How To Make Compound Butter
This easy compound butter recipe is the perfect addition to your dinner table. Learn how to make compound butter three different ways with this adaptable recipe. Perfect for slathering on toast, topping on steak, serving with dinner rolls at the holidays, and more!
Along with peanut butter and jelly, chocolate, and macaroni and cheese, bread and butter is one of those things that I could quite conceivably live on for an extended period of time. Not much can beat a warm, fresh hunk of bread slathered with soft butter. For most of my life, butter was always butter.
That all changed at some point years ago when I was eating at a restaurant and a basket of bread was delivered to the table with what looked to be regular ol’ butter. Ah, but it was not your average butter! It was distinctly sweet, and when we asked what it was, the server said it was honey butter. My mind was blown and my taste buds threw a party. After having it at a couple of other places, I finally realized I could make this fabulous stuff at home, and not just honey, either. Pretty much any flavor I wanted.
What is Compound Butter?
Compound butter refers to butter that has been mixed with other ingredients. These can be savory as well as sweet and are often used to enhance the flavor of dishes.
Many are used as a finishing butter meaning they top a finished dish instead of being used to cook the dish. From slathering on fresh bread to topping on meats, the ways to use compound butter are endless.
It’s really easy to make your own compound butter and only takes a few minutes. Below is a quick instructional on how to do it, along with recipes for my three favorite flavors (cinnamon-vanilla, herbed, and honey) and ways to use them.
How to Make Compound Butter: 3 Ways
Since compound butter can easily be made by mixing butter with spices, seasoning, and more, here are three of my favorite recipes for making your own compound butter.
The Best Butter for Compound Butter
When making compound butter the best butter to use is unsalted butter. This will allow you to adjust the amount of salt you include in the butter to your preference and not over-power the butter.
Once you have your unsalted butter, you want it to be really soft butter. Let it sit out until it’s completely softened at room temperature; the softer the butter is, the easier it will be to incorporate your add-ins.
Herbed Compound Butter
To make this savory herbed butter, here’s what you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter, softened
- A pinch of salt
- Rosemary, freshly minced
- Sage, freshly minced
- Thyme, freshly minced
Once you have your ingredients, making the compound butter is simple.
- Cut your mix-ins: Finely mince the fresh herbs to small pieces and set aside.
- Mix butter and salt: Place the softened butter in a medium bowl. Cut into pieces and add a pinch of salt.
- Fold in herbs: Add your herbs and use a rubber spatula to fold and until the add-ins are completely incorporated and evenly distributed throughout the butter.
- Shape the compound butter: Transfer the butter to a piece of plastic wrap. Shape and roll it into a log about 6 inches in length.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Variations
You can easily swap out the herbs listed above for your favorite fresh herbs. Be sure to keep it to 3 tablespoons so the butter isn’t too overpowered by herbs. Some other herbs or flavors you can mix in include:
- Basil
- Chives
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Dill
- Oregano
Ways to Serve Herbed Compound Butter
I am happy to slather this savory butter on a piece of bread and call it a day but if you are looking for some other ways to enjoy this butter, here are a few suggestions.
- Serve with a side of dinner rolls.
- Top a fresh cooked steak with a pad of compound butter.
- Use it in place of regular butter for coating pasta, rice, or topping baked potatoes.
- Swap out garlic butter in a garlic bread recipe and make herbed butter bread.
Vanilla-Cinnamon Butter
To make this delicious vanilla-cinnamon compound butter you will need:
- Softened unsalted butter
- A pinch of salt
- Vanilla bean, split lengthwise with the seeds scraped out and added to the butter. You can discard the pod.
- Ground cinnamon
Similar to the herbed butter listed above, here’s how to make the Vanilla-Cinnamon Butter.
- Mix butter and salt: Place the softened butter in a medium bowl. Cut into pieces and add a pinch of salt.
- Fold in vanilla and cinnamon: Add your vanilla bean seeds and cinnamon and use a rubber spatula to fold and until the add-ins are completely incorporated and evenly distributed throughout the butter.
