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    Home » Appetizers

    How to Make a Butter Board

    Published: Sep 30, 2022 by Diana Reis · This post may contain affiliate links

    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    Learn how to make a fantastic butter board with some delicious, easy to find toppings just in time for your holiday parties.

    butter board with Italian toppings and sliced bread

    You have to be living under a rock at this point to miss the viral trend of butter boards. They are a close relative of the charcuterie board and amazing appetizer eye candy. The essence of these edible displays is high quality butter, sea salt, beautifully arranged, and served with bread to spread it on.

    These boards can be topped with an array of gourmet elements both savory and sweet. Let’s be clear, no one had to twist my arm to try new ways to enjoy bread and butter.

    The recipe below is an Italian inspired butter board that I know you’ll love. Like all of my recipes, this gourmet board is high quality and super special without the specialty food price tag. All of the elements can be purchased at your everyday grocer.

    Contents hide
    Ingredients
    How to Make it!
    Butter Board Toppings
    What to serve with a Butter Board
    FAQs
    Diana’s Tips for Success
    Butter Board Decorating Tips
    More Fun Appetizers
    📖 Recipe
    Italian Inspired Butter Board

    Ingredients

    Butter- Use your favorite salted or unsalted butter to build your board. This is the time to spring for the good stuff since the flavor of the butter will be on full display. 

    Coarse Sea Salt- Salt brings out the flavor of everything it touches and the coarse texture is great for mouth feel.

    butter board example ingredients

    Italian Inspired Butter Board Toppings

    Roasted Garlic - Smashed roasted garlic adds nice spice and warm rich flavor.

    Sliced Green Olives- An extra hit of saltiness.

    Roasted Red Peppers- They add a touch of sweetness and beautiful color.

    Minced Basil Leaves- Finely chop basil leaves and mix with a drizzle of olive oil. The olive oil will help keep them green and make them stick to the butter so you can really get the full benefit of their flavor.

    How to Roast Garlic

    Cut the top off of a head of garlic. Drizzle with Olive Oil. Then Wrap in Foil and bake in a 375° oven for 40 minutes. Garlic should be soft and spreadable.

    How to Make it!

    • Let butter sit out on the counter for around 30 minutes to soften. 
    • Spread the butter over your favorite serving board. Use the knife to make small swirls for visual appeal.
    • Then sprinkle evenly with sea salt.
    • Finally, add your toppings of choice and serve with bread and crackers.
    close up of butter on decorative board with toppings

    Butter Board Toppings

    The beautiful thing about appetizer boards and butter boards is that you can make just about anything you can imagine. Some fun flavor combinations are...

    Sweet and Spicy Butter Board

    • Sea Salt
    • Fresh Black Pepper
    • Hot Honey
    • Blackberry Jam

    Crunchy Sweet and Salty Butter Board

    • Sea Salt
    • Chopped Mixed Nuts
    • Maple Syrup
    • Chopped Chives

    Breakfast Butter Board

    • Sea Salt
    • Sliced Strawberries
    • Mixed Berry Jam
    • Lemon Zest

    Super Simple Butter Board

    • Sea Salt
    • Lemon Zest
    • Crack Pepper
    • Grated Parmesan Cheese

    What to serve with a Butter Board

    While eating spoonfuls of flavored butter has its appeal. You will likely want to have something to spread the butter on. Some ideas include…

    • Warm soft French bread slices
    • Toasted Baguette slices
    • Multigrain Crackers
    • Biscuits
    • Bread Sticks
    Butter and toppings on sliced bread close up butter board in background

    FAQs

    Can I make the Butter board ahead of time?

    You can certainly put a butter board together ahead of time. The butter itself can be spread on the board and stored covered in the refrigerator long before it needs to be served. 

    Be thoughtful about how long the toppings on the board will last when making it early. Some ingredients might wilt, brown, or leave behind color on the butter. It’s best to put those items on right before serving.

    Take your butter board out of the refrigerator about 30-45 minutes so that the butter will be spreadable.

    Diana’s Tips for Success

    Butter should be spreadable but not melted. It’s not a good time to use the microwave.

