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If you’re looking for a never-before-seen whipped butter flavor, and you love both whipped butter and Caesar, you are in the right place. This Caesar whipped butter is the recipe you never knew you needed. It balances the deep, nutty notes of browned butter with the briny, sharp bite of capers, grated garlic, and anchovies. A quick whip with heavy cream gives it an airy, silky texture that carries the bright lemon and salty parmesan perfectly. Slather it thickly over a warm sourdough boule, melt it onto a charred ribeye steak, or toss it with freshly roasted vegetables.
Table of Contents
Tips for the Perfect Texture
High-Quality Butter: When picking your butter, the higher butterfat the better. This traps air bubbles, giving you a creamier texture. Look at the European and Irish butters when shopping.
Room-Temperature Butter: Something a lot of people forget to do and then rush through is making sure the butter is probably brought to the right temperature. A whole stick takes at least 30 minutes, but it’s best at about 2 hours). If you forgot and you don’t have the time here is what to do:
- Do: Cut the butter into cubes. This is the best way to get your butter to room temperature quickly. It only takes around 15-20 minutes when you separate it like that.
- Don’t: Use heat. I know the microwave is tempting, but it melts the fat which is what traps the butter. It’s not worth the extra few minutes when you can just cut it. The same goes for putting it direct heat like placing it near the oven.
The Equipment
Hand Mixer: This gives you more control which is great for smaller batches. Always start on low speed until mixed. Then scrap down the sides so you’re not missing anything, and crank the speed up to high. Move the mixer in slow, steady circles for 3 to 5 more minutes until nice and fluffy.
Stand Mixer with a Whisk Attachment: This is great for bigger batches. You can use a paddle attachment also, but the whisk is better for incorporating air.
Prep the Caesar Whipped Butter Ingredients
Browning butter requires your full attention. It goes from deep, nutty goodness to burnt and bitter in seconds. Do not turn on the stove until every other component is chopped, measured, and sitting within reach.
Here is what your should have prepped before starting:
- Mash the 3 anchovies into a paste.
- Grate the garlic clove.
- Freshly grate 1/3 cup of parmesan for the butter base. Cut 3 parmesan cubes, place in an sealed bag and store in the fridge.
- Zest the lemon and juice 1/2 tablespoon.
- Finely chop the fresh parsley and chives.
- Get your larger bowl and medium size bowl out and ready.
Make-Ahead & Storage
The Ingredients: You can chop the parsley and chives 1 day ahead and store them in the fridge with a damp paper towel. Grate the garlic and parmesan, cube the topping parmesan, and mash the anchovy paste up to 2 days ahead. Keep all components in sealed containers in the fridge.
The Finished Butter: You can fully make and whip the butter up to 1 week in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Before using again, let the butter sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes to soften and then give it a quick whip again to get it back to a spreadable texture before serving.
Similar Savory Whipped Butter Recipes
For more tips and tricks for that perfect texture, check out my classic whipped butter recipe.
Crispy Shallots Whipped Butter: The butter is infused with shallot oil, and topped with honey, flaky salt, crispy fried shallots and garlic.
Whipped Butter Radish Tower: Radishes and butter are a classic, but this makes it pretty.
Roasted Garlic Parmesan Whipped Butter: Roasted garlic squeezed into the butter with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and then whipped till creamy.
Dirty Martini Whipped Butter: This one is a creamy, briny cloud-like dream to spread across toasted baguette slices.
Ingredient Swaps
- Anchovies: You can skip the fish and use 1 tsp of white miso paste. It still gives you that deep, salty, savory flavor.
- Parmesan: Swap for Pecorino Romano if you want a sharper and saltier bite.
- Capers: Use finely chopped green olives for a similar briny pop.
- Tabasco: Any hot sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes works for a little hint of heat.
- Heavy Cream: You can leave this out if you need to, but the butter will be more dense and won’t have that silky, airy feel.
- Fresh Herbs: If you don’t have parsley or chives, fresh basil or tarragon add a great earthy finish.
How to Serve
The Ultimate Bread Board: Smear it thickly across a wooden board or serve it on a platter or footed bowl, topped with the anchovy and parmesan skewers. Serve alongside warm, crusty sourdough or a charred baguette.
Over Charred Steak: Drop a generous dollop on a hot, rested ribeye or New York strip. The butter melts into the meat, creating an instant, savory pan sauce with that briny garlic bite. My steak frites recipe is perfect to swap out the hollandaise sauce for this caesar whipped brown butter.
Roast Chicken: Slide a few tablespoons under the skin or melt it into the pan sauce of your favorite oven-roasted chicken thigh recipe to keep the meat juicy and add deep, nutty Caesar flavors.
Sides: Toss it with blistered asparagus, charred broccoli, or roasted potatoes right out of the oven. You can use this to top your potatoes or instead of oil, use it for oven-roasted or baked potatoes.
Sandwiches and Burgers: Skip the standard mayonnaise and spread this thick to toast the brioche buns on your next smash burger for a savory condiment upgrade.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can totally skip the fish! To keep that salty bite, add an extra tablespoon of caper brine and a teaspoon of white miso paste. You can also use a plant-based Worcestershire sauce instead.
It separated because it got too warm. When the butter gets hot, the cream melts instead of getting fluffy. If it looks a little runny while you mix, pop your bowl back into the ice bath for a few minutes. This cools the fat down so it whips up perfectly.
Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to three months. Since it has fresh garlic and cream, it will spoil quickly if you leave it out on the counter.
Let the container sit on the counter for 30 to 45 minutes. Do not put it in the microwave. Once it is soft, give it a quick mix with a whisk. This makes it light and spreadable again before you serve it.
Equipment
- saucepan
- Microplane
- large bowl
- hand mixer, or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- medium bowl
- serving bowl and small skewer
Ingredients
Brown Butter
- 8 oz unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp capers
- 3 anchovies, chopped and formed into a paste
- 1 large garlic clove, grated
- 1/3 cup parmesan, grated
Whipped Base
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 lemon, zest and 1/2 tbsp juice
- 2-3 dashes tabasco
- 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
For Topping
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 4 anchovies
- 3 cubes parmesan
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: Add butter, capers, and anchovy paste to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until solids are lightly golden, stirring often and scraping the sides. Add grated garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and mix in the parmesan. Cool for 10 minutes.8 oz unsalted butter, 3 tbsp capers, 3 anchovies, 1 large garlic clove, 1/3 cup parmesan
- Ice Bath: While that is cooling, fill a large bowl with ice water and place a smaller bowl inside. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk and Whip: Pour the cooled butter into the chilled bowl. Whisk until thickened and remove from the ice bath. Add heavy cream, mustard, lemon zest and juice, tabasco, worcestershire, parsley, and chives to the bowl. Use an hand mixer, whip on low for 1-2 minutes until combined. Turn the speed up to high and continue to whip until fluffy, about 4-5 more minutes.2 tbsp heavy cream, 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, 1 lemon, 2-3 dashes tabasco, 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 1/4 cup fresh chives
- Top and Serve: Spoon the caesar whipped butter onto a serving plate. Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil. On a small skewer rotate between anchovies and parmesan cubes and place on top. Serve with warm, crusty bread or crackers.salt and pepper, olive oil, 4 anchovies, 3 cubes parmesan
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have not made this yet but I definitely will! Incredible! I’ve been wanting to do a breads and butters board for a party this is perfect plus my truffle butter. Thanks for sharing
Let me know how you like it Linda!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Shall have this with fish and smother it all over my steak too. 🤭