Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
Delightfully crisp, sweet, and tangy, these refrigerator bread and butter pickles come together quickly and easily. No canning pots, hot water baths, or fancy tools are required for this recipe!
Foolproof Pickle Recipe
Years ago, I vowed to spend the summer learning to can fresh fruits and vegetables, pickles included. Summer was over in a blink, and my cans were still empty. I couldn't let the summer go by without an attempt to preserve anything, so I gave refrigerator pickles a try. I never looked back!
I never knew how easy making pickles at home could be. These bread and butter pickles are:
- Simple and quick
- Totally foolproof – no canning or fancy equipment is needed
- A little sweet and a little zesty
- Totally addictive
- A year-round staple in my fridge
Ingredients for Bread and Butter Pickles
There are two main components to these refrigerator pickles:
- Cucumbers: I recommend pickling cucumbers for this recipe, but small regular cucumbers work in a pinch.
- The Brine: This is where the classic sweet and tangy flavor comes from! Use a combination of vinegars (white vinegar and apple cider vinegar), sugars (granulated sugar and brown sugar), and spices like mustard seed, celery seed, and ground turmeric. For an extra kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
These bread and butter pickles couldn't be easier to make! Here's a quick overview of the process:
- Prepare the Cucumbers: Cut the cucumbers into ¼-inch thick slices – I like using a crinkle cutter for classic bread and butter pickles. Sprinkle them with salt, toss to combine, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for about 90 minutes.
- Rinse: After the cucumbers marinate with salt, rinse them with cold water, drain, and mix in the thinly sliced onion.
- Make the Brine: Combine the remaining ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour: Pour the brine over the cucumbers and onions. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for about an hour.
- Transfer & Refrigerate: Transfer the pickle and onion mixture (including the liquid) into airtight containers. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Tools for Homemade Pickles
While refrigerator pickles don't require any specialty canning tools, I love using these two items for authentic bread and butter pickles:
- To Slice: This crinkle cutter is my favorite! But you can also use a knife or mandoline.
- To Store: – I adore this large 67.5-ounce jar, but you can also divide the pickles between traditional pint jars or use any airtight container you have at home.
What to Serve with Bread and Butter Pickles
Bread and butter pickles taste a little tangy, a little zesty, a little sweet, and wildly delicious. They add a welcome burst of flavor to:
- Burgers (like cast iron skillet cheeseburgers)
- BBQ sandwiches (I love this easy pulled pork recipe)
- Simple deli meat + cheese sandwiches
- Charcuterie boards
Try These Pickle Recipes Next
If you like this simple homemade pickle recipe, you’ll also love the following:
- Sweet and Spicy Zucchini Refrigerator Pickles
- Quick & Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles
- Dill Sandwich Pickles
- And of course, you will LOVE this dill pickle dip!
Watch How to Make Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles:
If you make these pickles and love them, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you! ❤️️
Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
Ingredients
- 5½ cups (680 g) pickling cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch thick , about 1½ pounds
- 1½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
- 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) white vinegar
- ½ cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup (53 g) light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- Combine cucumbers and salt in a large, shallow bowl; cover and chill 1½ hours. Move cucumbers into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well, and return cucumbers to bowl. Add onion to the bowl and toss with the cucumbers.
- Combine the granulated sugar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds and ground turmeric in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the hot vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 month.
Notes
- Cucumbers: Pickling cucumbers work best, but you can substitute small regular cucumbers if needed.
- Sugar: You can adjust the sugar quantities based on your preferences.
- Jars: You can store this entire recipe in one of these large Bormioli jars (I’ve loved these forever!) or you divide it up using regular pint-size jars.
- Storage: These pickles will keep in your refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Long-Term Storage: This pickle recipe is not meant for long-term storage, so you should not can it or store it at room temperature for any length of time.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on August 25, 2011.
Ingredients
5½ cups (680 g) pickling cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch thick , about 1½ pounds
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) white vinegar
½ cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
¼ cup (53 g) light brown sugar
1½ teaspoons mustard seeds
½ teaspoon celery seeds
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
LOVED IT! My daughter and husband love bnb pickles, but they also love hit stuff. I made 2 batches. 1 as you provided, then I made a separate batch of the same and added fresh garlic, horseradish and red pepper. AWESOME!!!
My husband and I love these pickles. So good.
I love these pickles and make them every year. Can this same recipe be used to can pickles instead of refrigerating them?
