How to Make Garlic Butter (10 Flavor Variations + Uses!)

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Soft, ultra-creamy and luxurious – with just 3 basic ingredients, 5 minutes and 1 SECRET tip for making perfect flavored butters, you can create an array of delicious compound butters: from roasted garlic butter for bread, to herb flavored butter for turkey and fish, or sweet seasoned spread for croissants and pancakes; plus more!

This simple homemade butter recipe will guide you to making the best fluffy, rich seasoned butter YOUR WAY! Use your soft butters right away or store them to have on hand as a fast and simple, yet elegant way to infuse flavor and elevate any meal!

Continue to read on for all the ways you can customize your seasoned butters! Plus, I’m sharing delicious flavoured butter uses, and comprehensive tips for storing and freezing your flavored butter, too! And, don’t miss the in-depth step-by-step photos for making homemade whipped butters included in the post!

Simple garlic butter: recipe overview

There’s no denying it, butter makes everything better! But, have you ever seasoned your butter? Honestly, it’s life changing!

This compound butter recipe turns out butter that is unbelievably creamy and ultra-soft with an airy and light texture! And, this garlic butter recipe is totally customizable, allowing you to flavor and season butter YOUR WAY! Keep your homemade butter simple by adding fresh herbs, such as rosemary, for topping sizzling steaks! Or blend in parmesan cheese to make garlic spread for bread! Or get a little fancy by stirring in honey, vanilla and cinnamon to create a perfectly sweet flavored butter for pastries and croissants!

Homemade butters are perfect for anything and everything! Whether you slather it on bagels and pancakes, dollop it onto fluffy baked potatoes, or toss it with silky pasta (and MORE!), rich specialty butters are such an easy way to elevate and boost the flavor of everyday meals!

If you’re looking to flavor more butters at home, try these butter recipes next: Avocado Butter and Blueberry Butter.

Why you’ll love this garlic butter recipe

• Amazingly easy! Making garlic gutter (or any compound butter!) is astoundingly easy – you need just a few ingredients, plus hand-held or stand mixer to whip everything together! (However, you can use just a bowl and a spoon if you are in a pinch!)
• 5 minutes! You can whip up any flavor of compound butter in under 5 minutes!
• Specialty butter flavor! Making your own garlic butter or flavored butter allows you to add your personal touch! You can create a soft, rich homemade spread perfectly customized to your tastes! Keep things simple with fresh garlic and a pinch of kosher salt, or brighten up the flavor by adding your favorite type of herbs, such as parsley or thyme! Try adding in freshly-grated parmesan and Italian seasoning for garlic bread or explore new combinations of flavors! With this recipe, you can make rich, fancy butters YOUR way!
• All natural! Store-bought condiments, such as flavorful butter spreads, are convenient; however, they also contain undesirable additives and preservatives! Homemade flavored butters only contain the ingredients YOU choose! When you make your own garlic butter (or iterations!) you know you’re getting quality!
• Incredibly versatile! Flavor-infused homemade butters are such a simple and elegant way to elevate any dish!
• Impress guests! Garlic butter or herb butters, also know as compound butters, are an easy way to impress dinner guests! Roll your whipped flavored butter into a log and serve it sliced into pretty pats! Or use a butter mold to offer various types of flavored butter in the form of pretty shapes!
• Perfect for gifts! Everyone loves a homemade edible gift! A freshly whipped batch of homemade butter is a great gift for any occasion!

What is garlic butter?

Garlic butter, also known as compound butter, is a rich mixture of soft butter and supplementary flavoring ingredients, such as minced fresh garlic, herbs, spices and seasonings. You can think of a compound butter with garlic and fresh herbs, or any combination of flavors you love, as similar to a sauce or dressing. They’re all condiments that punch up the flavor and make a dish taste more special!

You can purchase garlic butters and flavorful spreads at the grocery store; however, it’s just as easy (and tastier!) to DIY butters at home!

What are butter spreads for?

Compound butters, such as homemade garlic butters, are primarily used to enhance the flavor of various dishes. You can use homemade butters, such as this simple garlic butter or fresh herb butter, to boost the flavor of numerous foods – from the simplest side dish to fancy entrees! Try using your DIY butters on vegetables, including corn, asparagus and broccoli! Or use it to dress up proteins, like grilled steaks, roast turkey, lobster tail and pork tenderloin! You can use both sweet and savory homemade butters any time you want to add more flavor to a recipe! 

