Easy Homemade Herb Butter

This easy homemade herb butter, also known as compound butter, is a great way to add a fresh burst of flavor to many dishes. In this post, you will find four delicious recipes.

Summer cooking is one of my favorites. With all the fresh vegetables , fruits, and herbs just overflowing from the garden, it’s easy to be inspired to be in the kitchen. 

I head out to the garden in the morning to see what’s ripe and get inspiration for meals for the rest of the day or for future preserving. 

When it comes to preserving, most minds automatically go to canning, drying, or freeze drying (the newest method to me). For herbs specifically, another easy method is to preserve them in fat, like butter. 

Enjoy the freshness of the season in the dead of winter. Pop out some compound herb butter from the freezer in the middle of winter to spread on top of sourdough dinner rolls enjoy those delicious summer flavors.

Tips:

• This is a great way to preserve fresh summer herbs. It adds so much flavor.
• Below, I offer multiple recipes, but you can easily create your own. 
• I like to chop my herbs really finely. This helps distribute the herbs throughout the butter and helps you avoid large chunks of anything when eating.
• If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can also do this with dry herbs. The flavor is different compared to fresh, but it is still delicious.

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FAQ

What is herb butter made of?

It is a mixture of butter with a variety of fresh or dried herbs and salt. You can also add other things like garlic, sun dried tomatoes, or lemon juice.

How long does herb infused butter last?

It will last about 3-4 weeks in the fridge and up to six months in the freezer.

What is meant by compound butter?

It is simply a mixture of butter with added ingredients like garlic, herbs, and spices.

What’s the difference between regular butter and compound butter?

Compound butter is infused with a variety of flavors from herbs, spices, garlic, lemon, etc.

How long does homemade herb butter last in the refrigerator?

It will last 3-4 weeks in the fridge if stored in an air-tight container.

Can herb butter be frozen?

Yes! My favorite way to store it is in an air-tight container in the freezer. You can enjoy summer fresh herbs in the dead of winter.

Ingredients:

Here is a list of a variety of ingredients you could use:

Unsalted Butter: This allows you to control how much salt you are using. Also, I highly suggest using real butter. There is just nothing like the real stuff.

Herbs: You one or a combination of herbs like basil, parsley, sage, fresh rosemary, cilantro, chives, etc.

Salt: Unrefined sea salt is best.

Fresh garlic: A powerful punch of flavor. Add garlic butter to bread to make the best garlic bread. Roasted garlic would also be delicious.

Sun dried tomatoes: For a fun twist and a whole lot of flavor, add some sun dried tomatoes to the mix.

Lemon zest: This is another fun twist. Grate some fresh lemon zest into the fresh herb butter.

Tools you may need:

Parchment paper

Knife

Cutting board

Measuring cup

Air-tight container or freezer safe plastic bag

My Favorite Herb Butter Recipes: Different Flavor Combinations

Basil Butter

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup basil, chopped

Italian Herb Butter

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup chopped herbs – thyme, oregano, rosemary and basil

Homemade Garlic Herb Butter

1/2 cup butter

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped herbs – thyme, chives and rosemary are all delicious options

Sage Butter

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup chopped sage

Want to create your own recipe?

There’s a formulation that gives me great success every time.

Use 1/4 cup of chopped herbs (any variety) with 1/2 cup of butter. 

How To Make Herb Butter:

Set out a stick of butter to soften. This usually takes a few hours. If it is too hard, the butter and herbs will have a difficult time combining. 

Add room temperature butter to a bowl.

Chop herbs and spices.

Add the herbs and spices to the butter and mix well. The super easy way is to use a hand mixer.

Place the herbed butter mixture in the center of a piece of wax paper, parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll up to form a log shape. Alternately, you could also use butter molds to create the shape.

Place in the fridge for an hour to harden, if desired, or use right away.

Alternatively, place in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 6 months.

How To Use:

• Use on bread
• Compound butter for steak– Top steak with a little bit of butter when serving (or cooking). Adding butter to steak is a game changer.
• Top veggies
• Add to homemade mashed potatoes
• Smother corn on the cob
• Spice up buttered noodles
• Roast chicken – Before roasting, place the compound butter between the skin and the meat, then roast as usual. It’s delicious. And more.
• Meat dishes

And more.

Find More Delicious Condiment Recipes:

• Best Cranberry Sauce Recipe
• Homemade Fermented Ketchup
• Mexican Ranch Dressing – Only 3 Ingredients
• Kefir Ranch Dressing Recipe
• Fermented Hot Sauce

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.