Salted vs. Unsalted Butter: What to Know Before You Buy (2024)

Updated: Mar. 14, 2024

Does what kind of butter you choose matter when it comes to cooking and baking? We settle the salted vs. unsalted butter debate.

When it comes to baking, we all have our favorites. Many of us are loyal when it comes to the brands of vanilla we buy and have a preferred bag of chocolate chips. You likely even have a preferred brand of butter (even if that’s just whatever’s on sale!). But are you choosing the right kind—we’re talking salted vs. unsalted butter—for your favorite recipes?

Salted vs. Unsalted Butter

The difference between the two kinds of butter is obviously salt. Unsalted butter is all cream, while the salted variety has some salt added, though the amount varies from brand to brand.

Because salt is a preservative, salted butter has a longer life in the fridge—typically around five months while unsalted usually is good for about three. (It’ll also keep on your counter if you follow these rules.) In addition, this means that when you visit your supermarket, chances are the unsalted variety is a bit fresher.

Butter keeps well in the fridge, but can youfreezebutter?

When Should You Use Each Kind of Butter?

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If a recipe specifies salted or unsalted butter, that is the type you should reach for. However, if no type is specified, there are a few guidelines to consider.

When to Use Unsalted Butter

Unsalted butter is most commonly called for in baking recipes. Unsalted butter has a very neutral, creamy flavor—a great base for many baked goods.

In baking, precise measurements are key for achieving the right flavor and texture. This even extends to small amounts of ingredients like salt. Because you can’t be sure of the exact level of salt in each brand of butter, baking recipes are typically formulated with unsalted butter in mind and then require you add a particular measurement of salt.

That means whether you use European butter, generic butter or whatever brand you choose—as long as it’s unsalted—the recipe will turn out the same.

In general, if you see a baking recipe that calls for an unspecified type of butter and salt, it’s safe to assume you should opt for unsalted butter.

When to Use Salted Butter

Salted butter has ample uses in your kitchen. Because salt helps bring out the flavor in foods, it’s a welcome addition in almost any dish.

Use salted butter when composing sauces, sauteeing veggies, topping your morning toast or even making the perfect Thanksgiving turkey. The touch of salt in the butter will really help accentuate all of these flavors. Unsalted butter would provide the fat you’d need in these cases but not that extra flavor.

Really, you can use salted butter in any savory application or when using it as a spread. That’s right: Salted butter should be your go-to for your butter dish or butter bell.

Is Salted Butter Better Than Unsalted?

Now, if you’re wondering if one butter is better than the other, the answer is no. Both salted and unsalted versions are useful in cooking and baking. They are both equally delicious and make for rich, delectable recipes.

What Happens if You Use Salted Butter Instead of Unsalted?

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If you’ve got your heart set on making a particular dessert that calls for unsalted butter and you only have the salted variety, don’t let that stop you from preheating your oven.

You can definitely use salted butter and unsalted interchangeably. If a recipe calls for unsalted butter and additional salt, just use a little less of the salt that the recipe calls for. That’s the only tweak you need to make!

Now that you know the key differences and uses for these kinds of butter, you might just be buying an extra box or two. So keep this info—as well as some of Grandma’s best butter tips—in mind next time you shop.

Try These Irresistible Buttery Desserts

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Buttery Blueberry CobblerAs the name implies, this is a recipe that is rich and delicious. Since you can use either fresh or frozen blueberries, you can make this easy blueberry cobbler year-round. —Marjorie Green, South Haven, MichiganGo to Recipe

Butter Pecan CheesecakeFall always makes me yearn for this pecan cheesecake, but it’s delicious in any season. You’ll want to put it on your list of favorite holiday desserts. —Laura Sylvester, Mechanicsville, Virginia

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Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Kentucky Butter CakeI found this Kentucky butter cake recipe in an old cookbook I bought at a garage sale and couldn’t wait to try it. I knew it had been someone’s favorite because of the well-worn page. —Joan Gertz, Palmetto, Florida

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Buttery 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Buttery 3-Ingredient Shortbread CookiesWith only a few ingredients, these butter shortbread cookies are so simple to prepare. —Pattie Prescott, Manchester, New Hampshire