Homemade butter ingredients

You need three basic ingredients to make luxuriously-soft, creamy homemade garlic butter – butter, an enriching liquid and fresh garlic! You can use this basic gourmet butter recipe to create different flavors of butter, from garlic butter, or herb butter, to honey butter, and anything in between!

Garlic butter ingredients

• Butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter when making garlic butter. However, because compound butter has so few ingredients, it’s essential those ingredients are good-quality! Here you’ll want to use a good stick of butter! There are some popular brands that people think are butters, which are actually margarines. Look at the ingredients – butter is made from pure cream, while margarine is made from vegetable oil. (Kerrygold, Trader Joe’s Cultured Salted Butter, Land O’Lakes, and Goat Butter are all great brands of butter!) Pro-tip: The butter needs to be at room temperature before flavoring with spices, fresh herbs or dried herbs! Set the butter on the counter for at least an hour ahead of time, so that it has time to soften to room temperature.
• Enriching liquid: The secret to luxuriously-creamy whipped butters and ultra-rich flavored butters with garlic, herbs or other various tasty addition, is to whip the butter with just a touch of fat. Regular butter is simply a solid emulsion made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. Adding a touch of enriching liquid, such as milk or extra-virgin olive oil, gives flavored butters a creamier, richer mouthfeel.
• Kosher salt (optional): If you are using unsalted butter, I recommend adding a generous pinch of kosher salt to your compound butter – it really enhances the flavors!
• Garlic: For the best tasting butter recipe, make sure you use fresh cloves of garlic and mince them yourself! While those jars of pre-minced garlic are convenient, they are lackluster in flavor! For simple garlic butter with a subtle garlic taste, use 4 cloves of garlic. However, if you prefer a more distinctive, punchy garlic taste, use 6 garlic cloves (or more)! And if you prefer a richer, mellower flavor, use oven roasted garlic cloves.

Homemade butter flavors

The possible flavor combinations for compound butters are endless! Below are 10 butter flavor recipes to help get your started! (The ingredients and full instructions are included in the printable recipe carb below!)

Garlic Butter

Homemade garlic spread is the easiest and simplest way to elevate any dish! Homemade garlic butter is perfect for everything from simple sides, such as corn on the cob, or easy meals like noodles, to fancier dishes, such as seared steak and lobster tails!

Garlic butter recipe

• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons milk or olive oil
• 4-8 cloves of garlic (to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Herb Butter

Butter with herbs is a simple, yet delicious compound butter that complements a wide assortment of dishes, from eggs and toast, to potatoes and pasta! For the best herbal butter, make sure you use fresh herbs! You can use one of your favorite herbs or a combination of herbs for a more complex herbed butter! However, for the absolute best homemade herb butter, use fresh herbs!

Fresh herb butter recipe

• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons milk or olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Garlic Herb Butter for Turkey

Garlic and herb butter is simply a combination of the two soft butter spread recipes listed above! For the best flavor, use fresh herbs! However, you can also make herbed butter with dried herbs or your favorite poultry seasonings if you are in a pinch!

• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons milk or olive oil
• 4-6 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Parmesan Garlic Butter for Garlic Bread

Soft garlic parmesan butter brimming with savory garlic and complex parmesan is perfect for slathering on garlic bread!

Garlic butter with parmesan recipe

• 1 cup salted butter
• 2 tablespoons milk or olive oil
• 4-6 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs (flat-leaf parsley, chives and basil)
• 1/8 tsp salt

Tuscan butter for chicken

Tuscan herb butter is bursting with robust Italian flavors and sweet sundried tomatoes! This gourmet butter is perfect for enhancing the flavor of poultry, pastas and vegetables!

Tuscan butter recipe

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 3-4 tablespoons fresh basil (chiffonade, cut into thin strips)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Rosemary Garlic Butter for Steaks

Herb butter flavored with distinctive piney flavored rosemary is especially appealing on steaks and red meat! Fresh rosemary is a very pungent herb, so make sure you use a small amount as a little goes a long way! Add a pat of rosemary butter to the top of your steak when they are fresh off the grill or fresh out the sauté pan!

Rosemary garlic butter recipe

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic (mince)
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (mince)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Lemon Garlic Butter for pasta

Punchy, zesty lemon compound butter is so delicious on fish, pasta, roast chicken or spring vegetables, such as asparagus!

