The Best Honey Butter Recipe

Have you made compound butter before? I'm going to show you how! It's a simple recipe and will have your kitchen smell amazing. Spread some on muffins or add it to good crusty bread in just a few minutes of mixing. I'm excited to show you how to make honey butter and how to use it!

The vibrant yellow butter is the perfect addition to bread, toast, and pastries. I've been eating it straight off the spoon for breakfast for a week!

Jump to:

• What is compound butter?
• A note about honey
• Why this honey butter recipe works
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Variations
• Notes
• Serving & Storage
• 📖 Recipe

What is compound butter?

Compound butter is a fancy name for a blend of butter, salt, and other ingredients. It's often mixed with herbs, spices, or other flavorings. The butter mixture can be rolled into a log shape, then chilled until firm before slicing and serving with bread or vegetables.

Compound butter are an awesome way to take your cooking to the next level. Plus, they're easy to make. Just remember that once you mix the other ingredients with the base butter, it will only last a few weeks. So I recommend making a small batch and keeping it refrigerated so you can enjoy it freely during that time.

A note about honey

Honey is a natural sweetener that's a natural preservative. It's made when bees collect nectar from plants, which ferments and turns into honey. The amount of sugar can depend on the type of plant the bees were collecting from and how long they let it ferment.

This honey butter is a spread that contains raw honey. The main concern with honey butter is that it may contain botulism spores, which can grow in the warm environment of the kitchen. Therefore, it is recommended that honey is not given to babies and children under two.

Why this honey butter recipe works

Honey butter is the bee's knees. It really is. Now, you might be asking, "why honey butter?" This recipe works because it's easy and super versatile! I love honey butter because you can use whatever honey you have on hand, and it will come out tasting amazing, whether it be Tupelo or Manuka.

One of the many perks of creating your own recipes is experimenting with different combinations to see what comes out best.

Ingredients

This fermented garlic honey butter is a super easy recipe. It is a simple combination of three ingredients, but the flavor is out of this world! This recipe makes enough to last you several weeks, but it freezes well too!

Honey

When buying raw honey, look for a label that says "raw" or "unpasteurized." If you can't find either of these labels, look for a local beekeeper or farmer who sells their products directly at farmers' markets or through community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs.

Butter

I use a lovely European-style butter for this recipe as it has a richer flavor than American butter. But any high-quality unsalted butter will do the trick! 

Coarse Sea Salt: 

For tools, it's pretty low effort, but I like to make this syrup in a mason jar so I can shake it every once in a while, and a good spatula to periodically scrape down the sides, so all the sugar is incorporated into the syrup. 

Instructions

This recipe is perfect for topping baked potatoes and corn on the cob or spreading on toast.

In a small bowl, add equal parts butter and honey. Stir until combined and smooth. Add the coarse sea salt and mix well.

Store your compound butter in a glass mason jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Variations

Whipped honey butter: Mix ¼ cup softened butter, two tablespoons of honey, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whip with an electric mixer until smooth.

Hot honey butter glaze recipe: Warm ¼ cup softened butter in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until it reaches a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of honey.

Notes

The recipe below is made with a simple ratio of butter to honey. The basic idea is to add just enough honey to make it spreadable.

Honey Butter is one of those things that is so simple yet delicious. It's super easy to customize and make your own. You can use different types of honey and butter and add vanilla extract or cinnamon – really anything you want!

Here are a few tips for making honey butter:

First, use good quality honey; if you can find it locally, that's even better! The flavor will be more robust than regular store-bought honey, but it will also have more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Use organic butter if at all possible. Organic butter will not contain any growth hormones or antibiotics, so you know it's not contaminated with those things which can be harmful to our bodies when consumed regularly.

Serving & Storage

The first thing you'll want to do is decide how to serve your honey butter. Whether you enjoy them on crackers, bread or on other dishes, here are a few ways to enjoy them:

Toast

Honey butter is delicious on toast or bagels. It can also be used as a condiment with breakfast foods like pancakes and waffles or even slathered on an omelet.

Potatoes

If you're making mashed potatoes, try adding honey butter to the mix. The flavor will complement any dish that features potatoes as a main ingredient.

Chicken Wings

Honey butter makes for a delicious dipping sauce for chicken wings because it complements the flavors in the wings so well. It's also great for dipping meatballs into!