- Shape the compound butter: Transfer the butter to a piece of plastic wrap. Shape and roll it into a log about 6 inches in length.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Ways to Serve Vanilla-Cinnamon Butter
I am tempted to slather the vanilla-cinnamon butter on everything. It makes everything taste like a piece of cinnamon bread (or a cinnamon roll)!
- Smear it on a slice of toasted white bread.
- Mix it into a fresh bowl of homemade oatmeal.
- Slathered on a warm slice of banana bread.
Honey Butter
For this sweet compound butter recipe you will need:
- Softened unsalted butter
- A pinch of salt
- Honey
To make this honey butter:
- Mix butter and salt: Place the softened butter in a medium bowl. Cut into pieces and add a pinch of salt.
- Fold in honey: Add your honey and use a rubber spatula to fold and until it is completely incorporated and evenly distributed throughout the butter.
- Shape the compound butter: Transfer the butter to a piece of plastic wrap. Shape and roll it into a log about 6 inches in length.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Ways to Serve Honey Butter
Once chilled, there are a number of delicious ways to serve this honey butter. These are some of my favorite ways to use this honey butter.
- Served with a warm basket of biscuits.
- Topped on a stack of fresh buttermilk pancakes.
- Served with a side of sweet dinner rolls.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Shaping: The most common way to shape compound butter is in the long, as described above. You can also store your compound butter in a butter dish with plastic wrap.
- Storing: Fresh herbs in compound butter last about 1 week in the refrigerator. If you made compound butter without fresh herbs it can keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: For longer storage, keep your wrapped compound butter in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Compound Butter FAQs
Yes. Compound butter is made from a base that is real butter softened and mixed with savory or sweet add-ins.
The sky is the limit when it comes to the use of compound butter. From adding to bread, rolls, rice, pasta, topping meat, and more there are truly countless ways to use your compound butter.
If You Like Compound Butter, Try These Next:
- Irish Whiskey Soda Bread with Irish Whiskey Butter
- How to Measure Butter
- Fresh Homemade Whipped Cream
- Individual Beef Wellington
Jazz up your butter routine with this easy compound butter recipe. Make your own sweet or savory compound butter that is perfect for a warm slice of bread!
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Compound Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, very soft
- Pinch of salt
For Herbed Butter:
- 1 tablespoon minced rosemary
- 1 tablespoon minced sage
- 1 tablespoon minced thyme
- Or, 3 tablespoons of your favorite herbs
For Honey Butter:
- 1 tablespoon honey
For Vanilla-Cinnamon Butter:
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and added to the butter, pod discarded
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the softened butter in a medium bowl, cut into pieces and add a pinch of salt.
- Add your herbs or flavorings and use a rubber spatula to fold and mix until the add-ins are completely incorporated and evenly distributed throughout the butter.
- Transfer the butter to a piece of plastic wrap. Shape and roll it into a log about 6 inches in length. Twist the plastic wrap at the ends to seal. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld. (Alternatively, you can transfer the butter to a small bowl or ramekin and cover with plastic wrap.)
Notes
- Shaping: The most common way to shape compound butter is in the long, as described above. You can also store your compound butter in a butter dish with plastic wrap.
- Storing: Fresh herbs in compound butter last about 1 week in the refrigerator. If you made compound butter without fresh herbs it can keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: For longer storage, keep your wrapped compound butter in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Lauren Grant.
Hi, how long will the butter keep? I was coming to get you
Can you freeze the log?
Yes!
I can’t wait to try all 3.
When I make my compound butters, I add around 1/8 cup of olive oil. This way it spreads on your bread easier, and adds heart healthy olive oil. I also mix mine in a food processor.
Hi! Can these compound butters be frozen for later use? Thanks! :)
Yes!
Michelle, do you use fresh or dried herbs for the butter? I was just curious. Thanks!
Oops, just went through the post again and saw the fresh herbs in the photo. Sorry! Thanks for the awesome recipes!
I love your compound butter recipe!!
