Easy Homemade Herb Butter for Bread (5 Variations)

Sharing is caring!

Homemade herb butter (compound butter) is perfect for slathering on bread and preserving your homegrown herbs. In this post, I’m sharing my five favorite homemade herb butter recipes for bread and just about anything else. You’ll want to put this butter on everything!

One of my favorite times of year is early and mid-spring when my herb garden makes her annual comeback.

Of course, it’s also exciting to see the garden filled with seedlings and vegetable starts. But for me, the herbs are the springtime star because they are always my first harvest of the season.

I love adding fresh basil in creamy lemon chicken and fresh oregano in garden vegetable soup. Chopped herbs are also delicious mixed in with sourdough breadcrumbs for fried chicken.

But one of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy fresh herbs is in buttery goodness slathered on homemade sourdough bread.

Not only does homemade herb butter add tons of flavor with simple ingredients, but it’s also a great way to preserve herbs.

A log of butter with herbs can last up to a year in the freezer. If you make homemade herb butter this spring or summer, you can enjoy it throughout winter!

It’s one of the easiest ways to start a food preservation journey or to enjoy your beautiful spring and summer herb harvest. You don’t need a fancy freeze dryer or a food dehydrator, and you don’t need to learn how to use a pressure canner. Literally, all you need is butter and herbs.

Tips for Making Herb Butter

• Use room temperature butter – Mixing in the herbs is next to impossible if the butter is cold. Allow your butter to come to room temperature before getting started.
• Use unsalted butter – Though salted butter will work, I’ve found that homemade compound butter tastes best when you season it yourself. That way, you can make adjustments as necessary and let the herbs shine.
• Store your herb butter in the freezer – Homemade herb butter will last up to a year in the freezer. When you want to use it, chop off a hunk with a sharp knife and let it come to room temperature.
• Create your own easy herb butter recipe – I’ve included five recipes in this post, but you can make homemade herb butter with any herb blend you can imagine. Even with your own variations, it’s simple and will take less than 10 minutes to make.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is herb butter the same as compound butter?

Yes! Compound butter is butter mixed with other ingredients like herbs, spices, honey, etc.

Can you make homemade herb butter with dried herbs?

Yes, but the flavor will be slightly different. When herbs are dried, they are slowly cooked at a very low temperature, which alters their flavor. As such, herb butter made with dried herbs will taste different but will still be delicious.

What herbs can I use?

You can use any herbs you heart desires. Most importantly, you should use the herbs you enjoy eating and growing. Fresh rosemary and fresh thyme are great options. My favorite compound butter recipes include garlic chives and basil. Also, you can add in other flavors like fresh garlic, lemon zest, and pepper. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Can you freeze herb butter?

Absolutely! Fresh herb butter will last up to a year in the freezer. To store it in the freezer, I roll it in parchment paper and stick it in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

Tools You Will Need

This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases from links outside of moon + magnolia may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. As part of the Amazon Associates program, links to Amazon will earn a commission with no extra cost. Thank you for supporting my content!

• Mixing bowl, hand mixer, or stand mixer – As long as the butter is room temperature, it’s easy enough to mix in the herbs by hand. But a hand mixer or stand mixer will work, too.
• Large spoon – You will need a spoon to stir in the herbs.
• Parchment paper – A log of herb butter stores well in the freezer. So you will need a sheet of parchment paper for making and storing your butter.
• Knife – Use a sharp knife to chop the herbs finely.
• Cutting board – I like to use an end-grain cutting board for chopping, but any board you have will do the trick!

Ingredients for Homemade Herb Butter

These are my favorite ingredients for homemade herb butter for bread. If you enjoy other herbs and flavors, add them to the list. And if you plan on making herb butter for other recipes, consider what herbs pair well with those ingredients.

• Unsalted butter – I like to use unsalted butter because I can control the seasoning. Additionally, I recommend using real butter, not a butter substitute.
• Fresh herbs – My favorites include basil, chives, sage, rosemary, cilantro, thyme, and parsley.
• Salt and pepper – I prefer coarse kosher salt, but any salt will do. Be sure to taste test your butter to make sure it is seasoned to your liking.
• Lemon – I’ve found that just about every herb butter tastes extra delicious with a little lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Garlic – Using garlic herb compound butter is an easy way to make garlic bread! For the best results, use fresh garlic. If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, garlic powder will work.

My Favorite Homemade Herb Butter Recipes

Garlic Herb Butter

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chopped herbs (thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, and chives are good options)
• 2-3 garlic cloves (or to taste), minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Basil Butter

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Chive Butter

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chives, chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sage Butter

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sage, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Italian Herb Butter

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chopped herbs, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram (about a scant teaspoon of each)
• Salt and pepper to taste

NOTE: You can customize these recipes with any combination of herbs. The general ratio is 1/2 cup of butter (equivalent to 1 stick of butter) and 1/4 cup of herbs.

How To Make Homemade Herb Butter

Make sure your butter is room temperature. If not, set it on the counter for a few hours.

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except the salt and pepper. Mix well.

Add the salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Mound the butter onto the center of a piece of parchment paper. Smooth into a log shape, then roll it up in the parchment paper and twist the ends closed.

Chill in the fridge for 2 hours before serving (this allows the flavors to combine).

NOTE: If you don’t have parchment paper, a piece of plastic wrap will work for rolling your butter.

How To Use Homemade Herb Butter

Use it on everything! These are my favorite homemade herb butter for bread recipes. But there are endless ways you can use fresh herb butter:

• Bread – Sourdough bread, french bread, baguettes, sandwich bread. All of the above, please!
• Veggies – Sauteeing often gets too hot and burns the herbs. So once your veggies are ready, dot them with homemade herb butter.
• Steak – One of my favorite ways to serve steak with a pat of herb butter.
• Pasta – Add a little compound butter and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
• Potatoes – Mashed, fried, scalloped, or sweet potatoes—it doesn’t matter how you make them; they are delicious with herb butter.
• Sheet pan meals – On YouTube, I have a simple chicken and veggie sheet pan meal with an herb butter pan sauce. It’s one of our family’s favorite dinners!

How to Store Homemade Herb Butter

Herb butter will last in the fridge for up to a month and in the freezer for up to a year. I like to place the parchment-wrapped butter log in a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container.

More Recipes You’ll Love!

• Homemade French Style Mayonnaise Recipe (10 minutes!)
• How to Make Perfect Sourdough Toast (No Toaster!)
• Easy 3-Ingredient Creamed Spinach (10-Minute Recipe)
• The BEST Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Easy Recipe)

If you try this recipe and love it, leave a review!