This recipe will show you how to quickly make a delicious garlic chive compound butter from a few fresh, wholesome ingredients using only a few simple tools available in any kitchen!! So easy, delectable, and it has many versatile uses including: spread on toast, use to make homemade garlic herb cheesy bread, upgrade a baked potato, fold into mashed potatoes, toss into a buttered noodle or pasta dish, add a punch of flavor to a plain grilled cheese, slice for topping steak, seared chicken, pork chops, turkey, or fish, melt for dipping scrumptious seafood such as shrimp, scallops, clams, and oysters, or slather on corn on the cob or other vegetables!

Step 1: Ingredients and Supplies Needed

2 sticks/1 cup/8oz/226 grams unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

0.5-0.75 oz (14-21 grams) fresh chives, chopped (about 1/2 to 1 full clam package from grocery store)

2-5 garlic cloves, minced

0.25-0.5 oz fresh parsley, chopped

salt

cuting board

knife

mixing bowl

spatula

1/4 tsp measuring spoon

parchment paper, plastic wrap, or storage container

food scale (optional), for weighing herbs

Step 2: Mix Softened Butter and Salt

Add 2 sticks/1 cup/8oz/226 grams unsalted softened butter to mixing bowl

Using unsalted butter will help to control the salt content to your preferences

Add 1/4 tsp of salt to mixing bowl with butter and garlic

Mix butter and salt with spatula

Step 3: Peel and Mince Garlic

Tear garlic cloves from garlic bulb with hands

Using flat knife on the garlic clove press down firmly to release from peel

Peel away the garlic skin with fingers

Mince garlic with knife

Step 4: Make Garlic Paste

Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt over the minced garlic on the cutting board

Using a large knife, repeatedly scrape over mixture at a 45° angle, pressing down, to form a paste. The salt will help break down the garlic by extracting its juices.

This will make for a flavorful addition to your butter.

Add garlic to mixing bowl with butter and salt

Step 5: Chop Fresh Parsley

Pick parsley leaves from stems with fingers, discarding stems

Chop parsley leaves on cutting board with knife

Add chopped parsley leaves to mixing bowl with butter, salt, and garlic

Step 6: Chop Fresh Chives

Line up chives on cutting board with knife

Thinly slice fresh chives

Add sliced chives to mixing bowl with butter, salt, garlic, and parsley

Step 7: Mix Garlic Chive Compound Butter

Mix fresh cut parsley, chives and garlic into butter with spatula

Step 8: Transfer Garlic Herb Compound Butter to Storage Container

Transfer butter to a storage container with spatula

I like glass jars (Ball freezer safe regular mouth half pint jars) as they are great for the fridge and freezer. The batch is usually a little large for one jar, but I almost always make when I want to consume a least a little of it!

If you need to soften quickly for spreading just remove the metal lid and microwave on low power for 1 minute.

Alternatively, transfer compound butter to a piece parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll into a 1-inch thick log. Twist ends to seal tightly. Place in freezer to help butter set. Cut the compound butter into ¼-inch thick coins for melting on top of food.

The butter can be refrigerated in an airtight container such as this for up to 1 week, or frozen up to 1 month. I have even used after longer periods with good results.

Some of my favorite uses include: spread on toast, use to make homemade garlic herb cheesy bread, upgrade a baked potato, fold into mashed potatoes, toss into a buttered noodle or pasta dish, add a punch of flavor to a plain grilled cheese, slice for topping steak, seared chicken, pork chops, turkey, or fish, melt for dipping scrumptious seafood such as shrimp, scallops, clams, and oysters, or slather on corn on the cob or other vegetables!

Step 9: Other Variations

The sky is the limit in terms of what other variations can be made!

My fave is brown-sugar maple cinnamon butter for use on sweet breads (banana, pumpkin, zucchini), pancakes, waffles, french toast, and even sweet potato!

Many other options can be tossed in to add variety-tarragon, cilantro, mint, sage, shallot, basil, dill, thyme,

Honey butter

Lemon + herbs

Rosemary sage

Cilantro lime

Garlic Parmesan (or other cheese)

Pumpkin pie spice

Chocolate (cacao powder)

Cinnamon & vanilla