Upgrade Your Holiday Spread with Butter Boards: 5 Recipes
Elevate your holiday gatherings with these five delightful butter board recipes that blend creamy butter with fresh fruits, nuts, herbs, and spices. Perfect for spreading on bread or serving as a centerpiece appetizer, these easy-to-make butters bring a combination of sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors, making your holiday spread both beautiful and delicious.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 1 cup per butter variation, serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Pomegranate Butter
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon chopped almonds
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Cinnamon Butter
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Blackberry Butter
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3 tablespoons blackberries
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon chopped pecans
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Chive Butter
- 1 cup softened butter
- 2–3 tablespoons chopped chives
- ¼ teaspoon each: oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil
- ⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Garlic Butter
- 1 cup softened butter
- 2–3 cloves roasted garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare Butter: Start with softened butter at room temperature to ensure a smooth and easy mixing process.
- Cream Butter: Using a stand mixer or hand beaters, mix the butter until it becomes creamy and fluffy, which helps incorporate other ingredients uniformly.
- Add Ingredients: For non-fruit butters (Chive and Garlic), mix in all ingredients together thoroughly. For fruit-based butters (Pomegranate, Cinnamon, Blackberry), first mix the butter with sweeteners and nuts, then gently fold in the fruits to preserve their texture and freshness.
- Transfer Butter: Spoon the mixed butter onto your choice of serving vessels – you can spread it directly onto a wood or marble board to create an edible ‘butter board’, or portion it into small ramekins for individual servings.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish each butter with complementary toppings such as extra nuts, herbs, or fruit seeds to add visual appeal and boost flavor. Serve the butter boards alongside fresh breads, crackers, or crisp vegetables as part of your holiday spread.
Notes
- Use unsalted butter and add sea salt as specified for better control over saltiness.
- For best flavor, allow the butter boards to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
- Roast garlic cloves in foil at 400°F for 20-25 minutes for garlic butter to develop a mellow, sweet flavor.
- Experiment with nut varieties based on preference or availability.
- Butter boards can be made ahead and refrigerated; bring back to room temperature before serving.
- Adjust sweetness and seasoning based on taste, especially in fruit butters.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 2 grams
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 18 grams
- Saturated Fat: 11 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 2 grams
- Fiber: 0.3 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
Keywords: butter boards, holiday appetizers, easy butter recipes, flavored butter, fruit butter, herb butter, party spread
