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This four-way summer compound butter flight is exactly what your favorite toasted bread deserves. We are doing four gorgeous, summer flavors: a jammy roasted garlic loaded with parmigiano Reggiano, sweet corn and candied jalapeños, a tahini maple brown butter, and a fresh strawberry butter hiding a rich mascarpone with jam center. It is a stunning lineup, packed with massive flavor, and such a fun way to do bread service.
Table of Contents
What is Compound Butter?
Compound butter is simply butter mixed with sweet or savory ingredients, then chilled back into a solid form. You usually see it made with basic chopped herbs, cracked pepper, or simple spices. This flight uses jammy roasted garlic, sweet corn and candied jalapeños, tahini maple, and fresh strawberries with a mascarpone center. You just fold the ingredients into room-temperature butter, pack it into the molds, and let it set completely firm so it holds its shape on the board.
The Perfect Pairings
Garlic Bread Butter
Bread: Slather this on thick slices of toasted sourdough or a crusty ciabatta loaf.
Proteins: Use it as a finishing butter for a hot pan-seared ribeye or grilled shrimp.
Sides: Melt it over crispy smashed potatoes or toss it with roasted green beans for a savory kick.
Jalapeño Corn Bread Butter
Classic Pairing: This belongs on warm, crumbly cornbread or brushed onto grilled corn on the cob for a smoky, street-corn inspired finish.
Breakfast: Spread it on a toasted jalapeño cheddar bagel or a warm biscuit.
Bowls: Drop a dollop into a hot bowl of chili or black bean soup to add rich, spicy depth.
Strawberries & Cream Butter
Breakfast Staples: Perfect on fluffy buttermilk biscuits, waffles, pancakes, or thick-cut brioche French toast.
Cheese Boards: Add this to a charcuterie board alongside a triple cream brie or mild goat cheese.
Pastries: Use it as a spread for warm croissants or toasted pound cake.
Tahini Maple Butter
Toasted Grains: This is incredible on toasted brioche, warm banana bread, or a simple slice of multi-grain toast.
Roasted Veggies: The nutty, toasted notes pair beautifully with roasted sweet potato wedges or caramelized carrots.
Bowls: Stir it into a warm bowl of steel-cut oats or farro breakfast bowls for a salty-sweet finish.
How to Serve Your Summer Butter Flight
For Bread Boards: Pull the butter from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. It needs softened enough that it’s spreadable.
For Hot Proteins (Steak, Chicken, Fish): Keep the butter completely chilled. Drop a cold cube directly onto a hot, freshly rested steak or piece of fish. The heat from the dish will melt the cold butter.
Gifting
These make the absolute cutest host gifts. I love wrapping the individual butters in parchment paper and tucking them these gift boxes. These feel incredibly custom and made with love.
Shelf Life
Garlic Bread Butter: Lasts 5 to 7 days in the fridge. Jammy roasted garlic adds moisture to the fat, which cuts down the shelf life compared to a plain block of butter. You can wrap it up and freeze it for up to 2 months.
Jalapeño Corn Bread Butter: Lasts 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Sweet fresh corn and whole spicy jalapeños hold a lot of water. Mixing that much fresh produce into the butter means it will spoil much faster if left sitting too long.
Strawberries & Cream Butter: Lasts 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Fresh strawberries are packed with sweet juice. Eventually, the fruit will start to weep and ruin the creamy texture of the butter. If you leave it out on the counter, it is only safe at room temperature for 1 day.
Tahini Maple Butter: Lasts 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Tahini and maple syrup last a long time, but fresh cherry blossoms are incredibly delicate. Once you press fresh petals into the butter, they will quickly wilt, lose their color, and spoil.
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Other Compound Butter Flights
This summer butter flight is great for warm summer days and grilling. If you are looking for more of a happy hour vibe, you have to check out my cocktail hour compound butter flight featuring a dirty martini butter, fig goat cheese, honey brown butter, and a garlic tomato crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Always use high-quality unsalted butter. We are folding in highly seasoned ingredients like salty miso, candied jalapeños, and roasted garlic. Unsalted butter lets you control exactly how much flaky sea salt goes in so the flavor hits perfectly.
You definitely can, but since we’re using fresh stuff like strawberries and corn, I’d stick to making it just 1-2 days before you need it. This keeps the flavors bright and stops the fruit from getting watery. If you really want to get ahead, you can freeze the finished cubes in an airtight container for up to two months—just pop them in the fridge the night before to thaw.
About 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Fresh, high-moisture ingredients like juicy strawberries and sweet summer corn break down the butter much faster than dry herbs. For the best flavor and clean structure, prep the molds just 1 to 2 days before serving.
