This sweet compound butter is flavored with fresh mashed blackberries and a touch of powdered sugar for a fruity, lightly sweet spread perfect for toast, rolls, biscuits, crêpes, or cornbread.
Compound Butter: Your New Favorite Condiment
Compound butter may sound fancy, but it’s simply butter blended with sweet or savory ingredients to add flavor and interest. If you’ve made flavored butters like cinnamon honey butter, you already know how easy and rewarding a compound butter can be. This blackberry butter is a sweet example — fresh blackberries bring bright fruit flavor while a little powdered sugar smooths and balances the tartness.
Compound butters are often herb-forward for savory uses, but fruity versions like this one are wonderful for breakfast and beyond. Spread it on warm toast at breakfast, brush it over dinner rolls, top fresh biscuits, fill crêpes, or serve it alongside a skillet cornbread for a sweet contrast.
Blackberries are lovely here because of their deep flavor, but their seeds can be large and noticeable. Straining the macerated berries removes most of the seeds so the finished butter is silky and smooth. If you prefer a bit of texture, you can choose to leave some berry flesh in, but the seed-free juice produces a cleaner, creamier spread.
In my kitchen this butter disappeared quickly. If you’re someone who loves flavorful condiments, it’s likely to be a staple in yours, too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
A short, simple list — just fresh berries, butter, and powdered sugar. The technique is what makes it shine.
Fresh Blackberries: Fresh berries are ideal for the best flavor, though frozen and thawed blackberries will also work well. If you grow or buy seasonal blackberries, choose ripe, juicy fruit for the most vibrant juice and color.
Butter: Unsalted butter is preferred for this recipe to control the salt level. If you prefer salted butter, feel free to use it — taste and adjust as needed. Nondairy buttery spreads can be substituted if you want a dairy-free version.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar blends easily into butter and dissolves faster than granulated sugar, leaving a smoother texture. If you only have granulated sugar, you can use it, but you may need to beat the mixture longer to reduce any graininess.
How to Make Blackberry Butter
The process is straightforward: macerate the berries, strain the juice, then blend that juice with softened butter and powdered sugar. The most involved step is separating the juice from the seeds, but it’s also the step that creates the best texture.
Mash the berries: Place blackberries in a medium bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until the berries break down and release their juice. Aim for a deep purple mixture of juice and berry flesh. This step can be a little messy but it’s quick and satisfying.
Strain the juice: Push the mashed berry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Use a spatula to press and extract as much juice as possible. You should end up with about 1/4 cup of blackberry liquid. Discard the seeds and remaining pulp unless you prefer a chunkier spread and want to fold some back in later.
Blend everything: Combine the strained blackberry juice with softened butter and powdered sugar. Beat the mixture with a handheld mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. At first the components may look separate, but continue beating — they will come together into a smooth, evenly colored pink to purple butter.
Serve and store: Use the butter right away or store it chilled. Place it in a small serving dish, roll it into a log and wrap in plastic wrap for a neat presentation, or keep it in a lidded container. Refrigerated, the butter will keep up to two weeks; frozen, it will last up to six months. Bring to room temperature briefly for easy spreading if desired, but return it to the refrigerator when finished — the fresh berry juice will spoil faster than butter at room temperature.
Can I Use Nondairy Butter?
Yes. Many nondairy butter substitutes should work here. Because nondairy spreads often contain oils, the mixture might appear to separate briefly while you beat it, but continued mixing should bring it together into a uniform compound butter. If using nondairy products, check package recommendations for setting and storage.
More Blackberry Ideas
- Blackberry Dumplings
- Blackberry Peach Pie
- Homemade Fresh Blackberry Ice Cream
- Blackberry Pound Cake
Homemade Blackberry Butter Recipe
15 mins
15 mins
Lynn April
16 Tablespoons
Ingredients
- 12 small to medium fresh blackberries
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons (23g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add the blackberries to a medium bowl. Use a potato masher or fork to crush the berries until they break down into juice, flesh, and seeds.
- Strain the mashed berries through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much juice as possible. You should have about ¼ cup of liquid. Discard the seeds and pulp unless you prefer some texture in the final butter.
- In a mixing bowl, add the softened butter and powdered sugar to the strained blackberry juice. Beat with a handheld mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, thoroughly combined, and airy. The color will be a soft pink to purple.
- Use immediately or shape the butter into a log and wrap in plastic wrap, or store in a lidded container. Keep refrigerated up to two weeks or freeze up to six months. Allow the butter to come to room temperature for easier spreading, then return it to the refrigerator when not in use.
Notes
- Unsalted butter: This recipe is written for unsalted butter. If you prefer a saltier result, add about 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt to the butter and rebeat until incorporated, or simply use salted butter instead.
- Seeds and pulp: Discarded seeds and pulp can be saved for another purpose, or stirred back into the butter if you prefer a more rustic texture. For a silky spread, keep them out.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional values are approximate and provided as a courtesy. Changing ingredients or quantities will alter the estimated nutrition.
Calories: 57 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 2 g |
Protein: 0.1 g |
Fat: 6 g