March 30, 2023
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Butter and bread is an age-old combo for a reason; it is simply unbeatable. Modern food gurus have done it again - like the charcuterie board, where a simple combination of meat and cheese is elevated and made party-worthy; bread and butter have received a cinderella-style makeover. Vegans - fear not, we have included a list of dairy free butter alternatives that make it easy to create a vegan butter board.
So, how could bread and butter get any better? Butter boards consist of a tasteful layer of butter, artfully swirled onto a charcuterie board, topped with an assortment of ingredients that take bread and butter to the next level (this is where you get to get creative). Butter board ideas and flavor profiles are limitless, but a few popular ones include fig + honey, everything bagel, pistachio + basil, and honey coriander. Butter boards are accompanied by anything you’d normally dip or spread with butter; such as crusty bread, crackers, bagels, and more. Without further ado, let’s talk butter board ideas.
Garlic Herb Butter Board by Cook the Story
Building your Butter Board
First things first, grab a board! Any normal charcuterie board works for this. Some of our favorites are this epoxy charcuterie board, this round charcuterie board with handles, and this classic paddle charcuterie board.
Soften your butter, and spread it around your board to create an even layer of butter. A nice swirl pattern adds a beautiful texture to the butter board.
We love these butter knives for easy spreading, and to have by the board when serving.
Now, the fun part. Toppings! As a rule of thumb, make sure all toppings are small enough to be able to be scooped up on a bite-sized piece of bread.
Before you begin topping, it’s a good idea to choose the general flavor palette you are going for. Do you want a sweet or savory taste? Do you want to combine the two? Do you want to use a particular flavor profile, such as Italian or Mediterranean? These questions will help you narrow down your ingredient list. To start you off, we’ve compiled a list of toppings that are perfect for butter boards. We’ve organized our lists by savory and sweet - but don’t feel restricted to one or the other! Using the two simultaneously often creates the most incredible flavor combinations.
Sweet Butter Board Toppings
Lemon zest
Chopped figs (dried or fresh)
Chopped nuts (pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts)
Jams and jellies
Honey
Dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, orange slices)
Fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries, pomegranate seeds)
Chocolate shavings
Brown sugar
Cinnamon sugar
Edible dried flowers
Savory Butter Board Toppings
Roasted garlic
Roasted herbs (rosemary, thyme)
Fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley)
Sliced red onion
Cheese (parmesan, whipped goat cheese)
Seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, hemp)
Chili oil
Microgreens or sprouts
Bacon crumbles
Chives
Sun dried tomatoes
Pesto
Butter Board Ideas: Flavor Combinations
Here’s some butter board flavor combinations that we absolutely love:
Cinnamon Honey Butter Board by The Forked Spoon
This delicious board features butter whipped with honey and cinnamon, and completed by adding more pockets of honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and honeycomb on top. This board would be perfect for brunch, or even as a dessert board.
Savory Butter Board by Aubrey’s Kitchen
This mouth-watering butter board features roasted garlic, garlic chili oil, honey, cashews, and micro greens.
Honey Coriander Butter Board by Justine Snacks
This board was one of the pioneers of the butter board trend, it features flaky sea salt, pepper, fresh mint, coriander, cardamom, fresh basil, honey, lemon zest, and edible flowers. We love this mix of savory and sweet ingredients to create an incredible flavor palette. Simply a must try!
Last, it’s time to accompany your board with things to dip or spread on! Here are some of our favorite options:
Crusty breads such as baguettes and sourdough (lightly toasted makes them easier to dip)
Crackers
Croissants
Scones
Bagels
If your diet is dairy-free and you’re wondering how you can make a butter board, we’ve compiled a list of a few of our favorite dairy-free butters that soften well, are spreadable, and have an excellent flavor.
Miyoko’s Creamery European Style Cultured Vegan Butter
Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
Milkadamia Salted Buttery Spread
Melt Organic Butter Made From Plants
These butter substitutes are perfect for a butter board because of their spreadability and incredible flavor. No one will miss the dairy!
Butter makes everything better and butter boards are certainly not the exception.
Looking for more creative twists on the charcuterie board? Check out our Dessert Charcuterie Board blog >>
If you make a butter board, tag us at @mmmboards, we can’t wait to see what you create!
