red Pepper butter:

Blue Cheese butter:

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Mâitre d'Hôtel butter:

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, add butter and flavorings and stir until uniformly combined. Add to a piece of plastic wrap, wax paper, or parchment and roll into a cylinder.
  • Twist the ends to close, then chill until firm. Slice to serve on steak, chicken, fish, or vegetables.

Notes

  1. Butter: Cold butter usually softens up in 30 minutes or so at room temperature (much longer if you're using sticks that you've frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger, and if it's still too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
  2. Fresh herbs: Dried herbs can work in a pinch, but you can't compete with the bright, verdant flavor that fresh herbs deliver. If you do opt for dried herbs, use one-third as much of the dried variety as I call for of the fresh. (In other words, instead of 2 tablespoons, use 2 teaspoons.)
  3. Roasted red peppers: Look for these already roasted and jarred, near the pickled or canned foods at your supermarket. For the compound butter recipe, I call for them pureed, which you can do by blitzing the peppers in a food processor or blender until they reach an even consistency.
  4. Yield: Each compound butter recipe makes about 1/2 cup of butter, or enough for eight 1-tablespoon servings.
  5. Storage: Store wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
  6. Make ahead: Compound butter can be made weeks ahead, even one month in advance.
  7. Freezer: Wrap rolls of compound butter in extra plastic wrap or foil and pack in freezer-safe bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbsp | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.4g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 389IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg