Roasted Garlic Butter
This easy Roasted Garlic Butter is an indulgence of richness, flavor and creaminess that your family and friends will love!
Everything you need to know about making and using delicious butter with roasted garlic is here. A step-by-step recipe, variations you’ve never thought of and creative ways to enjoy this aromatic goodness!
When garlic is slowly roasted in the oven it transforms into the most wonderful version of itself! If you don’t enjoy the bite of garlic then roasted garlic is for you. It’s mellow, sticky sweet, caramelized and almost nutty. Like most things, heat will destroy some of the nutritional benefits but it is easier to digest and it’s likely that we consume more of it.
Roasted garlic butter is the easiest way to add flavor to almost any dish. When butter is combined with flavorful ingredients, it’s known as compound butter. There are many variations of compound butter but this roasted garlic herb butter of the tastiest!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy – There’s nothing difficult about making this recipe. You need just five ingredients and a bit of time but most of it is waiting for the garlic to roast. Just roast, squeeze and blend!
- Flavor – Slow roasting garlic brings out its natural sweetness and complexity making this butter spread incredibly rich and intense in flavor.
- Versatility – This homemade roasted garlic butter can be used on almost any dish. Slather it on warm semolina bread, toss it through fresh egg tagliatelle, and drizzle it over Sicilian spiedini.
- Irresistible aroma – Everyone will be drawn into your kitchen with the delicious smells wafting from the oven as you roast garlic. There’s nothing quite like it!
- Gourmet magic – This simple recipe elevates everyday dishes to something just a little bit special. You’ll love what this roasted garlic compound butter can do for weeknight meals!
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
The key ingredients for this recipe are in the name – garlic and butter. These are the main flavors and need to be fresh and of good quality.
- Garlic bulbs – Choose firm bulbs that haven’t got green sprouts growing from the top. Give the bulb a gentle squeeze. You don’t want to feel any squishy bits or hollows where the garlic has dried out.
- Olive oil – Regular olive oil is fine.
- Unsalted butter – Buy the best butter you can afford or enjoy the taste of. This recipe is based on butter so it needs to be good! European style butter is ideal!
- Salt – Regular fine salt is all you need.
- Parsley – Fresh parsley is best for this recipe. Dried parsley flakes don’t have much flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
Cut the garlic in half. Spread olive oil evenly over the cut side.
Rejoin the garlic bulbs and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Roast for 45 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized.
Cool for 10 minutes or until you can handle it. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out into a small bowl.
Or use your fingers to take the soft garlic from the skin. Let the garlic cool completely.
Thoroughly combine the butter, finely chopped fresh parsley and salt with the cooled roasted garlic. Use immediately.
Or scrape onto a sheet of non stick parchment paper, form the butter into a log then twist the ends to seal. Refrigerate until firm. Slice to serve.
Hint: Have the butter at room temperature so that it blends easily with the roasted garlic. However don’t be tempted to soften the butter in the microwave. Melted butter separates so won’t produce good results!
Substitutions
- Olive oil – instead use another oil or fat that you prefer – avocado oil, peanut oil or even a smear of softened butter.
- Unsalted butter – use salted butter instead but remember to leave out the salt. Once blended, taste the butter and adjust the salt if needed.
- Air fryer – garlic can be roasted in an air fryer. Prepare as specified in the recipe then air fry at 400ºF/200ºC for 20-25 minutes.
Variations
- Spicy – add red pepper flakes to give this recipe a little bit of heat.
- Herby – substitute or add extra chopped fresh herbs like rosemary, basil or chives
- Cheesy – add a spoonful or two of grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese.
Equipment
Fortunately, this homemade garlic butter can be made without any special equipment. If you have a sharp knife, a small bowl, some aluminum foil as well as a fork for mashing and a spoon for stirring, you can make this recipe!
A food processor can be used to blend the ingredients however I haven’t found that it’s necessary.
Storage
Roasted garlic butter will keep in the fridge for at least a week. Wrap it with several layers of plastic and then in an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing odors and also to prevent the garlicky smell from getting into everything else.
For longer storage, it can be frozen for up to three months. Be sure to wrap the compound butter well in plastic and then pop it into a heavy-duty freezer bag or an airtight container.
Top tip
- Roast garlic thoroughly. Roasting garlic takes longer than you probably think. Preheat the oven and wrap the garlic well in foil to protect it from the long roast.
- Use good quality butter. You will notice the difference.
- Make sure the butter is soft but don’t allow it to melt. Butter that has been melted will separate into fat and water and won’t be creamy like regular butter.
- Chop the parsley very finely. By doing this, it is evenly spread throughout the butter.
- Taste! That’s right! Taste the butter and adjust the seasoning. You might even like a little bit of freshly ground black pepper.
FAQ
Roasted Garlic Butter will last for 1 week in the fridge if well wrapped and in an airtight container or ziplock bag.Â
Yes, you can freeze butter with roasted garlic! Just like storing it in the fridge, it’s important to wrap it well and then put it into a ziplock bag or an airtight container before freezing. This will prevent freezer burn andÂ
Roasted garlic should look lightly golden, very soft and have a creamy texture. After roasting garlic loses its bite and pungency though it still tastes like garlic. However, the flavor is mellow, almost nutty and tastes slightly caramelized and sweet.
Serving Suggestions
You’ll love roasted garlic butter melted on freshly cooked ricotta cavatelli or fagottini creating an instant sauce. Use it on my ciabatta garlic bread instead of the regular garlic butter. Swirl a spoonful through San Marzano Tomato Sauce or my Tagliatelle alla Bolognese for extra flavor and lusciousness!
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Roasted Garlic Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 whole bulbs garlic
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 8 ounces (226 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC
- Cut the garlic in half. Spread olive oil evenly over each cut half.
- Rejoin the garlic bulbs and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
- Roast for 45 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized.
- Cool for 10 minutes or until you can handle it.
- Open the foil and let the garlic cool until you can handle it.
- Squeeze the garlic bulb pushing the roasted garlic into a small bowl. Or use your fingers to take the soft garlic from the skins. Let the garlic cool completely.
- Add the butter, parsley and salt to the cooled roasted garlic.
- Use a fork to mash the garlic into the butter and combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Use immediately or scrape the compound butter onto a piece of non stick parchment paper. Use the paper to form the butter into a log then twist the ends to seal. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm. Slice to serve.
Notes
- Ovens differ so your garlic may take longer to roast. Open the foil to check.Â
- Use good butter that you like the taste of.
- The butter should be soft but avoid melting it. Melted butter separates.
- Finely chop the parsley so that it is evenly distributed throughout the butter.
- Taste to check the seasoning. You may need to adjust the salt for your taste.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
My son who is a chef taught me this recipe, then I saw it here. It is really good and well worth making. He uses all sorts of herbs, whatever he has at hand but mainly parsley. Sometimes he adds grated Parmesan. Need to allow nearly an hour for the garlic to roast and cool so you can squish it out. Highly recommend this recipe.
I agree with your son Sophie, I like parsley! Yes, it can take as long as an hour to roast the garlic but that depends a lot on your oven and how far you want to take the garlic. I recommend checking at the 45 minutes mark. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
wonderful how the garlic butter adds flavor to my dinner entree.
Michelle, it’s true – roasted garlic butter takes everything to another level!