How To Make a Butter Board
Learn how to make a butter board! This new appetizer trend is taking social media by storm! Take the plain butter dish to a whole new level by topping it with fresh seasonings, herbs and a drizzle of honey for the ultimate party starter!
I first came across the butter board idea from Justine Dorion with the concept initially created by Chef Joshua McFadden. Who doesn’t love warm, soft bread and butter? I happen to agree with Justine that this just might be the new charcuterie board! What do you think?
While it’s certainly rich and indulgent, butter and bread is a staple pre-dinner enjoyment at most restaurants so why not jazz it up a bit with unique flavors and textures? A little goes a long way, but it’s the perfect appetizer to a larger meal or potluck.
What’s a Butter Board?
A butter board is a smearing of high quality butter on a wood board or similar serving platter that’s topped with a variety of salt, citrus zest, seasonings, herbs, edible flowers, honey, chopped nuts and more. A butter board is served with warm bread like a sliced baguette. I suggest also serving with a butter knife.
How to Make a Butter Board
- Smear high-quality, room temperature butter onto a large board or serving tray. You can line your board with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
- Top butter with seasonings, herbs, nuts, etc. (see below for lots of butter board topping ideas)
- Add warm, soft bread to your board like crusty bread like a sliced baguette, sliced French bread, naan, etc.
- Serve and enjoy!
What’s the best butter to use for a butter board?
I suggest a high quality butter since it is the star of the show. I really like using Kerrygold butter. If you use a salted butter, be careful adding too much additional salt. If you use an unsalted butter, then add lots of fresh sea salt on top! Be sure your butter is room temperature so it’s slightly softened.
Butter Board Toppings
Ah, the fun part! All the delicious textures and flavors you get to sprinkle and drizzle on top of your butter board! Below is a list of what I used, but also some flavor variations and ideas below for even more butter board creations!
SEA SALT: I used sea salt flakes, but a nice course sea salt is perfect!
CITRUS ZEST: I used fresh orange zest (here’s my fave zester). Lemon zest or lime zest would be delicious additions!
CHOPPED NUTS: I’m a huge fan of the crunch from chopped nuts, so I added on chopped walnuts and some sliced almonds. Toast them for even more flavor. Candied nuts would be tasty too.
HERBS: Herbs add so much flavor to a butter board! Go wild with what you have on hand or in your garden. You can usually find fresh herbs (near produce) or grab dried herbs at any grocery store. I love rosemary and basil. Thyme would also be a delicious addition to a butter board.
EDIBLE FLOWERS: Be sure your flowers are organically grown and safe for consumption, but I love the pop of color from fresh florals. Tuck a few in around your bread for extra garnishing! Quick tip that roses and pansies are both edible!
HONEY: A healthy drizzle of honey is that perfect touch of something sweet! Mike’s Hot Honey would be a tasty spicier version to use too.
More Butter Board Topping Ideas:
- Cracked Black Pepper
- Mint
- Dill
- Parsley
- Cardamom
- Red Onion
- Roasted Garlic Cloves
- Chopped Figs
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Chili Oil
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Chili Flakes
- Jams (fig jam, blackberry jam, etc)
I’m all in on this butter board trend! I mean, heck, if we sculpt butter into turkeys at Thanksgiving and lambs at Easter, then I can get behind this tasty trend!
Butter Board Flavor Variations
Here are just a few ideas for mixing and matching the toppings on your butter board to create a unique combination for holidays, parties, and different occasions! They’re a great way to serve up bread when entertaining a large group!
Hot and Spicy Butter Board
- Flakey Sea Salt
- Chili Oil
- Hot Honey
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Lemon Zest
- Chopped Herbs
Sweet Butter Board
- Honey
- Sea Salt
- Orange Zest
- Cinnamon
- Chopped Pistachios
- Warm Fig Jam
- Diced Dates
- Edible Flowers
Holiday Butter Board
- Sea Salt
- Cracked Black Pepper
- Pomegranate Arils
- Fresh Mint
- Chopped Strawberries
- Chopped Raspberries
Fall Butter Board
- Flakey Sea Salt
- Pumpkin Spice
- Diced Herbs
- Toasted Pecans
- Honey
- Drizzle of Pumpkin Butter
Biscuit ‘n Butter Board
- Flakey Sea Salt
- Chopped Fruit
- Chopped Nuts
- Maple Syrup
- Honey
- Jams
- Serve with Biscuits
What can I use instead of butter?
Not on “board” with a butter board? Try a buttercream board instead. Think sweet frosting topped with sprinkles and fresh fruit and vanilla cookies for dipping! Or a whipped goat cheese board? Or even a mascarpone cheese board! Oh the possibilities are endless!
If you make a butter board, I’d love to see it! Share a photo with me @bestappetizers on Instagram!
More Easy Appetizers for a Crowd
- Stuffed Figs with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto
- Brie, Prosciutto and Fruit Skewers
- Blueberry Goat Cheese Log
How to Make a Butter Board
Equipment
- 1 Wood Serving Board
- 1 Butter Knife
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter (softened to room temperature)
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp citrus zest ((lemon, orange))
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp edible flowers
- 2 tbsp chopped herbs ((basil, rosemary, thyme, etc))
- 2 tbsp chopped nuts ((walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, etc))
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- When butter is softened to room temperature, use a spoon or butter knife to spread the butter onto your serving board in a swirl-like motion.
- Sprinkle on your sea salt and black pepper. Add citrus zest, drizzle your honey, sprinkle on chopped herbs, nuts, and flowers. The topping ideas are endless so get creative with different butter board creations.
BestAppetizers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate Programs and other affiliate services. This means that we receive a small commission by linking to Amazon.com and other sites at no cost to the readers.