How To Make  A Butter Board

Whether you like to cook, dislike cooking, or fall somewhere in between, the holidays are typically a time when there tend to be more people around. And more people means…more mouths to feed! I have seen this viral appetizer on Instagram and TikTok and while I really wasn’t sure about it, I decided to give it a try. I’m talking about the Butter Board trend. I’m no stranger to a good charcuterie board…my love for cheese runs deep. But this trend is a little different. A little unusual! And, there is really no cooking at all, it’s more about combining and arranging! So, how do you make a Butter Board and, if you’re not familiar, what the heck is it??

A Butter Board is simply exactly what it sounds like…a board with butter on it. I realize that doesn’t sound incredibly appetizing, but it’s all about the special touches and flavors that complement each other and turn this appetizer into something that looks beautiful AND tastes good too!

Tis the season! For some happy holiday traditions you can start right now, be sure to check out this post.

Step #1) Choose The Right Butter & Board

Not surprisingly, choosing the right butter is key! Salted or unsalted is up to you, but you do want a high-quality, spreadable butter as the foundation. I used 1 stick of Kerry Gold butter which tastes great and spreads easily. Before preparing your board, let the butter come to room temperature. That takes about 30 minutes.

Important: You don’t want to microwave the butter to soften it as that will change the consistency and it won’t look or taste right. Trust me on this one!

If you’re tight on time, pour very hot water into a tall glass and let that sit for a minute. Then empty the glass and put the glass (like a dome) over the stick of butter. The residual heat from the glass will help soften the butter naturally.

Once the butter is softened, use a knife to spread it directly on the board. Making a little wave pattern as you go.

The surface area on the board I used is 8′ x 11′. You could certainly use a larger board if you are hosting a crowd…or if you just really like butter ?

Step #2) Add Toppings To The Butter

The next step is to start adding different toppings directly to the butter. If you used unsalted butter, you’ll definitely want to start by adding some flakey sea salt. There are SO many tasty toppings you can add to customize your butter board so it suits your taste and favorite flavors. To give mine a holiday theme, I used sea salt, fig jam, pomegranate seeds, finely chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, thyme, and a little honey (hot honey would be amazing!).  The key is to keep the butter toppings bite-sized so you can easily dip a small piece of crusty bread or crackers in the mixture.

More Toppings

Here are some other great topping options for your butter board.

• Roasted garlic
• Pumpkin seeds
• Pecans, pistachios, cashews
• Orange jam, cherry preserves
• Balsamic glaze
• Cranberries
• Sundried tomatoes
• Fresh Pesto
• Basil, fennel, sage

Step #3) Make Garnishes (Optional)

I wanted to add a couple of pretty garnishes to my butter board. But, if you don’t want to turn on your stove, just skip this step! I made dried orange slices and sugared cranberries. Both are super simple and add a festive touch.

• Dried Oranges – Cut into thin slices and add to the air fryer for 90 minutes at 170 degrees. Easy!
• Sugared Cranberries – Add 1/2 C water and 1/2 C sugar to a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and add in a package of fresh cranberries. Coat the cranberries with the simple syrup mixture and then remove them with a slotted spoon to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let those sit for about 30 minutes. They should still be sticky to the touch. Then, roll them in 1/4 C white sugar until completely coated. Aren’t they pretty?!?

Step #4) Add Garnishes & Sides

To the corners and sides of your butter board, you can add the garnishes you made OR just some fresh herbs, grapes, roasted garlic, cured meats, or veggies. Then make sure you have firm crackers or bread to scoop up all that buttery goodness. And that’s it!

So, have you tried to make a Butter Board or will you? If so, any cool toppings that you added or will add? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments so please share! If you aren’t already a subscriber to our newsletter, you can sign up here to make sure you don’t miss out on any of our exclusive weekly content. We’d love to have you join our inspiring community!
Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays to you!