How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (2024)

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (1)

Print

How easy is it to swap salted and unsalted butter? And what’s the difference anyway?

Get Started

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (2)

The Difference

Both salted and unsalted butter are pure, natural and made with fresh cream. The main difference lies in the added salt, which helps salted butter last longer than unsalted by two months. It’s also important to know that salted butter contains a bit more water than unsalted butter.

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (4)

Adjust Salt

Next, if you’re swapping unsalted for salted butter, reduce the amount of salt listed in the recipe to adjust for the salt in the butter. Take ¼ teaspoon of salt away for every stick of butter used*. Do the opposite if you’re swapping salted for unsalted butter.

*Certain brands of salted butter may have more or less added salt. Do a taste test before going any further to ensure you’re happy with the flavor.

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (5)

Account for Extra Water

If you’re baking and swapping in salted butter, the excess water from salted butter may make more of an impact. This is because extra water can have an effect on how gluten reacts and forms within dough. Consider slightly lessening any additional water the recipe may call for.

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (6)

How To Freeze Butter

If you use butter for everyday cooking and baking, it’s not unusual to stock up. If you’re hoping to stash some butter for later, store it in…

Learn Now

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (7)

How To Store Butter

Refrigerated or room temperature? Learn how to properly store your butter. Whether it’s whipped, salted, unsalted or more, butter stays fresh when it’s stored properly.…

Learn Now

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (8)

How To Soften Butter

Many recipes call for softened butter, but there's more than one way to bring your butter to room temperature. Learn a few methods to soften butter easily!…

Learn Now

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (12)

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (13)

Stephen Maddox on Innovation and Leadership

Learn how a California dairy farmer uncovers sustainable solutions to lead the industry.

Reviews & Tips

There are no reviews yet for this how-to. Be the first to write a review.

Write a Review

Write a Review

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter (2024)

FAQs

How To Swap Salted and Unsalted Butter | Go Bold With Butter? ›

Take ¼ teaspoon of salt away for every stick of butter used*. Do the opposite if you're swapping salted for unsalted butter. *Certain brands of salted butter may have more or less added salt. Do a taste test before going any further to ensure you're happy with the flavor.

Can I use salted butter instead of salt and unsalted butter? ›

Can I Use Salted Butter to Replace Unsalted Butter and Visa Versa? In a pinch, you can replace unsalted butter with salted, as long as you reduce the amount of additional salt in the recipe.

What to do if I don't have unsalted butter? ›

Substitutes for Unsalted Butter

For 1 cup unsalted butter, substitute 1 cup shortening, ⅞ cup (that's 14 Tbsp. or ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp.) vegetable oil, or ⅞ cup lard.

How much salt is in one stick of salted butter? ›

Most brands of salted butter contain between 600 and 900 mg of sodium, or about ¼ to ½ of a teaspoon of salt, per stick. Unsalted butter contains some sodium, said Sam Barton, Organic Valley senior food technologist.

How to turn salted butter into unsalted? ›

Adjust Salt

Take ¼ teaspoon of salt away for every stick of butter used*. Do the opposite if you're swapping salted for unsalted butter. *Certain brands of salted butter may have more or less added salt. Do a taste test before going any further to ensure you're happy with the flavor.

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted for frosting? ›

It goes with out saying that butter is the key ingredient to this frosting. You can use salted or unsalted butter and opinions are divided on which is best. Many recipes for this icing suggest unsalted. However a little salt brings out the flavour so they then often add salt.

Can I use country crock instead of unsalted butter? ›

Yes! Country Crock® is great for cooking and baking. Certain Country Crock® products can be swapped 1:1 for butter in cooking and baking recipes: Country Crock® Baking Sticks and Country Crock® Plant Butter sticks and tubs.

Can you leave out salted or unsalted butter? ›

Unsalted butter is fine at room temperature, but salted butter is better. In fact, salted butter can sit out on the countertop for a longer period of time without spoiling, since salt is a natural preservative, Bell explains. That means the salt protects against bacterial growth.

Can I use olive oil instead of unsalted butter? ›

Usually, olive oil is best used as a substitute for butter in baking recipes that call specifically for liquid butter. In these cases, olive oil should be substituted for butter in a 3:4 ratio by volume. So if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, then you would use ¾ cup of olive oil.

Does salted butter have more water than unsalted butter? ›

Also, salted butter almost always contains more water than unsalted butter. The water in butter ranges from 10 to 18 percent.

How to add salt to butter? ›

Add the 2 tablespoons of salt to the butter (or at least 2 per cent of the butter's weight in salt), sprinkling a little at a time from a height for good coverage, then folding it in with your hands. This is primarily to preserve it for longer but will also add flavour. Fold the salt in thoroughly.

Which butter has the most salt? ›

Butter and margarine Survey
  • Country Life Butter, 2g salt per 100g, 0.2g per portion.
  • Essential Waitrose Salted Dairy Butter, 1.9g salt per 100g, 0.19g per portion.
  • Simply M&S English Salted Butter, 1.75g salt per 100g, 0.18g per portion.
  • Anchor Butter, 1.7g salt per 100g, 0.17g per portion.

How much salt do I substitute for unsalted butter? ›

So here's a simple rule of thumb to use so you can make the recipe with unsalted butter. Just remember, for every half cup (1 stick or ¼ lb) of salted butter required, you can add ¼ teaspoon of salt to Challenge Unsalted Butter.

What is the ratio of salt to butter? ›

How much salt is in a stick of salted butter? There is generally ¼ teaspoon of salt for every 8 tablespoons of butter, however, this varies slightly depending on the brand.

Does homemade butter need to be refrigerated? ›

This rule is simple. If you prefer unsalted butter, refrigerate it. Same goes for whipped butter. If it creeps above 70 degrees Fahrenheit in your kitchen, all butter should go into the fridge to avoid going bad — even into the freezer if you want to store it for a few months.

What happens when you use salted butter in baking? ›

When using salted butter in baking, it's important to keep in mind that it may impact the final taste of the product as it contains added salt. It's recommended to either reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by a 1/4 teaspoon or omit it completely. The amount of butter used in the recipe should not be changed.

Which butter is best for baking? ›

This helps create more consistent results for home bakers replicating a recipe. In general, salted butter is preferred for cooking (or simply spreading) as it adds more flavour and has a longer shelf life, while unsalted butter is the go-to for baking.

Is it better to use salted or unsalted butter in fudge? ›

Choose the right butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter, though using salted gives it a bit of contrast, like salted caramel. If you'd prefer to enjoy the richness of chocolate, choose unsalted butter. Don't over-stir the fudge.

Can you brown salted butter? ›

Butter: You can use unsalted or salted butter, but make sure it's cut into pieces so it cooks evenly. If the butter is frozen or too cold, it will splatter and easily burn. Take it out of the refrigerator about 20–30 minutes before starting. Pan: Use a light-colored pan so you can see when the butter has browned.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Edwin Metz

Last Updated:

Views: 5877

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (78 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Edwin Metz

Birthday: 1997-04-16

Address: 51593 Leanne Light, Kuphalmouth, DE 50012-5183

Phone: +639107620957

Job: Corporate Banking Technician

Hobby: Reading, scrapbook, role-playing games, Fishing, Fishing, Scuba diving, Beekeeping

Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.