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Chocolate-Tipped Butter CookiesThese wonderfully moist morsels are too tempting to resist. They melt right in your mouth. Rather than sprinkling the chocolate tips with nuts, you can roll them in red and green jimmies or leave them plain. —Charolette Westfall, Houston, Texas

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Red Apple Butter BarsFall means apple-picking time, and we love using the fresh fruit to bake up these bars. The streusel on top makes them even better. —Nancy Foust, Stoneboro, Pennsylvania

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Frosted Butter Rum Brickle BitesThe rum, real butter and toffee bits made these cookies my husband’s new favorite. If you’d like them less sweet, skip the frosting and sprinkle the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while still warm. —Cindy Nerat, Menominee, Michigan

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Coconut Italian Cream CakeI’d never tasted an Italian cream cake before moving to Colorado. Now I bake for people in the area, and this beauty is one of the most requested. —Ann Bush, Colorado City, Colorado

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Lemon Butter CookiesThese tender cutout cookies have a slight lemon flavor that makes them stand out from the rest. They're very easy to roll out compared to other sugar cookies I've worked with. I know you'll enjoy them as much as we do. —Judy McCreight, Springfield, Illinois

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Butter Pecan Cookie Bars with Penuche Drizzle Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Butter Pecan Cookie Bars with Penuche DrizzleI have made these Butter Pecan Cookie Bars for many, many years. They are rich, chewy, nutty and buttery—all the good stuff. They freeze well, that is, if they last long enough. A little drizzle of old-fashioned penuche icing takes them over the top. —Kallee Krong-McCreery, Escondido, California

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Contest-Winning Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Contest-Winning Butter Pecan Ice CreamThis rich buttery ice cream sure beats store-bought versions. And with its pretty color and plentiful pecan crunch, it's nice enough to serve guests at a summer party.-Jenny WhiteGlen, Mississippi

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Down East Blueberry BuckleThis buckle won a contest at my daughter’s college. The prize was four lobsters, but the real reward was the smile on our daughter’s face. —Dianne van der Veen, Plymouth, Massachusetts

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Key Lime Butter Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Key Lime Butter CookiesI love limes so much that if a recipe calls for lemons I almost always use limes instead. With their pretty green color, these are perfect for Christmas—you can also make them as sandwich cookies and use lime curd for the filling.—Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri

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Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)I had to bake something from my heritage for school. So, I made this heavenly kourabiedes recipe. —Rebecca Sprague, St. Louis, Missouri

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We also have one more recommendation for you. Try theseGreek doughnutswhich are fluffy, bite-sized, and fried to perfection!

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Buttermilk Cake with Caramel IcingThis fabulous cake and caramel frosting are so tender, it melts in your mouth. It's been a family favorite since the '70s and it goes over really well at church potluck meals. —Anna Jean Allen, West Liberty, Kentucky

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Rainbow Butter CookiesOur family can't get through the holidays without these fun, colorful cookies. They come out of my oven by the dozens! —Lanette Tate, Sandy, Utah

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Buttery Ganache Cookie CupsOur family wanted to share our love of ganache-filled cupcakes, so we made them into cookies. Even better: we bake the cookies in muffin cups, fill with ganache, and get the best of both worlds! —Adela Srinivasan, Parker, Colorado

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PalmiersIt takes just two ingredients to make these impressive but easy-to-do French pastries, which are often called palm leaves. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Aunt Rose's Fantastic Butter Toffee Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Aunt Rose's Fantastic Butter ToffeeI don't live in the country, but I love everything about it—especially good old-fashioned home cooking! Every year, you'll find me at our county fair, entering a different contest. This easy toffee recipe is a family favorite. —Kathy Dorman, Snover, Michigan

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Buttermilk Pound Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Buttermilk Pound CakeNow that I've retired from teaching, I have more time to bake. This buttermilk pound cake is the one I make most often. It is a truly southern recipe, and one I think can't be topped—once people taste it, they won't go back to their other recipes with buttermilk. —Gracie Hanchey, De Ridder, Louisiana

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Butter Pecan Layer Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Butter Pecan Layer CakePecans and butter give this cake the same irresistible flavor as the popular butter pecan ice cream flavor. —Becky Miller, Tallahassee, Florida

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FAQs

Salted vs. Unsalted Butter: What to Know Before You Buy? ›

Unsalted butter is all cream, while the salted variety has some salt added, though the amount varies from brand to brand. Because salt is a preservative, salted butter has a longer life in the fridge—typically around five months while unsalted usually is good for about three.

