The Best Unsalted Butter

We know what you’re thinking: Why do an unsalted butter taste test when most butters seem to taste the same? How much variance could there possibly be in an ingredient made of milk solids, water, and butterfat (the natural fat found in milk)? As it turns out, each butter brand had subtle nuances that came to light when testing them side by side. Armed with salt-free crackers, we tasted 27 unsalted butters, ranking them for aroma, color, spreadability, and flavor, to find the best butter of them all.

Why we tested unsalted butter

Ask any chef what butter they use for cooking and baking and the answer will almost always be unsalted. Why? It’s all about salt control and precision. For a balanced dish, you need to be able to control the level of salt and it starts with knowing how much salt you’re using. If you’re cooking and baking with salted butter, it’s more difficult to accurately know how much salt is in the butter and adjust your seasoning accordingly. With unsalted butter, you know exactly how much salt is in the dish. Using unsalted butter is also a protection against oversalting your dish before you start actually seasoning it.   

How we tested

A team of Food & Wine editors participated in this taste test. To keep the test fair, we compared only unsalted butters and did not sample salted, dairy-free, plant-based, or vegan butter alternatives. We tested both American-style and European-style unsalted butter; American-style butter must contain at least 80% butterfat and a maximum of 16% water content, while European-style butter must contain a minimum of 82% butterfat and 16% water content according to the USDA and the European Union, respectively.

Before the tasting, the butters were left at room temperature for one hour to allow the testers to get the most flavor notes and assess the butters’ spreadability. Evaluators were asked to rate the butters based on their overall flavor, texture, spreadability, color, and aroma. Each tester tasted the butter plain as well as spread on unsalted crackers. They were also instructed to cleanse their palate with water and additional plain unsalted crackers before moving on to the next butter. 

Best overall: Kerrygold Pure Irish Unsalted Butter

Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter is the cream of the crop across the board. It has everything going for it: deep richness (thanks to 82% butterfat), earthy and grassy notes, sweetness, and spreads like a dream. This butter is thick and glides across crackers and toast like velvet. Although it’s unsalted, there is a faintly savory aftertaste that keeps you coming back for more. The best part? There’s no need for any luck of the Irish when it comes to finding Kerrygold. As the most successful food export out of Ireland, Kerrygold is found at almost every major grocery retailer in the United States. $4 for one 8-ounce pack

Don’t let the youth of this brand fool you — Vital Farms makes quality butter. What started out as a single farm in Austin, Texas, in 2007 is now one of the leading brands of butter and eggs in the United States. Vital Farms is an American-made brand, but a European-style butter containing a whopping 85% butterfat. If you’re in the market for making it a savory compound butter, this is your brand as its flavor is similar to a glass of fresh cold milk with a nutty Parmesan-like twinge. Fun Fact: Vital Farms is the only brand on this list that is B Corp Certified, a distinguished honor given by B Lab to companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance. The certification is only held by a little over 8,000 companies in 96 countries.  $5 for one 8-ounce pack

Best European-style: Président Unsalted Butter

Can’t take a trip to the lush pastures of Normandy, France? Stocking up on Président is a close second. For over 90 years, Président has prized itself on superior quality for its unsalted and salted butter and a vast array of specialty cheeses.  This butter is heavily influenced by Normandy’s oceanic climate and rich soil, and the terroir lends a deeply rich mouthfeel with subtle hints of hazelnut. One tester described its richness as “almost like whipped cream,” making it a perfect match for an aromatic butter chicken or a dense pound cake. $6 for one 7-ounce block

Best American-style: Tillamook Extra Creamy Unsalted Butter

Tillamook is owned and operated by a farmer-owned co-op in Tillamook, Oregon, but it is available at grocery stores nationally. Although this butter was milder in flavor, it was a stand-out for its silky texture that spread well on the crackers without a trace of clumping. With 81% butterfat, it’s one of the creamiest American-style butters you can get. Gone are the days of subpar spreading of butter on morning toast, raggedy butter bits on your favorite seasonal crudites, or piercing of your perfectly fluffy pancake while trying to spread out your butter pat on its surface. It clocks in around $7 for a pound, about $3 more than the average price of butter. If you’re willing to spend a little more for your basic butter needs, we promise Tillamook’s texture is worth it.  $7 for four sticks, kroger.com

Best Cultured: Vermont Creamery Cultured Unsalted Butter

Martha Stewart called Vermont Creamery the best unsalted butter and it’s easy to see why. This butter is cultured, meaning the cream is treated with live bacterial cultures, giving it a tang that’s balanced by its creamy consistency, nutty notes, and milky finish. The tang is present, but not too sour on the back of the palate, unlike some of  the other cultured butters we tasted. Keep a few sticks handy for brown butter pastas and desserts. $4 for two sticks, kroger.com.

Best grocery store brand: 365 Organic Unsalted Butter

There isn’t a ton of enthusiasm around grocery store brands but this Whole Foods brand was a fan favorite among our testers. The aroma is clean and doesn’t smell like the faux butter pumped on movie theater popcorn. One tester said, “I could eat this butter plain.” If that’s not exactly your cup of tea, you can add a pat (or two) on fluffy pancakes or waffles and thank us later. $4 for one 16-ounce pack

Honorable Mention: Horizon Organic Unsalted Butter

While there wasn’t one particular quality that stood out to us, this butter still rated highly amongst our testers overall. Its beauty lies in its neutral palate and pure milk flavor, and we can imagine it working on everything from steamed vegetables to seamlessly adding body and a touch of luster to a sauce. The adorable cow on the package is a nice touch, too. $10 for one 16-ounce pack