Maple Butter

Spread this luscious Maple Butter on just about any breakfast treat for gourmet flair. This compound butter recipe is light, fluffy and as sweet as brunch with your besties. 

Maple Butter recipe:

Maybe you’ve had the pleasure of trying honey butter… but have you tried Maple Butter? I might be going out on a limb here, but it might be even better. It carries the perfect balance of sweet, salty and creamy. 

Maple syrup has a rich, butterscotch-like taste, whereas honey has a softer, floral flavor. Both are delicious, but maple butter is different and really stands out. 

A compound butter, like maple butter, helps deliver maple sweetness and buttery richness together without the sticky mess you’d get if you added them separately. This two-in-one combo is delicious, smooth and dreamy. 

Maple butter is perfect for all kinds of breakfast foods, especially my pumpkin biscuits, but also muffins, waffles and pancakes, too. You could even slather it on cornbread or rolls to make dinner just a little more fancy. Whatever you decide, I know you’re going to love it! 

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Why I love this recipe:

Here’s why this maple butter recipe will be your new favorite:

• It’s easy to make with just three ingredients and tools you have in your kitchen.
• You’ll love bringing the breakfast flavor of maple syrup and butter-covered pancakes to whatever you spread it on. 
• It’s a stunningly simple way to elevate biscuits, rolls, muffins, French toast and more. 

More maple recipes to try: Bourbon Maple Bacon Cupcakes | Homemade Maple Nut Granola | Quebec Maple Pecan Drop Cookies | 

What you need to make this recipe:

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• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Hand mixer
• Spatula 
• Ramekin, for serving 

Here is what you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter — this can work with salted butter as well, but you’ll want to be careful about adding the extra salt. Using unsalted helps you have more control over the sweet flavor without adding more syrup (and compromising the texture of the maple butter). 
• Maple syrup — pure 100% maple syrup is key to the best maple butter. 
• Kosher salt — I like a medium grain kosher salt for my recipes. (Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand.) A similarly sized sea salt will work here, too. You can even use a flaky salt if you want some more texture. 

Customizations and substitutions

Vegan maple butter: Maple butter is a great vegan alternative to honey butter, because you can make it with an unsalted, plant-based butter. Maple syrup is a tree byproduct and therefore vegan, whereas some vegan diets count honey as an animal product. Try it on these coconut oil biscuits or sweet potato biscuits, which are both vegan. 

Flavored maple butter: Use a flavored maple syrup like my blueberry maple syrup or this spiced cinnamon maple syrup. 

The best maple syrup

While it’s easy for me to tell you that Grade A maple syrup is the best, there is actually even more nuance to choosing a maple syrup. In fact, there is no Grade B — it was re-classified by the USDA in 2015. Here are the standard grades of maple syrup, graded on color, clarity, density and flavor intensity: 

• Golden color, delicate taste: Light yellow gold color with a mild and delicate flavor. Best for pancakes and waffles! 
• Amber color, rich taste: Darker color with a rich maple flavor. It’s a great all-around syrup for toppings, cooking and baking. Try it in this maple butternut squash.
• Dark color, robust taste: Deep amber color with a strong maple flavor. Try it anytime you want a bolder flavor, like in sauces, glazes or cocktails like apple cider punch. 
• Very dark color, strong taste: Darkest color with the most intense flavor. Mostly used in cooking when you want the maple flavor to stand out, like these BBQ baked beans. 

As for the best one to use, whatever you already have is great! But if you really want to take this frosting to the next level, look for amber or dark maple syrup, as they are the most versatile. 

How to make Maple Butter

Maple butter is super simple to make. Here’s what you’ll do: 

Set the butter out at room temperature before you begin to soften it. Let it sit on the counter for an hour or two. (Microwaving butter to soften it can sometimes melt it, which changes the texture of the butter.

Grab a medium-sized mixing bowl. Measure out the softened butter, maple syrup and the salt. Using a hand mixer, whip until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use a whisk to incorporate air into the butter.) 

Refrigerate until you’re ready to use. Bring it out to room temperature about an hour before to soften it, which makes it easier to spread.

How to store

This maple butter spread can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. A ramekin is great for serving maple butter, then you can cover it with plastic wrap until you’re ready to serve.

If you make extra, maple butter can be frozen for up to 6-12 months. It works well in an ice cube tray if you just have a little bit. If you make a lot, I like to put it in wax paper and roll it into a cylinder while softened, then wrap it up and put it in a freezer-safe container with as little air as possible, like a zipper-top bag. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks to making the best Maple Butter

• Soften the butter naturally. The microwave doesn’t always soften it evenly and can melt pockets of the butter, which isn’t ideal (as well-intentioned as the “soften butter” button might be!). 
• There might be chunks of butter as you whip. Keep going until it is completely smooth. This may happen if the butter isn’t soft enough. 
• Use an amber or dark maple syrup, as they are the most versatile and have more of the signature maple flavor than golden maple syrup. 

More butter recipes:

• Garlic Herb Butter
• Homemade Cajun Butter
• Browned Butter
• Rosemary Garlic Herb Butter

Here’s how you can make this one…