Substituting Unsalted Butter For Salted: How To Swap Them In Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Substituting Unsalted Butter For Salted: How To Swap Them In Recipes? ›

The same holds true if substituting unsalted butter for salted: for every 1/2 cup of salted butter, you can substitute 1/2 cup of unsalted and add an additional 1/4 teaspoon to the amount of salt for which the recipe calls.

Next, if you're swapping unsalted for salted butter, reduce the amount of salt listed in the recipe to adjust for the salt in the butter. Take ¼ teaspoon of salt away for every stick of butter used*. Do the opposite if you're swapping salted for unsalted butter.

However, sometimes a recipe calls for salted butter, but all you have is unsalted butter. 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.

Substitutes for Unsalted Butter

If you find your fridge empty in the butter department or can't tolerate dairy, you can swap it completely with these butter replacements. For 1 cup unsalted butter, substitute 1 cup shortening, ⅞ cup (that's 14 Tbsp. or ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp.) vegetable oil, or ⅞ cup lard.

Many salted butters contain ¼ teaspoon per stick, but others can have up to double that amount. You can anticipate your salted butter's sodium to fall within this general ¼ to ½ teaspoon range, though it's usually safe to err on the lighter side and assume there's a quarter of salt teaspoon per stick.

One stick of butter is 1/2 (half) cup. Two sticks of butter is 1 cup. Four sticks is one pound, and you'll see a lot of pound cake recipes call for four sticks, or a whole box of butter.

It should be just fine when making cookies. Even just 50 years ago, recipes never specific salted/unsalted butter. The reason recipes started calling for UNsalted butter is because the amount of salt in salted butter will vary, depending on the dairy that makes the butter.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter for mac and cheese? – You should use unsalted butter for mac and cheese so that you can completely control the amount of salt the dish has.

@Gherman "Salted butter is generally used as a condiment because of its strong taste and longer shelf life, whereas unsalted butter is usually used for baking and cooking so that the cook can better control the sodium content and flavor in their dish!" tillamook.com/community/blog/…

It all comes down to what you're cooking. If you're sauteing vegetables, toasting bread, basting pork chops, scrambling eggs, or making a sauce, chances are you can use salted butter and that added sodium will also add some flavor enhancement to whatever you're making.

What butter do chefs use? ›

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.

Coarse grainy fudge results when large crystals are allowed to form. Butter is added in the final stages to add flavor and smoothness and inhibit large crystal formation. Use unsalted butter so you can add a small amount of salt (¼ teaspoon per stick of butter) to the sugar/liquid mixture.

Yes! Country Crock^® is great for cooking and baking. Certain Country Crock^® products can be swapped 1:1 for butter in cooking and baking recipes: Country Crock^® Baking Sticks and Country Crock^® Plant Butter sticks and tubs.

Cut Up or Grate Butter

If you cut your butter into chunks instead of leaving it in one big stick, it'll warm up to room temperature much faster. First, measure the amount of butter you'll need, and then unwrap that amount. Cut the sticks into thin slices or chunks, and in around 10 minutes you'll have softened butter.

Also, I use salted butter so I do not add salt to my recipe for pie crust. If you use unsalted butter, a pinch of salt would be good, half a teaspoon or so. Don't over mix or over roll your dough.

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.

Make a Hot Water Bath

Pour hot water into a ceramic or glass cup or bowl (something that can fit over your butter). After a few minutes, dump the water out of the vessel and quickly cover your butter. The heat from the cup will soften your butter in just a few minutes.

In a Pinch: Microwave butter

Using melted butter will change the texture of whatever you're baking. If you only want the butter to soften for spreading, microwave it on the Defrost setting (30%) in 5-second increments until it's softened as desired.