Compound butters
Compound butters: just another way to get more dairy into your life
I love potatoes, cheese, and BUTTER. Actually, let’s not beat around the bush: I LOVE BUTTER. Fats make everything tastier and honestly, I’m obsessed. And while plain salted butter is a gift from the gods, sometimes it’s fun to dress it up a little – which is where compound butters come in.
Think of them as butter’s glow-up. You start with good-quality butter, then whip or mash it together with herbs, spices, sweetness, or umami-rich ingredients. What you end up with is a flavour-packed spread that can be melted over steaks, dolloped onto potatoes, smeared across warm bread, or even used in desserts. Basically, compound butters are the shortcut to making every meal taste fancy, without actually doing anything difficult.
Here I’ve got four simple compound butter recipes to get you started:
Chocolate butter (yes, really)
Miso butter
Cinnamon & maple butter
Roasted garlic, parmesan & parsley butter
All four are ridiculously easy to make, and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen.
First of all, what is compound butter?
In short, compound butter is just butter that’s been softened, flavoured, and reshaped. Once you’ve mixed in your flavourings, you can roll it into a log, wrap it in baking paper, and stash it in the fridge until needed. Slice off a pat whenever you want instant deliciousness.
How long does compound butter last?
Most compound butters will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge if wrapped tightly, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Pro tip: slice your butter log into rounds before freezing, so you can defrost just one or two pieces at a time.
Serving suggestions for each compound butter recipe
1. Chocolate butter
Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Chocolate butter is rich, creamy, and slightly indulgent, basically a cross between a chocolate spread and butter. Perfect for:
Spreading on warm brioche, crumpets, or toast.
Melting over pancakes or waffles.
Dolloping onto hot porridge for a cheeky breakfast treat.
Sandwiching between biscuits (instant whoopie pie vibes).
2. Miso butter
Savory, salty, and packed with umami, miso butter is an absolute game-changer. It’s one of those condiments that makes everything taste like restaurant food. Perfect for:
Tossing through roasted baby potatoes (trust me on this one).
Stirring into noodles for an instant sauce.
Spreading on corn on the cob.
Melting over grilled fish or roast chicken.
3. Cinnamon & maple butter
This one is giving cosy, autumnal vibes in butter form. Sweet, spiced, and a little bit nostalgic, it’s basically the butter equivalent of a pumpkin spiced latte. Perfect for:
Spreading on hot toast, bagels, or croissants.
Melting over roasted sweet potatoes.
Dolloping onto pancakes, French toast, or banana bread.
Swirling into warm porridge or rice pudding.
4. Roasted garlic, parmesan & parsley butter
This one’s a classic, savoury, punchy, and packed with flavour. Think of it as the lovechild of garlic bread and parmesan crisps. Perfect fo
Rubbing onto a steak just before serving.
Spreading on baguette slices and grilling for instant garlic bread (don’t forget the extra cheese).
Dolloping onto mashed potatoes or jacket spuds.
Tossing through hot pasta with a squeeze of lemon for a 2-minute dinner.
Why you’ll want these butters in your fridge
The real beauty of compound butters is that they turn basic meals into wow moments. A piece of toast? Elevated. A jacket potato? Next level. That sad leftover pasta in your fridge? Suddenly restaurant-worthy. Plus, they’re customisable, once you’ve nailed these four, you can start experimenting. Honey and thyme, chilli and lime, blue cheese and walnuts… the possibilities are endless.
Final thoughts (and a butter obsession confession)
I know I always go on about potatoes being the love of my life, but butter is definitely up there too. These four compound butter recipes prove that butter isn’t just a sidekick, it can be the main event. Whether you’re a sweet tooth, an umami fiend, or just someone who wants to make weeknight dinners feel fancy, there’s a butter here with your name on it.
And if you’re not already, this is your sign to start keeping a little log of compound butter in your fridge at all times. Because life’s too short for plain toast.
Compound butters
By Poppy Cooks
https://www.poppycooks.com/recipes/compound-butters/
Ingredients
Chocolate butter
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sieved
- Pinch of flaky salt
Metric
Imperial
Miso butter
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp red or white miso
- Pinch of flaky salt
Metric
Imperial
Cinnamon and maple butter
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp maple syrup
Metric
Imperial
Roasted garlic, parmesan and parsley butter
- 1 bulb garlic
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- Small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 15g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- Pinch of flaky salt
Metric
Imperial
Instructions
- For the chocolate butter, mix together the softened butter, cocoa and salt until fully combined. Either pop into a pot or roll in cling film to make a log, then place into the fridge until fully set.
- For the miso butter, mix together the softened butter, miso and salt until fully combined. Either pop into a pot or roll in cling film to make a log, then place into the fridge until fully set.
- For the cinnamon and maple butter, mix together the softened butter, cinnamon, maple syrup and salt until fully combined. Either pop into a pot or roll in cling film to make a log, then place into the fridge until fully set.
- For the garlic butter, preheat the oven to 180ºc fan/200ºc/350ºf. Cut the top off of the garlic bulb and wrap tightly in tin foil. Place into the oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until soft and jammy. Squeeze all of the garlicky goodness into the softened butter and stir through the grated parmesan and chopped parsley with a big pinch of salt. Either pop into a pot or roll in cling film to make a log, then place into the fridge until fully set.