Butter

Butter is a dairy food made from cream, with a buttery aroma. Cooks use it to bake, sauté, shallow-fry, and thicken dishes, and pair it with bread, meat, and vegetables.

Vegetarian
Dairy
Gluten-free
Allergen: milk

About the plain ingredient, not packaged products; general information, not medical advice. Details

Category: Dairy & eggs
Made from: Cream
Part used: Milk
Cooked most in: Europe, Asia, The Americas
Top country: Indonesia
Dishes: 45 in the catalogue
Energy: 717 kcal per 100 g

Photo: Jacek Halicki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In the kitchen

How to use butter

Typical ways to cook or use it

Bake
Saute
Shallow fry
Thicken

Goes well with

bread
meat
vegetable

Flavour

Taste and texture

Aroma

Buttery

Shopping

Choosing and storing butter

Keeping it

Fridge · whole
Freezer · whole

Nutrition

What 100 g of butter holds

Per 100 g. Averages from USDA; real values vary by variety, season and growing conditions.

Protein 1%Fat 99%Carbohydrate 0%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of butter
Energy	717 kcal · 2,999 kJ
Protein	0.85 g
Fat	81 g
of which saturated	51 g
Carbohydrate	0.06 g
of which sugars	0.06 g
Fibre	0 g
Sodium	643 mg
Cholesterol	215 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of butter: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	24 mg
Calcium	24 mg
Iron	0.02 mg
Magnesium	2 mg
Zinc	0.09 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	684 µg
Folate	3 µg
Vitamin B12	0.17 µg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (food 173410), public domain. Minerals and vitamins are listed only where USDA measured a non-zero amount.

Around the world

Where butter is cooked

45 dishes in the catalogue use butter. Here is where they come from.

Dishes by continent

Countries whose dishes use it most

Counts are catalogued dishes from each country that list butter among their ingredients.

Origins

The 1100s · Northern Europe
Scandinavian butter exports date back at least to the 12th century.
The 1600s · France
Butter has been considered essential to French cooking since the 17th century.
The 1860s · United States
The first American butter factories appeared in the early 1860s.

On the table

Dishes made with butter

37 of the 45 catalogued dishes that use it, spread across the countries they come from.

Goulash
Jalangkote
Indonesia
Kaspressknödel
Austria
Crawfish Monica
United States
Tarta de Santiago
Spain
Mimosa salad
Pepernoot
Brussels waffle
Belgium
Serviettenknödel
Austria, Czechia, Germany
Sholezard
Iran
Tarana
North Macedonia
Boko Boko Harees
Burundi
Crêpe
France
Gnocchi alla romana
Italy
Gâteau Basque
Hapanlohko
Finland
Torpedo dessert
Bulgaria, Türkiye
Maşik
Nasi kebuli
Indonesia
Lemon ricotta pancakes
United States
Eiernockerl
Austria
Pastasciutta antifascista
Italy
Makaroni schotel
Europe, Indonesia
Fettuccine Alfredo
Italy, United States
Molen banana
Indonesia
Desperation pie
United States
Roti buaya
Indonesia
Putri salju cake
Indonesia
Akar Pinang
Indonesia
Meuseukat
Indonesia
Pantxineta
Mashed swede
Stuffed Breast of Duck
Galician empanada
Novomikhailovsk cutlets
Duxelles
Polonaise

Dish lists come from Wikidata; a dish counts when its recorded ingredients include butter.

Good to know

Diet and allergens: butter in detail

These notes describe the plain ingredient. Packaged and prepared products vary, so read the label; for allergies and medical diets ask a doctor or dietitian.

Allergens: Contains: milkChecked and not found: soy, eggs, fish, lupin, wheat, celery, sesame, mustard, peanuts, molluscs, sulphites, tree nuts, crustaceans, gluten cereals.
Animal origin: From: dairyChecked and not found: egg, fish, meat, honey, insect, gelatin, poultry, bone char, shellfish, other animal, animal fining, animal rennet.
Gluten: None
Alcohol: None
Caffeine: None
Pork: None

Family

Related forms

Made from: cream
Made from it: clarified butter (clarified), ghee (clarified)