Explore More ›

How do you know when to use salted or unsalted butter? ›

It all comes down to what you're cooking. If you're sauteing vegetables, toasting bread, basting pork chops, scrambling eggs, or making a sauce, chances are you can use salted butter and that added sodium will also add some flavor enhancement to whatever you're making.

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Which is healthier, salted butter or unsalted butter? ›

Other than that, these two butters are largely the exact same from a nutrition standpoint. If you're watching your sodium intake, we reccomend using unsalted butter because it gives you complete control over the amount of salt in your dish.

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Is it a big deal to use salted butter instead of unsalted? ›

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.

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How much salt do I add to a stick of unsalted butter to make it salted? ›

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. Regular butter contains some salt, and most recipes take this into account.

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Is it better to keep salted or unsalted butter on the counter? ›

It's fine to leave unsalted butter out on the counter for a few hours if you're planning to bake with it, but if you're going to leave any butter out at room temperature for an extended period of time, make it salted. That's because the salt in salted butter adds extra protection against any sort of bacterial growth.

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What is the best butter to use for baking? ›

The biggest difference in butter is the amount of salt. For baking purposes, the Test Kitchen recommends using unsalted butter so you can better control the amount of salt that goes into the recipe. Salted butter is best for serving at the table with bread or to flavor a dish, like mashed potatoes.

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Why would you buy unsalted butter? ›

Unsalted butter gives you complete control of the overall flavor of your recipe. This is especially important in certain baked goods where the pure, sweet cream flavor of butter is key (butter cookies or pound cakes). As it pertains to cooking, unsalted butter lets the real, natural flavor of your foods come through.

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What butter do chefs use? ›

European-style butter

European butters have a higher butterfat percentage than American butters, and have become the butters of choice for many chefs, bakers, and passionate home cooks.

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Why can't I 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.

What if I only have salted butter? ›

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.

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Does butter go bad? ›

Does Butter Go Bad? Unfortunately, butter does eventually go bad. I spoke to a representative at Kate's Butter (my favorite brand of butter) who told me that butter's best-by date is one you should really pay attention to. Your butter will indeed begin to decrease in quality after the best-by date.

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Is it okay to freeze butter? ›

Properly stored butter can be frozen for up to four months if frozen prior to the USE BY date on the package. Butter may begin to lose its fresh butter taste and pick up flavors and odors from the freezer if stored for longer than four months. Once the butter is removed from the freezer, use it within 30 days.

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Do you use salted or unsalted butter for food? ›

There is a difference between salted and unsalted butter and it is important to use each one at the right time. Unsalted butter is good for baked goods like cookies, cakes, and muffins. Salted butter is perfect for sauces, meats, and slathering on bread.

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Do you use salted or unsalted butter for eggs? ›

The butter isn't just to stop it sticking - it enriches and flavours the dish too, so don't skimp on it, or be tempted to use an oil. Oils tend to taste bland or have a flavour that will jar, rather than complement your eggs. Salted or unsalted butter both work - unsalted just requires more seasoning.

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Should I use salted or unsalted butter for steak? ›

The key to next-level steak flavor is butter (the answer to every question is always butter). Spooning melted unsalted butter, thyme, rosemary, and garlic over the meat for about 30 seconds ensures a richer flavor and more sophisticated crust as the butter mixture and steak juices mingle.

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Do chefs use salted or unsalted butter? ›

Serious Bakers™ follow every direction to the letter every time they pick up a bowl and a whisk. And they always use unsalted butter, a practice adhered to so strictly that it's rare to find a recipe that calls for the salted variety.

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