Lemon butter recipe

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic (mince)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Dill Lemon Butter for fish

Lemon and dill infused butter is the perfect accompaniment to seafood and fish, especially salmon and cod! However, it’s also delicious melted over peas!

Lemony dill butter recipe

• 1 cup salted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic (mince)
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh dill (mince)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

Honey Butter

Sweet flavored butters, such as honey butter, is the perfect topping for bread of all kinds, from dinner rolls and biscuits to pancakes, waffles and everything in between!

Easy honey butter recipe

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2-3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Cinnamon butter

If you love the fancy butter at Texas Roadhouse, then you will love this sweet flavoured butter! Mixing soft butter with a tiny bit of cinnamon and kosher salt is an easy way to infuse cozy, warming cinnamon flavor into your favorite baked goods! Use cinnamon butters on croissants, english muffins, banana breads and more!

Sweet cinnamon butter recipe

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

How to make garlic butter easy?

Creamy, rich garlic butter with minced garlic and herbs is SO quick and easy to make at home! You only need a handful of basic ingredients and less than 5 minutes!

1. Whip Butter: Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, or to a medium mixing bowl and use a hand-held mixer. Beat the butter on MEDIUM, until it is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the side of the bowl as necessary.
2. Add Milk or Oil: With the mixer on LOW, slowly add the enriching liquid to the mixing bowl. Mix on low until just combined. Increase speed to MEDIUM-LOW and beat for 1-2 minutes, or until the butter is very fluffy.
3. Add Flavorings: Add the garlic, herbs, cheese, and any flavoring ingredient you love. If using unsalted butter, add salt. Mix on MEDIUM-LOW until well combined.
4. Use or Store: Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. Enjoy!

How to flavor butters at home step by step photos!

Below you will find a picture collage showing you exactly how to make this garlic butter recipe (or any flavored butter recipe!), step-by-step! Please scroll down for the printable recipe card, which contains detailed instructions and measurements!

Tips for the best garlic butter recipe

• Use a good brand of butter! Garlic and butter are the two main ingredients, so make sure you use a good brand of butter (not margarine!) and fresh garlic!
• Soften butter to room temperature! In order to easily season and flavor butters at home, the stick of butter needs to be at room temperature. Set the butter out on the counter at least an hour ahead of making this garlic butter recipe! Butter is easiest to work with when it’s nice and soft (but, not melted!)
• Rinse and chop herbs! You can use both fresh and dried herbs to season the butter! If you are using fresh herbs, use the tender leaves only (discard stems) and finely chop prior to adding to butter mixture!
• Add enriching liquid! Whipping butter with a tablespoon or two of milk or olive oil will result in incredibly fluffy, perfectly soft and ultra-rich flavored compound butter!

FAQ: Making the best garlic butter spread!

Unsalted or salted butter?

You can use either salted or unsalted butter for making homemade flavored butters! However, some dishes are more suited for one or the other! Generally, unsalted butters are better for preparing sweet flavored butter recipes, such as cinnamon butter or whipped cherry butter! While salted butters are best for making savory butter flavors, like herbal butter with fresh herbs for steak. While there is no hard and fast rule, I do recommend adding at least a generous pinch of kosher salt when using unsalted butter! This is especially true if you are making garlic butter sauces and spreads!

Fresh or dried herbs for herb butter?

You can use fresh herbs or dried herbs in this easy garlic butter recipe! For the best taste and freshest flavor, use fresh herbs to season your butter! However, don’t feel like you can’t use dry herbs in a pinch! When substituting dried for fresh herbs in this butter recipe, do so in a 1:3 ratio – meaning 1 teaspoon of dried herb will replace 3 teaspoons of fresh! (Helpful tip: There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon!)

What herbs are in herb butter?

You can make a quick garlic butter with whatever herbs and seasonings you love! Italian parsley and fresh basil are the two most common herbs in garlic spreads. However, homemade butters are a great way to preserve any fresh herbs from your garden, especially those like thyme or rosemary, which lose a lot of their delicious texture and flavor when dried. Below are some of my favorite herbs and spices to use when seasoning butter!

Helpful tip #1: If you are looking to expand your knowledge of herbs and their culinary applications, this complete guide to fresh herbs and this kitchen tutorial on how to store fresh herbs are incredibly informative!

