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Home » Recipes » Appetizers + Snacks

How to Make a Butter Board

Published: Oct 4, 2022 by Jessica · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Leave a Comment

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Butter boards are a fun and festive way to dress up bread and butter for a gathering. This easy appetizer or side starts with softened butter spread on a charcuterie style board and then sprinkled with toppings of your choice and served with warm crusty bread. A delicious viral recipe trend that your guests are sure to love.

Wood board spread with softened butter, roasted garlic paste, herbs, flaky salt and drizzled with honey. Bread in a green napkin in the background.
Butter boards are a viral recipe trend that will impress your dinner guests.

As if we needed another reason to love good old bread and butter, here comes the viral butter board! As someone who deeply appreciates the magnificence of good bread and quality butter, I can say that this recipe trend truly changed my life.

This concept was invented by Chef Joshua McFadden and popularized on social media by recipe blogger, Justine Dorion. Butter lovers everywhere are thanking you both for this genius idea!

What is a butter board?

A charcuterie style board, but make it butter. It starts with a base of softened butter, spread on a small board and then the topping possibilities are endless. Serve it with good bread, crackers, veggies or whatever else you can dream up to spread butter on, and you’ve got an easy, impressive addition to your party spread.

Close up of butter board topped with roasted garlic, fresh herbs, flaky salt and honey.
Get creative with your butter board toppings!

Ingredients

These are the exact ingredients I used to make my favorite combination.

  • Good Butter – splurge on the fancy grassfed butter. I love Kerrygold and Truly Grassfed. I also prefer to use unsalted butter and season it with toppings to taste but either will work. Just be mindful of adding flaky salt if you’re using salted butter.
  • Flaky salt – the flaky salt crystals add a little bit of crunchy texture.
  • Garlic – a whole head of roasted garlic.
  • Olive oil – good olive oil for roasting garlic.
  • Lemon zest
  • Fresh herbs – for the board pictured, I went with parsley, chives and thyme.
  • Honey – I love to use hot honey for a little kick!
  • Good bread – a few loaves of fresh french bread.

Variations

There are so many ways to make a butter board. Have fun and get creative!

  • Make a sweet version with brown sugar, cinnamon and jam or fresh fruit and serve with muffins.
  • Decorate with edible flowers.
  • Add olives, nuts or seeds for more flavor and texture.
  • Spice it up with chili crisp or red pepper flakes.
  • Add parmesan or cheddar for a cheesy version.
Ingredients to make a butter board on a small wood board.
Lemon zest, fresh herbs and roasted garlic make the perfect combination.

What tools do I need?

  • Small board – a small wood board is perfect for making a butter board for the table.
  • Microplane – a zester or microplane if you plan to add citrus zest.
  • Butter knives – butter boards are very communal. I recommend setting out a few butter knives to encourage people to use utensils instead of swiping with bread.
  • Offset spatula – a small offset spatula works perfectly for creating those beautiful butter swirls. You can also use the back of a spoon.

How to make a butter board

Take butter out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes until it becomes soft and spreadable.

While the butter is softening roast the garlic. Peel away any loose, papery layers from the head of garlic. Use a sharp knife to cut about a quarter inch off the top, exposing the cloves. Place head of garlic on foil and drizzle the top with olive oil. Wrap loosely in the foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until lightly brown and soft.

When the garlic bulb is cool enough to handle, give it a firm squeeze at the bottom to extract the roasted cloves. Smash them with a fork a bit to make a paste.

Mashing roasted garlic cloves on a plate with a fork.
Mash the roasted garlic cloves into a paste.

Using the back of a spoon or offset spatula, spread softened butter on a small board. Leave about an inch border on all sides so that you have some space to place the butter knives on it. Spread the mashed, roasted garlic on top of the butter.

Spreading mashed roasted garlic on softened butter on a board.
Spread mashed roasted garlic onto softened butter.

Sprinkle with lemon zest, flaky salt and herbs. Drizzle with honey and serve with warm bread, crackers, or the French way with radishes.

Butter board topped with roasted garlic, herbs, flaky salt, lemon zest and honey with bread on the side.
Butter boards are the perfect appetizer or side for a party!

What to serve with a butter board

This is a great charcuterie style appetizer for a party or as a side for a sit down dinner. Serve it with any meal that’s begging for a side of bread and butter!

  • Creamy Mushroom Pappardelle
  • Arugula Pesto Pasta
  • Sous Vide Top Sirloin Cap
  • Garlic Herb Crusted Roast Beef
  • Dutch Oven Beer Braised Short Ribs
  • Dutch Oven Pot Roast
Branded Pinterest template with butter board topped with lemon zest, roasted garlic, herbs, flaky salt and honey.
Save this Pin to make this Butter Board recipe later!

If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @bigdeliciouslife so that I can see your snaps. For more Big Delicious Life, follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, or subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Wood board spread with softened butter, roasted garlic paste, herbs, flaky salt and drizzled with honey. Bread in a green napkin in the background.

Butter Board

Jessica
This easy appetizer or side starts with softened butter spread on a charcuterie style board and then sprinkled with toppings of your choice and served with warm crusty bread.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Appetizers, Dips, Dressings and Sauces, Side Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people
Calories 218 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup softened butter 2 sticks, unsalted preferred
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 teaspoons flaky salt less if using salted butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3-4 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs
  • Fresh bread for serving

Instructions
 

  • Set the butter out on the counter for at least 30 minutes to soften.
  • While the butter is softening, remove the papery outer skins from a head of garlic and use a sharp knife to slice off the top ¼ to ½ inch of the cloves. Place on foil and drizzle with olive oil. Loosely cover foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and soft. Let cool to handle.
  • Using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, spread softened butter on a small board, leaving at least a one inch border on all sides.
  • When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze it firmly from the bottom to extract the cloves. Mash them with a fork to form a paste.
  • Spread the roasted garlic paste on top of the softened butter.
  • Sprinkle butter and garlic with lemon zest and flaky salt and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
  • Serve with warm bread.

Notes

This recipe is a guideline for how to make a butter board. Amounts and ingredients are flexible, get creative!

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 765mgPotassium: 32mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 836IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Welcome! I love creating delicious, healthy-ish food at home with simple, whole food ingredients. I’m self-taught and spending time in the kitchen is my creative release. Connect with me here!

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