Compound butters are so easy to make using fresh herbs from the garden. They add flavor to vegetable dishes or spread it on warm bread with dinner.
They take minutes to make and keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
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Compound butters are a great condiment to keep in the refrigerator and freezer wrapped in wax paper and tucked into ziplock baggies. Having these on hand makes it easy to add flavor to almost anything you would add butter to from scrambled eggs to asparagus and potatoes.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy. Once the butter softens, it's easy to incorporate herbs. And once it's made, it easy to add herbs and butter to dishes at the same time.
- Flexible. Compound butters marry well with almost any herb, garlic, sugar, spices, and condiments such as mustard.
- Store well. These butters keep very well in the refrigerator and freezer.
- Lots of uses. Use compound butters wherever you would use plain butter.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minute meal or less.
For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
Any Compound Butter
- Unsalted butter
Chive Compound Butter
- Fresh chives
Mustard Compound Butter
- Dijon mustard
- White wine - or lemon juice
- Fresh garlic
- Freshly ground black pepper
Basil Butter
- Fresh basil - or other herbs, such as oregano, rosemary, savory, or tarragon.
- Fresh garlic
- White wine - or lemon juice
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Chef's knife - for mincing the herbs and garlic.
- Food processor - for mixing the butter with herbs, etc, or use a fork.
- Wax paper - to roll and store the butters.
- Airtight container or zipped plastic bags - for storing the butters in the freezer or refrigerator.
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Purchase garlic paste in a tube made by Gourmet Garden. It's available in many markets in the produce department with fresh herbs.
- Gourmet Garden also sells roasted garlic paste, which is also great in compound butters.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, marjoram, dill, savory, tarragon, thyme, and parsley.
- Spices include curry powder, ginger, cayenne powder, saffron, and for something sweet, cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg.
- Mix miso in with the butter and add ginger and garlic.
- Citrus zest such as lemon, orange, or lime zest.
- Condiments like honey, mustard, and maple syrup.
- Alliums including garlic, chives, shallots, scallions, finely minced onion, and caramelized onions. A great example is this Scallion Butter.
🍽 Ways to Use Compound Butters
- Air-fried, roasted, or sautéed vegetables, such as air-fryer mushrooms, potatoes, asparagus, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and butternut squash
- Scrambled eggs
- Breads including cornbread
- Sandwiches, either cold, such as egg salad sandwiches, or hot, such as grilled cheese sandwiches
- Slather on grilled corn
- Stir into grains, such as rice, polenta, and barley
- Fold into pasta with some fire-roasted tomatoes
- Toss with freshly popped popcorn
- Add to soups or sauces
🧊 Best Ways to Store Compound Butters
Roll and wrap the logs of compound butter in waxed paper, label the type of butter you made with a marker, and the date you made it.
- Store in a zipped plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- Freeze in a freezer-safe airtight container for 2 - 3 months.
🤷♀️ Compound Butters FAQ
Can I use salted butter?
Yes, but I prefer unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt.
Can I use vegan butter?
I haven't tried this myself, but there's no reason it shouldn't work. You may need to refrigerate it longer for it to set up well, depending on the plant-based butter you use.
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How to Make Compound Butters 3 Ways
Equipment
- Wax paper
Ingredients
Chive Butter
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature(4 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
Mustard Butter
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature (4 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon white wine or lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Coarsely ground black pepper
Basil Butter
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature (4 ounces)
- ¼ cup finely chopped basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon white wine or lemon juice
Instructions
Chive Butter
- Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the butter and chopped chives, and mix until everything is completely mixed together. Scrape onto a sheet of wax paper and form it into a log. Place the log towards the end of the sheet and drape the wax paper over it. Gently roll the log back and forth using the wax paper until it's evenly shaped.Roll it up, fold the ends over, and date it with a marker to identify what it is. Then slip it into a zipped plastic bag for storage in the refrigerator or a freezer-safe airtight container for storage in the freezer.
Mustard Butter
- Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the butter, mustard, wine, and garlic, and buzz the processor until everything is completely mixed together. Scrape onto a sheet of wax paper and form it into a log. Place the log towards the end of the sheet and drape the wax paper over it. Gently roll the log back and forth using the wax paper until it's evenly shaped.Sprinkle some black pepper over the wax paper and roll the mustard butter log over it. Press the black pepper into the butter.Roll it up, fold the ends over, and date it with a marker to identify what it is. Then slip it into a zipped plastic bag for storage in the refrigerator or a freezer-safe airtight container for storage in the freezer.
Basil Butter
- Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the butter, basil, wine, and garlic, and buzz the processor until everything is completely mixed together. Scrape onto a sheet of wax paper and form it into a log. Place the log towards the end of the sheet and drape the wax paper over it. Gently roll the log back and forth using the wax paper until it's evenly shaped.Roll it up, fold the ends over, and date it with a marker to identify what it is. Then slip it into a zipped plastic bag for storage in the refrigerator or a freezer-safe airtight container for storage in the freezer.
Rita
Love this Susan! So easy, so simple, so my style. I freeze minced garlic and ginger to use for stir-fry.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Rita! I love the idea of freezing minced garlic and ginger - I'm off to check your link 🙂
apuginthekitchen
I love compound butter and your recipes are wonderful. I have never ventured past herbs garlic and lemon, this reminds me I need to. Great ideas
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It's been such a treat to have these on hand!
cheri
How clever Susan, this is a great idea to help in the flavor department in the kitchen. Very nice!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Cheri! I find the flavor gets better and better too. After a few days even, the chive butter was so full of flavor!
lizthechef
Fabulous - I'm going to do basil compound butter with our fresh corn for the rest of the season!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Perfect!!!!! And I'm willing to bet you have a bunch of basil in the backyard!
Choc Chip Uru
I want to try this butter on some bread, nice and grilled - WOW 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Ohhhhh, grilled bread with this would be fabulous!
Oui, Chef
I'm a junkie for compound butters and love ALL of yours! So smart to have them on-hand for a multitude of purposes.
Terra
I have an addiction to butter. So of course I love this post. Love all the flavors combined, so delicious! Yum, Hugs, Terra