Nice flavor
Please provide an answer soon as possible because I am hoping to make these for a large church picnic in 12 days!! I am looking at this recipe and there is not enough liquid to cover the pickles! Then I read a recent comment confirming that! How are so many people making this recipe and loving the results? Is it because you are pouring the hot brine over the pickles and that is how they get pickled? (which was troubling for me). I don’t understand the dynamics of how these pickles are pickled. When I buy sweet pickles they are completely covered in the brine/liquid.
Make extra brine according to the recipe (for example, just double the amounts) and it will come out fine. Do not dilute with water as that changes the chemistry of the brine and it will not properly pickle the cucumber.
I did, does not have enough juice to cover the pickels, so added about 1 3/4 cup of water
to receipe. I got 3 quart wide mouth jars. And they taste just fine.
If you need more brine, you should make more brine according to the recipe. Adding water to the brine changes the chemistry and you will not properly pickle the cucumber.
If I wanted to use this recipe but only use onions would I salt the onions and let them set or just omit this step?
I would expect that you just omit the salting step. The salting draws out extra water and bitterness from the cucumber.
All year I dream of these pickles! I can barely wait till my pickling cucumbers are mature and go out to a farmers market to make sure I have a large jar of these ready!
These were so easy to make, and are very delicious! Perfect way to use a bumper crop of cucumbers this year. I will be keeping this recipe for future use.
First time pickle maker. I had a bumper crop of cucumbers this year. My entire family loved these. I made three batches and and am on my fourth. The best east recipe and the best tasting.
My first time making pickles and I have to say this is the recipe to end all recipes. Super delicious just an hour after being made. I made 6x the original recipe and it yielded 4 1/2 gallons plus 1 quart. Heaven!
I have no ingredient amounts listed on my recipe.
Ingredients
5½ cups (680 g) pickling cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch thick , about 1½ pounds
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) white vinegar
½ cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
¼ cup (53 g) light brown sugar
1½ teaspoons mustard seeds
½ teaspoon celery seeds
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
Almost like my moms I grew up with homemade pickles and pickled fruits
Hi, made these pickles last year and they were sooo good. We ate
them into the winter and they were fine and no one got sick. Thanks for the recipe.
Great tasting pickles
Oh my goodness! These are so delicious and addicting!
I’ve made this recipe and everyone loves it. I’ve had people fighting over who got the last jar. LOL. I am looking for a recipe to can for long-term storage. Do you have an adaptation or similar recipe for canning your B&B pickles? Where can I find it?
I have been making these pickles for I think 3 summers now. I had never made pickles before and I was too intimidated by the canning process so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. Fast forward three years, I have probably made 60 jars of these pickles! My granddaughters always get a jar and they sometimes eat half a jar in a meal. I follow the recipe exactly and have shared this link multiple times on social media. Just made two more jars tonight. Thank you for helping me use my cucumbers in a fun tasty way!
I made these a couple of years ago when I had a tremendous supply of cucumbers. I loved the recipe so much I am currently making them this moment. Last year was not a good year for cucumbers but this year is yielding great ones. This is an excellent recipe! Thank you.
Can I freeze these? I am specifically looking for a sweet bread and butter pickle recipe that can be frozen. Thanks
I’ve frozen B&B pickles that are made with almost the exact ingredients! No reason it’ can’t be frozen, just reduce the amount in the jar to allow for freezer expansion.
I made this recipe and I loved it. The pickles were crisp and just the right spices
So easy and so yummy! Just like grandmas!!
Loved this made them making more way easy and very tasty everyone loves them!!!
Excellent recipe. The pickles were delicious. Will definitely make them again.
This recipe is phenomenal! I’ve made these for the last 2 summers and discovered that I could also chop the cucumbers and onions and make a refrigerator bread and butter relish, which my family loves! Great in Tuna salad and on Hot dogs, anything you need a sweet relish for. We Love refrigerator pickles, I do add a pinch of pickle crisp to mine and let me tell you, this past May of 2023 I found a jar from the summer of 2020 in the basement fridge we had forgotten was there. They were still perfectly crisp and we ate every bite of them. They really do last a long time. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. It’s the best!
Love, love, love this recipe! I doubt I’ll ever buy a grocery store pickle again. These are wonderful!
Great pickles
You brought back some of my fondest memories of my grandmother over 60 years ago. She was a wonderful cook, baker, canner, you name it. I do have her dill pickle recipe that is my favorite and has been passed down 5 generations now.
These are the best bread and butter pickes I have ever made. Hands down!