Compound butter is such an awesome party trick! It tastes fantastic and sounds all *fancy,* but it's sooo easy to make! This Garlic Scape Butter has just 2 ingredients and is perfect for delicious appetizers or for elevating your meals at home. We cannot get enough of this stuff during garlic scape season!
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What are garlic scapes?
Garlic scapes are shoots that grow from garlic plants. They are pretty firm and have a curve/loop shape to them. At the end, there is an arrow-shaped tip that holds the flower bulb that would open up if the scape was left on the garlic plant.
Garlic scapes tastes very strongly like garlic, not surprisingly. Because of this, they are a popular ingredient to use in late spring and early summer in place of garlic cloves.
Garlic scapes often show up at farmer's markets and in CSA boxes. Many people start googling what to do with garlic scapes when they get a bunch in their weekly CSA delivery.
Well, I am here to show you what to make with garlic scapes! This garlic scape butter uses fresh garlic scapes to make the most delicious compound butter.
Oh, and if you're a fan of garlic, make sure to also try my air fryer garlic confit and my garlic confit compound butter.
Related recipe: Pickled Fiddlehead Ferns
How to use garlic scape butter
My favorite way to serve this butter is to smear a thick layer on a fresh baguette. It's so so good. But here are a few other ways to use this garlicky compound butter:
- Add a spoonful on steak during the last minute of cooking and let it melt down.
- Add some to chicken
- Smear it on salmon or trout before roasting or air frying
- Use it on baked potatoes, or serve it for a baked potato bar dinner
- Sauté veggies in it, such as this sauteed asparagus
- Stir it into hot mashed potatoes as you're mashing them
- Use it to make the most incredible garlic bread: simply spread on a baguette and broil for a minute or two
- Add a spoonful to marinara sauce to add a garlicky buttery flavor
- Use it anywhere that you use butter that can use a hit of garlic!
Ingredients
- 4-5 garlic scapes, washed and thoroughly dried (I used 4 long ones and that was plenty garlicky for me)
- 2 sticks salted butter, softened to room temperature (that's 16 tablespoons, or 1 cup. If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt)
Equipment
- Small food processor - you'll use this to process the garlic scapes
- Silicone spatula - to scrape down the garlic scapes as you process them
- Medium bowl & fork - to mash the garlic scapes and butter together
- 1-1.5 jar or container for storing the butter
Instructions
Step 1: Roughly chop the garlic scapes so they fit in your food processor. Use the flower bulb too. Process until really fine, stopping to scrape the scapes down the sides as needed. It took me about 2 minutes total, I kept processing because I didn't want any long stringy bits in my butter.
Step 2: Transfer the minced garlic scapes and softened butter to a bowl and mash with a fork until well combined. Enjoy immediately, or transfer to a clean jar with a lid or butter container and refrigerate.
Related recipe: Chive Oil
How to store garlic scape butter
Garlic scape butter will keep well in the fridge for up to a month if stored in a clean container. There are a few ways to store garlic scape butter:
- Transfer the whole batch to a clean jar and seal with a lid. To serve, you'll need to let it soften so it becomes spreadable, so this way the butter might not last a whole month if you take it out often and bring it to room temperature often.
- Transfer the butter to these take out sauce cups or reusable dressing cups so you can take out smaller amounts at a time.
- Use a small squeeze-release cookie scoop to transfer tablespoon-full amounts to a large plate, cutting board, or mini muffin liners, then place in the fridge or freezer. Once hardened, place them in a zip lock bag or sealed container in the fridge. This way, you'll be able to take out a tablespoon at a time and leave the rest in the fridge.
- For a fancier presentation, use a squeeze-release cookie scoop to transfer tablespoon-full amounts into mini muffin liners. This is a cute way to serve this compound butter for a dinner party!
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 Scape Butter
Ingredients
- 4-5 garlic scapes - washed and thoroughly dried (I used 4 long ones and that was plenty garlicky for me)
- 2 sticks salted butter - softened to room temperature (that's 16 tablespoons, or 1 cup)
Special equipment
- Silicone spatula for scraping down the scapes in the food processor
- Medium bowl & fork
- 1-1.5 cup jar or container for storing the butter
Instructions
- Roughly chop the garlic scapes so they fit in your food processor. Include the flower bulb too. Process until really fine, stopping to scrape the scapes down the sides as needed. It took me about 2 minutes total, I kept processing because I didn't want any long stringy bits in my butter.
- Transfer the minced garlic scapes and softened butter to a bowl and mash with a fork until well combined. Enjoy immediately, or transfer to a clean jar with a lid or butter container and refrigerate.
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.