I’ve always flavored my butter with cinnamon and as of this fall – with pumpkin spice mix – but never with vanilla & cinnamon together. I’ll will definitely try your recipe – looks delicious! I love to cook and am always on the lookout for new things to try…
Today I made a Merchand du Vin compound butter. I followed this recipe and added a reduction of 1/2 cup of red wine and a shallot. After that reduced I added 3/4 cup of demi glace and a pinch of white pepper and reduced again. It is amazing on its own, but I plan to make black peppercorn encrusted prime NY Strips and than melt a nice slab of this butter on top. Thanks for the website, its very informative for all your compound butter needs.
Hey Michelle! Do you know garlic butter? That’s one of my favorites so far- never heard of sweet or spiced butters before though, definitely will have a try in the coming days! A few days ago I discovered cèpe butter in the supermarket, which of course I HAD to have… and it definitely was incredible to my mouth!
Could you use a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste in lieu of the vanilla bean or would that little bit of liquid change the consistency?
Hi Tanya, You could definitely use vanilla bean paste, I don’t think it would affect the consistency too much. If you find it a little too liquid-y you could beat it with a hand mixer briefly and that should pull it all together.
I love all of these variations! Can’t wait to try them!
I love this idea… it can totally jazz up a meal!
I am in love with honey butter! I almost skipped making it along with a biscuit recipe once, thinking it wasn’t necessary. Boy, was I happy to be proven wrong. I’ve got to try the cinnamon-vanilla.
I love this idea and I am going to make this to go with my homemade bread at my next Supper Club. Thanks for sharing!
i wonder if you could help me on this one.
I made a “cranberry butter” for Rosh HaShana and it came out kind of gross. I used a margarine spread (like smart balance) and i wonder if thats the reason it failed, because of the consistency. Do you think i could use a non-dairy version ? If yes, which would you recommend?
Hi Duby, It could have definitely been using a margarine spread. Unfortunately, I don’t use butter substitutes, so I’m not sure what I could advise you to use in place of butter.
i have done compound butters before with both regular butter and with a couple of different margarines. i have always ended with them almost the same. the margarine was always softer tho.
Hi, Duby,
Your cranberry “butter” concept sounds yummy! Have you tried the pareve margarines? The only national brand I know of is a variety of Fleishmann’s. There are smaller brands that some kosher markets may carry.
What a great idea for Thanksgiving dinner!!! Now just to decide between herb and honey butter!!??
I lurk around her often, but I don’t think I’ve ever left a comment. I was thinking last night of how I could make honey-butter (made some GREAT wheat rolls that just screamed for honey-butter, alas, I had none). I ended up here from a link in one of your cookie recipes (I’ve chosen five varieties for my cookie plate). Boy, am I glad I ended up clicking the wrong link! I got the recipe I wanted without actively looking for it, thanks Universe!
Anyways, I think you have lovely recipes and I absolutely adore your personality through the tutorials. I do have a question that will probably not get answered (any other reviewers, if you have the answer, feel free to contribute!): Roughly, what is the ‘shelf-life’ on a cookie? I know they can last for a few days in a cookie jar and longer in an air-tight container, but past three-four days, I’m not sure (hello, cookie fan! They NEVER last that long!). I’m asking because I HOPE to send some to an international friend, but I don’t want them to receive sub-par cookies.
Anyone?
Hi Ashlee, It honestly depends on the type of cookie. Biscotti, for example, will stay for weeks. Other softer cookies, like peanut butter or chocolate chip, are usually only good for 3 to 4 days. If you wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store them in airtight container, they’ll last a day or two longer.
I routinely freeze cookies in freezer bags and then take out what I want. I’ve never had any problem doing that. Just let them come to room temperature, and they’re fine. But my kids even prefer some cookies frozen!
Thank you for sharing. This is a great idea. I am going to try the vanilla cinnamon butter today. Do you think you could add olive or canola oil to make it like a spreadable butter?
Hi Heather, I would honestly just let the butter come to room temperature before you use it so it’s a nice spreading consistency, instead of adding oil.
