Compound Butter is butter flavored with herbs and spices to make it even better!
It’s easy to make flavored butter with a variety of sweet and savory ingredients.
Flavored butter is ready in just 5 minutes!
What is compound butter?
Compound butter is simply softened butter, whipped, with sweet or savory ingredients added in. Compound butter, also called flavored butter, is so easy and there are endless combinations! Below we share some of our favorite combos.
Once you start making compound butter you will be hooked. They bring so much added flavor. Below are some combination ideas but keep in mind, these are just the beginning. We would love to hear what combinations you come up with for yours!
The Orange Honey Butter on top of our warm Classic Zucchini Bread is amazing. A slice of our warm Beer Bread or Irish Soda Bread would be perfect with the Garlic Chive Butter!
Shallot Parsley Butter 
Orange Honey Butter
How to make Compound Butter:
Be sure to start with softened butter and a pinch of salt in a bowl or a small food processor.
Add any of the combinations of flavors below or create your own!
Once mixed transfer the butter to a piece of parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap
Roll gently into a 5-6″ log
To store the butter:
- Twist the paper or plastic wrap at the ends to seal the butter
- Refrigerate or freeze for about 2 hours before using if you plan to cut into coin-sized slices.
How long does flavored butter last?
Compound butter keeps in the refrigerator for 7 days. If you freeze it, sealed, it will keep for up to 6 months. You can also put the butter in a ramekin before chilling if you are planning to serve it with bread or rolls at dinner.
I always make a few flavors at a time, wrap separately, and label each flavor before I store it in the freezer. This makes it easy to just slice off a coin sized piece when needed.
Best compound butter for steak:
There are a few different flavor combinations that work well with a grilled steak but our favorite is the Shallot Parsley Butter, Shallot Chive Butter, or the Garlic Chive Butter. Your steak will taste like a steak served at the best steakhouses.
Serving compound butter on vegetables:
Roasted vegetables are the perfect palette for flavored butters. Roasting brings out the very best flavor of any vegetable, and if you top them with your favorite compound butter it makes it even better.
Favorite Flavor Combinations:
Here are a few of our favorite ways to use these butter combinations:
- Shallot Parsley Butter – Great on grilled steaks and warm bread
- Lemon Chive Butter – Perfect for vegetables and chicken
- Cilantro Lime Ginger Butter – Ideal for fish or Asian style vegetables
- Cajun Butter – Use on grilled shrimp, white fish, and salmon
- Orange Honey Butter – Amazing on biscuits, cornbread, zucchini bread, quick bread, and muffins
- Shallot Chive Butter is wonderful on potatoes or any kind of chicken
- Add Garlic Chive Butter to your favorite fish, saute it with shrimp, or slather it on sourdough or French bread before roasting in the oven
Our Baking Powder Biscuits taste even better with Orange Honey Butter!
We would love to hear what flavors you come up with for your butter!
Two of our favorite combos:
Shallot Chive Butter and Garlic Chive Butter
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Compound Flavored Butter Recipes
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 pinch sea salt, optional
+ Add-Ins
Shallot Parsley Butter
- 1 Tbsp shallots, dice
- 1 Tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Lemon Chive Butter
- 2 tsp chives, minced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp lemon zest
Cilantro Lime Ginger Butter
- 1 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp lime zest
- ½ tsp ground ginger, or 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
Cajun Butter
- 2 tsp cajun seasoning
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Orange Honey Butter
- 1 Tbsp orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 Tbsp honey
Shallot Chive Butter
- 2 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp shallots, finely chopped
Garlic Chive Butter
- 2 Tbsp chives, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
Instructions
- Add softened butter to a medium bowl or a small food processor and add a pinch of salt. Add in any of the above combinations and combine completely.
- Once mixed, transfer onto on a piece of parchment paper, waxed paper or plastic wrap.
- Shape gently into a log about 5-6" in length. Twist the paper or plastic wrap at the ends to seal the butter. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to a week, or place in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 6-months. Note: You can also put the butter in a small ramekin, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours, before serving at the table with warm bread or rolls.
Sandi
I am interested in making these flavors. I would like to start with homemade butter. At what point in the butter making process would I add the flavor ingredients? Tia!
Cyndy
Hi – That sounds delicious! I would add the flavors at the end of making the butter because you will just need to blend for about 20 more seconds to combine. Would love to hear how it turns out!
Teresa
I always love flavored butters at restaurants….. so I tried this simple recipe and served it with lovely bread. This a super simple easy way to impress your guests . I’m going to try the orange and honey next to serve it with cornbread …
Jayne
Thanks Teresa! We are so glad you liked it!