Equipment
- Garlic roaster or aluminum foil
- chef’s knife
- Microplane
- blender
- saucepan
- Silicone butter molds
Ingredients
Garlic Bread Butter
- 1 head garlic
- olive oil
- 8 oz unsalted butter, room-temperature
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped, plus extra for topping
- 1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated, plus extra for topping
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Jalapeño Corn Bread Butter
- 2 ears corn
- 2 tsp miso
- 1/3 cup cane sugar, plus 1 tsp
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3 jalapeños, whole
- 8 oz unsalted butter, room-temperature
- 1/2 cup water
Strawberries & Cream Butter
- 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, cubed
- 2 tbsp honey
- 8 oz unsalted butter, room-temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 tbsp freeze-dried strawberries
- 2 tbsp strawberry preserves
- 2 tbsp mascarpone
Tahini Maple Butter
- 10 oz unsalted butter, room-temperature
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 pinch flaky salt
- edible cherry blossoms
Instructions
Garlic Bread Butter
- Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Peel the loose outer layers from the head of garlic, leaving the bulb intact. Cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch off the top. Place the garlic in a garlic roaster, drizzle the top with 1 tbsp olive oil and cover. Roast for 1 hour, or until the cloves are soft.1 head garlic, olive oil
- Combine: Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves onto a cutting board and give them a rough chop. Add to the softened butter, chives (reserve a small amount for topping), grated parmigiano Reggiano (reserve a small amount for topping), crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix until fully combined.8 oz unsalted butter, 1/4 cup chives, 1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano, 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1 lemon, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 pinch kosher salt, 1 pinch black pepper
- Assemble: Spread a thin layer of the butter to your mold, and add thin layer of chopped chives and grated parmigiano Reggiano to the bottom of the mold squares. Fill the molds with the rest of the butter. Scrape the top edges clean and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours before unmolding.
Jalapeño Corn Bread Butter
- Corn Puree: Slice a strip of the corn kernels and set aside. Remove the rest of the kernels and add to a blender. Process until as smooth as possible. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. Add the miso, cane sugar, and kosher salt. Cook until thick, then remove from heat and let cool.2 tsp miso, ⅓ cup cane sugar, 1 pinch kosher salt, 2 ears corn
- Roasting:• Gas Stove: Char 2 jalapeños directly over a medium-high on your gas stove or in a hot cast-iron skillet. Turn them frequently with tongs until the skin is blackened and blistered, about 5–10 minutes. Char the reserved corn strip with a torch or on the stove as well.• Broiler: On a baking sheet (without parchment paper,) add your jalapeños and corn strip. Place on the top rack and broil until the jalapeño skin is blackened and blistered and the corn strip has a nice char.Remove the jalapeño skins and seeds, then chop into a paste.2 jalapeños
- Candied Jalapeños: Slice 1 jalapeño and add to a sauce pan with water and 1 tsp sugar. Simmer until thickened to a syrupy constancy and let cool.1 jalapeños, 1/2 cup water, ⅛ cup cane sugar
- Combine: Mix the butter, corn puree, roasted jalapeño paste, and 1 tbsp of the jalapeño syrup until fully combined.8 oz unsalted butter
- Assemble: Spread a thin layer of the butter to your mold. Place the candied jalapeños and a charred corn strip at the bottom of the mold squares. Fill the molds with the jalapeño corn butter. Scrape the top edges clean and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours before unmolding.
Strawberries & Cream Butter
- Strawberry Butter: Process the fresh strawberries and honey in a food processor until smooth. Add the butter, vanilla bean paste, and kosher salt. Process until fully incorporated.3/4 cup fresh strawberries, 2 tbsp honey, 8 oz unsalted butter, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, 1 pinch kosher salt
- Assemble and Freeze: Spread a thin layer of the butter to your mold. Add the freeze-dried strawberries to the bottom of the mold squares. Fill halfway with the strawberry butter and use a spoon to make a well in the center. Freeze for 10 minutes.2 tbsp freeze-dried strawberries
- Finish Assembly: Fill the frozen wells with small dollops of strawberry preserves and mascarpone. Once done, enclose the filling with the remaining strawberry butter. Scrape the top edges clean and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours before unmolding.2 tbsp strawberry preserves, 2 tbsp mascarpone
Tahini Maple Butter
- Brown the Butter: Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently until golden brown with a nutty aroma. Transfer to a bowl set over an ice bath.10 oz unsalted butter
- Add the tahini and maple syrup to the browned butter. Whip the mixture over the ice bath until light and fluffy. Fold in the flaky salt.1/4 cup tahini, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 pinch flaky salt
- Brush the mold squares with a thin layer butter and press the edible cherry blossoms against the sides. Fill the molds with the whipped tahini maple butter. Scrape the top edges clean and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours before unmolding.edible cherry blossoms
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