Tip #2: When making garlic butter at home, don’t limit yourself to just fresh or dried herbs! You can also add your favorite pantry seasonings and spices, such as red pepper flakes and freshly-ground black pepper in your herbed compound butter! Plus, you can season butter with various yummy flavoring ingredients, such as lemon zest!

Herbs for herbal butter

• Fresh parsley: Both curly and flat-leaf parsley are great options when making garlic butter! Parsley garlic butter pairs well with everything from eggs and potatoes to fish, pasta, meats, and more!
• Basil: Slightly sweet and minty with a hint of peppery goodness, fresh basil butter is perfect for preparing sauces, slathering on sandwiches, tossing with pasta and more!
• Chives: Dainty chives with their delicate onion flavor is perfect for flavoring butter! Use chive butter on everything from eggs and bagels, to corn-on-the-cob or green beans, and potatoes, risottos and more!
• Thyme: Lemony, slightly peppery thyme butter tastes delicious with rice dishes, potato recipes and chicken!
• Dill: Slightly grassy, sweet dill flavored butter is perfect for topping fish or for using in eggs!
• Rosemary: Fresh rosemary is a woody herb with a lemony, pine-like taste. Rosemary butters are delicious on potatoes and chicken dishes!
• Oregano: There are two types of oregano – Mediterranean and Mexican. Mediterranean oregano is more citrus-forward, while Mexican oregano is peppery and slightly sweet. Oregano butter is delicious on Italian cuisine, dishes like pizza and pasta; however, it’s equally delicious on poultry!
• Sage: Slightly peppery and minty sage butter is perfect for rich, creamy pasta dishes and sausage recipes!
• Tarragon: Licorice-like tarragon is a popular herb in French cooking! Try using tarragon butter to top poached eggs, lobster tails and roast chicken! Or use it to make Sole Meunière!
• Mint: Cool and refreshing mint butter pairs great with lamb!
• Lavender: While not traditional, you can use lavender to flavor butter! It’s an assertive herb with a floral, slightly bitter flavor. Smear soft lavender butter on warm biscuits, hearty whole-grain breads or toasty scones for a touch of sophisticated flavor!

How to roll compound butter into a log?

Forming your garlic infused butters into a cylinder is so simple! Below is the step-by-step method for making a butter log (or butter roll!) – you only need some parchment paper and your hands!

1. Add to parchment: Dollop your garlic flavored butter down the center of a sheet of parchment or wax paper.
2. Fold: Fold one end of the paper up and over the herb butter.
3. Roll: Using your hands, gently roll the log of butter forward, into a cylinder.
4. Twist ends: Use your fingers to twist the ends of the paper to seal!
5. Store: Chill the butter in the refrigerator until ready for serving. When ready to use your different butters, slice off what you need and store the rest for later!

Storing garlic infused butters

Food safety is of the utmost important! Please make sure you follow the simple tips below for properly storing your homemade butters!

How to store homemade flavored butter?

To keep your garlic herb butters and garlic butter sauces fresh and flavorful, store them in airtight containers or protective wrappings in the refrigerator.

Shape flavored butters into logs and store them in plastic wrap for easy slice-and-serve butter! Or dollop seasoned butters into a large airtight container for fuss-free serving!

How long will garlic butter last?

Homemade garlic infused butter will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. 

Can I freeze homemade butter with herbs?

Homemade garlic butter with herbs stores great in the freezer! It’s the most versatile condiment to keep on hand – use it to quickly and easily add buttery, rich flavor to any meal!

Store butter flavored with herbs in a freezer-safe, airtight container, baggie or plastic-wrap. Garlic spread will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. 

You can use your fancy butters at home straight from the freezer by adding them to whatever hot meal you are making. Or, you can defrost them in the refrigerator overnight. I recommend defrosting your seasoned butters if you plan on using them as a garlic spread for breads or as a whipped butter topping for fancy dishes, such as grilled steak or lobster.

More homemade spreads!

If you love this garlic butter recipe, try one of these butter, sauce or spread recipes next!

• Flavored Cream Cheese (whip up any flavor you love.)
• Salmon Spread (with smoked salmon and cream cheese, this is so so good.)
• Everything Bagel Dip (a creamy healthy dip that doubles as a spread.)
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Recipe (an absolute must for those who love those chewy tomato gems.)
• Green Goddess (rich avocado sauce thick, similar to a spread.) 

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Recipe for garlic butter and homemade herb butters 👇

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