    When adding savory toppings, you should use unsalted butter. Items like olives will add lots of salty flavor and you don’t want to over do it. 

    Chop your toppings into small pieces so they can be evenly spread across the butter. It’s best when you can pick up a little bit over everything in one scoop to fully enjoy the flavor combination.

    Butter Board Decorating Tips

    Make small swirls in the butter to make a pretty texture across the soft butter.

    Use ingredients with vibrant colors.

    Place bread slices and crackers in opposite corners of the board for symmetry. 

    Save some of your toppings in whole form to place around the edges. Example: Place small bundles of herbs or whole nuts in the corners of the board to make an interesting border.

    More Fun Appetizers

    • Whipped Feta Dips
    • Baked Italian Turkey Meatballs
    • Shrimp Cocktail
    • Lamb Lollipops

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    📖 Recipe

    butter board featured image

    Italian Inspired Butter Board

    The recipe below is an Italian inspired butter board that I know you’ll love. Like all of my recipes, this gourmet board is high quality and super special without the specialty food price tag. All of the elements can be purchased at your everyday grocer.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizers, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
    Soften Butter: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 People
    Calories: 376kcal
    Author: Diana Reis

    Equipment

    • Small Wood Serving Board

    Ingredients

    • ½ Pound Unsalted Butter softened
    • ½ Teaspoon Flaky Sea Salt
    • 1 Head Roasted Garlic smashed into a paste
    • ¼ Cup Green Olives sliced
    • ¼ Cup Roasted Red Peppers diced
    • 2 Teaspoons Basil minced, mixed with olive oil
    • 16 Slices Baguette warmed

    Instructions

    • Let butter sit out on the counter for around 30 minutes to soften.
    • Spread the butter over your favorite serving board. Use the knife to make small swirls for visual appeal.
    • Then sprinkle evenly with sea salt.
    • Finally, add your toppings and serve with bread and crackers.

    Notes

    Can I make the Butter board ahead of time?
    • You can certainly put a butter board together ahead of time. The butter itself can be spread on the board and stored covered in the refrigerator long before it needs to be served. 
    • Be thoughtful about how long the toppings on the board will last when making it early. Some ingredients might wilt, brown, or leave behind color on the butter. It’s best to put those items on right before serving.
    • Take your butter board out of the refrigerator about 30-45 minutes so that the butter will be spreadable.
    • Diana’s Tips for Success
    • Butter should be spreadable but not melted. It’s not a good time to use the microwave.
    • When adding savory toppings, you should use unsalted butter. Items like olives will add lots of salty flavor and you don’t want to over do it.
    • Chop your toppings into small pieces so they can be evenly spread across the butter. It’s best when you can pick up a little bit over everything in one scoop to fully enjoy the flavor combination.
    Butter Board Decorating Tips
    • Make small swirls in the butter to make a pretty texture across the soft butter.
    • Use ingredients with vibrant colors.
    • Place bread slices and crackers in opposite corners of the board for symmetry.
    • Save some of your toppings in whole form to place around the edges. Example: Place small bundles of herbs or whole nuts in the corners of the board to make an interesting border.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 749IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @DianDeliciousB or tag #DeliciousByDesign!

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    Comments

      5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Elizabeth says

      September 30, 2022 at 7:51 pm

      5 stars
      I think I need this at my next party. It's so pretty to look at and who doesn't love butter. LOL!

      Reply
    2. Andrea says

      September 30, 2022 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      This is awesome! I'm excited to make this for our next family get together.

      Reply
    3. Dana says

      September 30, 2022 at 8:06 pm

      5 stars
      I've been seeing these everywhere and they look so delicious! I love that you've added olives. Adds a nice saltiness and brininess, which I'm ALL about.

      Reply
    4. Luci Petlack says

      September 30, 2022 at 9:14 pm

      5 stars
      Sign me up for the roasted garlic all up in the butter!! What fun flavor combinations!

      Reply
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    I’m passionate about the family dinner table. Connecting with each other at the end of the day over a good meal creates strong family bonds and healthy long-lasting relationships. I want to help families and friends build those relationships.

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