My mum used to make these when I was a kid… It was a dinner party staple (for the steak) she used to press the butter into rubber trays of seashell shapes (equivalent these days would be silicone) freeze, pop out and store in plastic bags or if she did a roll she would slice when just firm then freeze to solid and store in plastic bags, if we were lucky we could have some on a French stick toasted in the oven.
I love fancied up butters like this! I think the herbed one would probably be my fave of the 3. Perfect on some hot dinner rolls!
Honey butter is absolutely amazing on warm biscuits- seriously, it’s the best!
These look great! I recently discovered a sweeter honey butter recipe that is excellent on cornbread: 1 stick of butter, 1/4 cup honey & 1/4 cup marshmallow fluff…really good!
Oh wow – I bet that’s YUMMY! I’ll have to save that idea. My hubby loves sweet cornbread, and I’m thinking this would knock his socks off! Thanks!
These are so fun!! Love it!
These all look so good! LOVE garlic basil butter. I love all butter, really :)
Oh man, I have never heard of cinnamon vanilla compound butter…makes everything taste like a cinnamon bun? SOLD!
I guess I’m the odd one out. I loathe the flavour of butter and much prefer the lighter taste of margarine. I exclusively use margarine in all my baking. I guess the compound thing can work for margarine too. Butter just makes me sick to my stomach. I can’t even eat shortbread!
Those look delicous! I love that cinnamon one. Yum.
Yeah.. Bread and butter is just one of those comforting things… my niece and nephew will eat like 4 rolls at every family dinner.
Love all the flavours.
I noticed you said to discard the vanilla bean after scraping the seeds out. Never do that! (smile) Put them in your suger container and they will make vanilla sugar, toss them into milk anytime you heat it for hot chocolate or any other purpose and have vanilla milk. Use them in tea etc.
Yes, that is true! You can definitely use the vanilla bean for other things; I just try to be as clear as possible in recipes and wanted to convey that the actual bean/pod wasn’t to be used for the rest of the recipe.
wow…great ideas with the van bean…bet u could put them in the empty coffee pot(drip) before you start it…or even just stick ’em in a milk jug for cereal!
SUCH a great idea. That cinnamon butter looks especially amazing. I’m thinking maybe a blueberry butter in my future…..
Oh I love compound butter! Cinnamon sugar is my favorite!
This is so great. I love compound butter and that vanilla cinnamon butter sounds fantastic!
I’ve never made compound butter before but it looks so easy. Looks delicious.
I love garlic butter! But since I don’t use flavored butter (or butter for that matter) that much, I haven’t made compound butter before.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I will be baking fresh bread for the family this weekend and now they will have an added suprise! I fear there will be extra gym time involved for me, the vanilla-cinnamon butter sounds amazing!
One of my favorite butters is butter mixed with boursin cheese. I just LOVE that on a hunk of crusty bread with a bowl of delicious soup.
This is how I make garlic bread! I buy the bread at the store that you stick in the oven for 10-15 minutes to finish baking. Before I put it in the oven, I slice it in half and put on some garlic butter (softened butter with garlic, salt, and a few herbs if I have them). Usually I’ll throw some parmesan cheese on there about 5 minutes before it’s done baking. It’s wonderful and so easy!
That vanilla-cinnamon butter is right up my alley! I just fear how much butter I’ll start eating if that’s sitting in my fridge all the time :)
Thank you for this post! I am cooking steaks next week for a special anniversary dinner, and was thinking I’d try a herb compound butter on top! xx
I love compound butter, it’s so simple and tasty!!! I LOVE the cinnamon one!!! Oh my gosh I make that ll of the time! Dangerous!!!
I will definitely try this soon, I’m thinking the vanilla-cinnamon butter this weekend, on my freshly baked bread. There is just one food that I always come back to and that is bread and butter. So thank you so much for this recipe!
I didn’t realize it was so easy but it looks so fancy
I recently made a dijon mustard butter to enjoy with pretzel baguettes. YUM!
Hi,
Do you have a link to that recipe? Sounds good. Thanks!