Homemade Herb Butter With Basil or Dill Essential Oil

QUICK SUMMARY

Homemade herb butter, also called compound butter, is an easy way to add fresh basil or dill flavor to vegetables, potatoes, fish, eggs, gluten-free bread, and holiday meals. This recipe combines softened butter, fresh or dried herbs, and a tiny recipe-specific amount of culinary essential oil.

Butter helps disperse the essential oil throughout the full batch, but only use an oil specifically labeled for culinary use and never increase the recipe amount for stronger flavor. Chill the finished butter for at least 1 hour, keep it refrigerated, and use it within 1-2 weeks or freeze it for longer storage.

Butter is impressive on its own, but it's heavenly when paired with decadent herbs and fragrant essential oils. My herb butter is an excellent way to wow a crowd without spending much time in the kitchen.

This simple hack makes any dish taste gourmet. You can use this butter to flavor your Thanksgiving dinner turkey, add it to sweet potatoes, or serve it alongside gluten-free rolls. The sky is the limit!

Herb butter is one of those recipes that looks fancy but takes only minutes to prepare. Fresh herbs bring color and garden flavor, while a carefully measured culinary essential oil deepens the aroma throughout the entire batch. Make it ahead, let the flavors blend in the refrigerator, and bring it out when you are ready to serve.

Is Butter Good for You?

For years, diet culture promoted margarine over butter, and we believe that advice moved families in the wrong direction. Margarine is an industrially manufactured spread, commonly made from refined vegetable oils, emulsifiers, flavorings, colors, and other ingredients designed to imitate real butter.

Historically, many margarines and shortenings were also major sources of partially hydrogenated oils and industrial trans fats. Systematic reviews have linked higher industrial trans-fat intake with a greater risk of coronary heart disease. Although many current products have been reformulated, that does not turn highly processed spreads into the kind of traditional, God-given food we choose for our family. (1, 2)

We choose real butter, preferably organic and grass-fed, because it is a traditional food made from cream and it provides naturally occurring fat-soluble nutrients and fatty acids. Research comparing pasture-fed and indoor-fed dairy cows has found that pasture feeding can change butter's nutritional profile, including higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid and certain carotenoids. (3, 4)

Butter has also been unfairly reduced to one talking point: saturated fat. Food is more complex than a single nutrient, and population research does not support the simplistic claim that butter automatically causes cardiovascular disease. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that butter intake was not significantly associated with cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, or stroke in the included cohorts. (5)

That does not mean portions never matter. Butter is rich, concentrated, and satisfying, so a little goes a long way. We use it as part of a whole-food Bible Health lifestyle, not as permission to live on processed food.

The quality of the butter matters too. We recommend choosing organic, grass-fed butter whenever possible to support better farming practices and avoid unnecessary exposure to genetically engineered feed, routine antibiotics, and added hormones used in conventional systems. This is not about fear. It is about stewarding our bodies and choosing food as close to the way God created it as we reasonably can.

How to Use Herb Butter

Herb butter is fresh butter infused with aromatic herbs. Some chefs prefer to call it compound butter. Herb butter isn't meant to cover up the taste of food but rather enhance its flavor.

You'd be surprised at what a carefully measured amount of essential oil and a sprig of garden fresh herbs can do! Many chefs prefer salted butter over unsalted, but you can use whatever you have on hand and adjust added salt as needed.

Herb butter is the cherry on top of many different types of food. Here are some of our favorite ways to use this butter.

Eggs: Cook your omelets in a small pat of herb butter to give them a boost of flavor!

Potatoes: Add a dollop to baked or mashed potatoes for an instant upgrade.

Fish: For a leisurely dinner, place your favorite fish into a pan and top each fillet with a tiny pat of herbed butter. Squeeze fresh lemon over the entire dish, and voila! Instant dinner.

Bread: This recipe is a fantastic topping for gluten-free rolls!

Vegetables: Sauté fresh broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, or peas in a small pat of delicious herb butter. What a treat!

Pasta: For a simple lunch, pair gluten-free pasta with herbed butter, additional fresh basil, and a sprinkle of dairy-free mozzarella. Simple, yet delicious!

Healthy Butter Ingredients 101

You're in for a tasty experience! Most recipes for compound butter include butter and herbs. We enjoy using essential oils in every aspect of our lives and have included them in this recipe.

Butter: As we previously mentioned, the butter you choose matters. Many supermarkets carry grass-fed organic butter that tastes heavenly and is closer to the traditional food our ancestors enjoyed. Small health food stores often have connections to local farmers who may sell farm-fresh butter. It never hurts to ask!

Pasture-based feeding can improve parts of butter's fatty-acid and antioxidant profile, including higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid and carotenoids in some studies. Salted butter gives the blend immediate seasoning, while unsalted butter lets you control the salt yourself. Choose the best-quality butter available to your family and budget. (3, 4)

Herbs: Our family has a strong love for fresh herbs, and we've become adept at figuring out which herb best enhances a dish.

For this recipe, we've chosen basil and dill. Basil contains aromatic compounds and polyphenols that have demonstrated antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory and preclinical research. Older animal research has also investigated basil extracts for stomach-protective effects. These findings do not establish that the small amount of basil in herb butter prevents ulcers or treats immune problems in people. (4)

Dill contains aromatic compounds that vary by plant part and preparation, including carvone and limonene in many dill seed oils. Limonene has been studied extensively in laboratory and animal models, including cancer-related research, but eating dill butter has not been shown to prevent cancer. Dill's most immediate benefit here is the bright, familiar flavor it brings to fish, vegetables, potatoes, and bread.

