Name: Garlic Compound Butter
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 1/2 cup softened butter; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tbsp fresh rosemary; 1 tbsp fresh thyme; 1 tsp salt (if you're using unsalted butter)

Jump to Recipe

Garlic compound butter uses fresh rosemary, thyme, and garlic for an elegant spread perfect for dressing up a meal or serving with bread. Speckled with herbs and flavored with garlic, this butter will make a beautiful and delicious addition to your table.

I love finding easy ways to make dinner feel a little fancier. A new scoring pattern on a loaf of sourdough, fresh herbs as edible decor, or even just using foods with bright colors. If you relate to this, you’re going to love this simple recipe for compound butter!

With only 5 ingredients and a few minutes, you can prepare this spread in a flash. All you have to do is stir minced garlic and herbs into softened butter, roll it into a log, and refrigerate. Sliced thinly into rounds and served with fresh sourdough, this butter will add a little elegance and a lot of flavor to your meal with minimal effort.

Do you freeze or refrigerate compound butter?

You can do both! When you’re making the butter, you can freeze or refrigerate it to help the butter solidify and hold its shape. After that, store it in the fridge for a few weeks or in the freezer for 3-4 months. Let the compound butter sit on the counter for a few hours to soften before you serve it though, especially if you want to spread it on bread!

How long does Garlic Compound Butter last?

If you keep it in the fridge, garlic compound butter will be good for a few weeks. However, if you use fresh herbs in your butter (like in this recipe), it will be freshest within a week of making it. After this, the herbs will start to deteriorate.

How to use compound butter

You can use this garlic butter in so many ways! Try it as a spread on a sandwich, use it to roast vegetables, or even try scrambling eggs with it. Of course, you can always enjoy it with your favorite sourdough too – English muffins, baguettes, brown bread, biscuits, really whatever you want!

Tips for making Garlic Compound Butter

Need to soften your butter in a hurry? Just pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds!
Of course, fresh herbs are best for making this butter, but you can definitely use dried herbs instead in a pinch. Use 1 tsp of each instead of 1 tbsp.
Feel free to experiment with different herb combinations if you want. I’d recommend basil and oregano or parsley and a little lemon zest, but really you can use whatever you like best.
This butter will be best if you enjoy it within a week. Keep it in the fridge either wrapped in parchment paper or in an air-tight container.
Want to speed up the solidification process? You can also freeze the butter after shaping it into a log. It will be ready to use in about an hour!

Tools you will need

To make your own compound butter, you’ll need a cutting board, knife, garlic press, bowl, spoon, and parchment paper.

Ingredients you will need

1/2 cup softened butter – You can use either salted or unsalted butter – just omit the teaspoon of salt if you’re using salted butter.
1 tbsp fresh rosemary – This is about 4 sprigs of rosemary. If you only have dried rosemary, use about one teaspoon instead.
1 tbsp fresh thyme – This is about 3-4 sprigs of thyme as well. Again, if you have dried thyme, use a teaspoon instead.
2 cloves garlic – Feel free to add more if you prefer!
1 tsp salt – Only necessary if you’re using unsalted butter. Kosher salt works well for this, but you could also try using Himalayan salt to make this butter extra fancy.

How to make Garlic Compound Butter

Mince the 2 cloves of garlic and add them to a small bowl with the softened butter and salt.

Finely chop the rosemary and thyme, and then add them to the bowl with the butter and garlic.

Use a spoon to stir together the butter and herbs until well incorporated.

Spoon the butter and herbs onto a sheet of parchment paper in rectangle shape.

Wrap the parchment paper around the butter, and roll it to make a log. Twist the ends of the parchment paper close to the butter, and then trim the ends of the parchment paper to make a little packet. It will look a bit like a tootsie roll 🙂

Refrigerate the butter for a few hours to help it solidify. Cut small slices into rounds and serve with your favorite sourdough bread!

Looking for more easy recipes?

If so, make sure you head over to the Kitchen Counter for other quick and yummy recipes. Here are a few ideas you might enjoy:

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.