Salted Butter vs. Unsalted Butter (2024)

FAQs

Does salted vs unsalted butter really matter? ›

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.

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.

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.

Unsalted butter is better suited to baked goods like cookies that are sensitive to salt content and rely on butter's creamy flavor profile, helping ensure that you don't end up with an overly-salty baked good.

Chefs, cookbook authors, Instagram baking influencers, even our Test Kitchen Professionals are always espousing the necessity of unsalted butter. It gives you more control over the flavor profile, they say.

Of course, unsalted butter is any day better as it might help you to lose weight. According to Dr Tejender Kaur Sarna, Nutritionist and Lifestyle Coach, unsalted butter is better than salted butter as the latter is loaded with salt, which might increase your overall sodium intake when eaten in excess.

It all comes down to flavor! Salted butter will almost always add a little something extra when it comes to taste. It's also great for those who like the combination of sweet and salty, like in the case of cowboy cookies.

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.

When butter is exposed to elements like heat, light and oxygen, its fat begins to break down. This leads to spoilage. But storing it in a cold fridge or icy freezer will put that spoilage off. In the freezer, well-wrapped butter can last up to a year, after which its flavor and quality will be compromised.

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.

What happens if you use salted butter instead of unsalted in a pound cake? ›

If you only have salted butter on hand, feel free to use it. Just keep in mind that it may slightly alter the taste of your cake, making it a tad saltier. To balance things out, you can reduce the added salt in the recipe by about half. Your cake will still be scrumptious and delightful, I promise!

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.

Using salted butter can make it harder to control the amount of salt in the recipe. I always recommend using unsalted butter, so you can control the amount of salt. Another big difference between these two types of butter is that salted butter has a longer shelf life.

Country Crock® is a spread made with oils from plants, whereas butter is made with milk or cream from cows. Country Crock® has less saturated fat per serving than dairy butter, but still has a delicious buttery taste. Country Crock® products also tend to be softer out of the fridge for easy spreading.

Challenge Butter has been a quality staple in kitchens since 1911. It's churned daily from two natural ingredients: the freshest 100% real pasteurized sweet cream and salt. That's it. Nothing artificial or synthetic.

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.

But let's stop right here.

The “real” ingredients that “I Can't Believe It's Not Butter” is touting are oils and salt.

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.

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.