We love keeping our kitchen stocked with unique herbs, and the most cost-effective way to do this is to grow them yourself. Herbs are relatively easy to grow and don't need much to thrive. You'll have enough herbs to feed a village within a short time!

Essential Oils: Essential oils amp up the flavor of herbed butter. Because they are highly concentrated, identity and amount matter.

• Basil essential oil has demonstrated antibacterial activity in laboratory research. That does not mean the culinary amount in this butter treats an infection or prevents illness. (5)
• Dill seed essential oil has inhibited Candida albicans in laboratory testing. These in vitro findings do not prove that eating dill butter prevents or treats Candida overgrowth in people. (6)

Mama Z Pro Tip: When making flavored butter, I recommend that you match the essential oil and herb, so basil with basil essential oil, dill with dill essential oil, and so on.

Culinary Safety: Using essential oils in culinary creations is a wonderful way to add concentrated flavor when the oil is appropriate for food use. Butter serves as the fat-based dispersing ingredient in this recipe, helping distribute the essential oil throughout the entire batch. Use only the exact amount listed in the preserved recipe, mix thoroughly, and never taste or swallow the essential oil neat. Do not assume every basil or dill essential oil is labeled or intended for culinary use.

Make Herb Butter

This flavorful butter is easy to make! When hosting a dinner, prepare your butter in advance because it needs about 1 hour to become firm.

Basil Herb Butter

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Mama Z

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Servings

2x4x6x

Ingredients

• 4 ounces (1 stick) grass-fed organic sea-salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh organic basil OR 1 teaspoon dried
• 3 drops basil essential oil (optional but good!)

Supplies

• Small mixing bowl

Instructions

 

• Mix the softened butter with the basil and essential oil (if using) in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for an hour until ready to serve.

Dill Butter Variation

• To make a decadent dill butter, follow the recipe above, but substitute the same amount of organic fresh or dried dill for the basil and use dill essential oil (optional, but good!).

Notes

Whenever possible, we recommend using organic, non-GMO ingredients.

Step One: Mix the Butter

In a small bowl, mix the softened butter with the basil and the exact amount of culinary essential oil listed in the recipe card. Stir thoroughly so the essential oil is evenly dispersed through the full batch. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour until ready to serve. Enjoy!

For the best texture, let refrigerated herb butter soften at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. Do not leave it out for more than 2 hours.

Herb Butter Variations

Dill Butter Variation

To make a decadent dill butter, follow the recipe above, but substitute the same amount of fresh or dried dill for the basil and use the recipe-specified amount of culinary dill essential oil.

Dill butter is especially delicious with salmon, white fish, potatoes, carrots, green beans, and gluten-free bread.

Herb Butter Roll: A Fancy Gift!

Herbed butter rolls are a fantastic hostess gift when paired with a gluten-free baguette. If you have extra time, you can bless yourself with an extra fancy condiment! Prepare your herbed butter in advance, grab some parchment paper, and follow these simple steps.

Step One: Form Your Roll

Spoon your herbed butter mixture onto a large piece of parchment paper. Form the butter into a log using a spatula, or your hands if you're not afraid of a little mess! This will look a little distorted, but don't worry. The parchment paper evens everything out.

Step Two: Roll and Shape the Butter

Fold one end of your parchment paper entirely over the butter and begin rolling. As you roll, shape the butter a little more until it resembles a smooth log. To keep your butter intact, seal the ends of the paper by tightly twisting. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. To serve, slice into thin pieces. Enjoy!

Herb Butter FAQs

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh herbs?

Yes. Dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor, so use less than you would use fresh. A common kitchen starting point is 1 teaspoon dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, then adjust to taste.

Can I make herb butter without essential oils?

Absolutely. The essential oil adds concentrated aroma, but the recipe still works beautifully with fresh or dried basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, parsley, chives, or another favorite culinary herb.

What essential oils can be used in herb butter?

Use only an essential oil specifically labeled and intended for culinary use. Basil and dill match this recipe, while rosemary, thyme, lemon, or oregano may work in other properly formulated batches. Never assume an oil is food-safe based only on its plant name.

Can I use more essential oil for stronger flavor?

No. Essential oils are far more concentrated than fresh or dried herbs. Use the recipe-specific amount and add more whole herb if you want a stronger flavor.

Can I ingest essential oils?

Do not casually ingest essential oils in water or neat (undiluted). Internal use of essential oils requires proper dilution, product quality, dosing knowledge, and safety guidance. Learn more about how to ingest essential oils here.

How long does homemade herb butter last?

Store herb butter in a covered container in the refrigerator and use it within 1-2 weeks. The exact shelf life depends on the freshness of the butter and herbs. Discard it if you notice mold, an off odor, or an unusual taste.

Can herb butter be frozen?

Yes. Wrap the butter log tightly and place it in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze it for up to 3 months, then thaw it in the refrigerator before serving.

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

You can substitute a firm dairy-free butter alternative, but the texture, salt level, and ingredients vary by brand. Choose one that is designed for cooking and contains no allergens your family needs to avoid.

Is grass-fed butter healthier than regular butter?

Grass-fed butter can have a more favorable nutritional profile than butter from cows fed primarily indoors, including higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and certain carotenoids in some studies. The exact amounts vary with pasture access, season, breed, and processing, but we recommend organic grass-fed butter whenever possible for both nutritional quality and farming practices. (3, 4)

References