If you're the kind of person who doubles the garlic in every recipe you make, then you'll love this Garlic Confit Butter! This easy compound butter recipe combines my air fryer garlic confit (or use roasted garlic) with salted butter to make the tastiest garlicky butter. Use it on toast, for garlic bread, and see lots more serving ideas below!
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Garlic compound butter
I have a recipe for pesto butter on the blog, and this time I wanted to share a different flavor of compound butter with you: Garlic Compound Butter! It has a subtle roasted garlic flavor that works perfectly with rich butter flavor. It's super easy to make and has so many uses.
How to use garlic butter
- On toast (try Texas toast!)
- Make homemade garlic bread (see my whole wheat garlic bread with green shakshuka)
- For corn on the cob
- To make garlic butter shrimp
- Use garlic butter to sauté greens like kale or collard greens to give them a garlicky flavor and infuse some delicious butter
- On these caviar crostini to add some garlicky flavor instead of plain butter (you might want to use an unsalted butter for this garlic butter if using it for caviar)
- To add garlicky flavor to honey butter corn
- For these brown butter scallops
- Anywhere you use butter that could benefit from a little garlic flavor!
More garlicky recipes you'll love: Garlic Scape Butter
Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter, room temperature. It's super important that the butter comes to room temperature and is VERY soft, so you can easily mash it with the garlic. See tips below for how to soften butter quickly if you forget to take yours out, or if your room temperature is below 70F.
- ~10 roasted garlic confit cloves - you can start with a few and add as much as your garlic-loving heart desires! You can use either really soft roasted garlic or garlic confit.
- Optional: pinch of additional salt - I find that a saltier garlic compound butter is tastier and I add a pinch of fine salt. The fine salt disperses better through the butter than coarse salt crystals. However, the amount of salt should depend on how you plan on using this butter. If using it with lots of salty ingredients, skip the extra salt.
More homemade condiments to try: Chive Oil
Equipment
All you need for this recipe is a medium bowl and a fork!
Instructions
Place the butter and the garlic cloves in a bowl. Use a fork to mash the garlic cloves against the bowl, then stir them together with the butter. Give it a taste and see if you want to add some salt or additional roasted garlic cloves. Serve immediately, or transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate.
How long will garlic butter keep?
I have mine in a sealed jar in the fridge for a month and it was fine! I have to admit it was HARD not to finish it all quickly, but I powered through it just so I can let you know it should keep well for a month.
Can you use fresh garlic to make garlic butter?
Yes, but it turn out a little different than this recipe. If you want to use fresh garlic, make sure to mince it really finely because you don't want large chunks of garlic in your butter. Reduce the amount of fresh garlic since it's a lot more sharp and pungent than roasted garlic or garlic confit.
How to quickly soften butter
The best way to make compound butter is to soften your butter so much that it smushes easily if you press on it—a bit warmer than room temperature (unless room temp for you is around 75-80F). There are a few ways you can soften your butter quickly if you forgot to take it out hours in advance:
- Glass or mug method: Boil some water and place it in a tall glass or mug until the mug feels hot from the outside. Spill out the water, then place the stick of butter (keep it in the paper) into the mug and cover it with a saucer. The heat inside the mug should soften the butter. If it's still hard, repeat with another round of boiled water.
- Toaster method: Place room temperature butter wrapped in paper on top of your toaster or toaster oven after you run it. The heat from the toaster oven will help soften the butter.
- Dishwasher method: Place the butter on the counter on top of your dishwasher as it is going through the drying cycle. Our dishwasher usually heats up the counter to a little warmer than room temp.
- Oven method: If your oven is on, place the butter on top of the stove, but be careful not to let it melt.
- Microwave method: If you completely forget to soften your butter, you can microwave your butter in 5-10 second increments. Do NOT let it melt completely, but let the outsides of it soften. Remove the softened parts into another bowl and microwave for another few seconds until more butter softens. Repeat.
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Garlic Confit Butter
Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter - (8 tablespoons) softened to room temperature
- 10 cloves garlic confit - or any roasted garlic, use more or less to taste (see my air fryer garlic confit)
- optional: pinch of fine sea salt - skip if using this garlic butter with other salty ingredients
Instructions
- Make sure your butter is really soft. If not, get it to a really warm room temperature quickly by using one of the tips in the blog post.
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter with ~8 cloves roasted garlic confit. Mash together with a fork until the garlic is completely incorporated into the butter. Taste and see if you want to add more garlic or a pinch of salt—I end up using about 10 cloves.
- Enjoy immediately, or transfer to a glass jar and keep refrigerated for up to 1 month.
- To serve after refrigerating, scoop butter out of the jar or let it come to room temperature so it softens and becomes spreadable.
- If you liked this recipe, don't forget to give it a star rating and pin it on Pinterest!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.