Roasted Garlic Butter Recipe: Creamy Spread for Bread & Cooking

This roasted garlic butter is incredibly simple, uses only a few ingredients and tastes utterly addictive. Roasting the garlic brings out a gentle sweetness that pairs perfectly with fresh herbs and a touch of black garlic for depth. You’ll find endless ways to enjoy it — from garlic bread to finishing steaks, fish or roast chicken.

This butter is versatile and delicious. Use it for the best garlic bread you’ve ever had, spoon it over grilled or roasted meat, finish pan-fried fish with a little melting butter, tuck it under the skin of a whole chicken for extra flavour and moisture, or simply spread it on warm bread. It’s rich, savoury and surprisingly moreish.

Ingredients

There are just a handful of ingredients, most likely already in your kitchen or easy to find at the store.

• Unsalted butter — Using unsalted butter lets you control the salt level. If you only have salted butter, reduce any additional flaky salt. Butter should be softened (not melted): take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before using or soften quickly by covering with a bowl warmed with hot water, or briefly in the microwave in 10-second bursts.
• Garlic — This recipe uses two whole heads of garlic plus extra raw cloves to layer flavour. Roasting mellows and sweetens garlic, while raw cloves add a bright, punchy kick.
• Black garlic — An optional but highly recommended ingredient. Aged and cooked slowly, black garlic is sweet, rich and almost caramel-like, adding a deep umami note. If you can’t find it, substitute two extra raw cloves.
• Nigella seeds — They add a mild, oniony note that complements the garlic beautifully. If unavailable, sesame seeds work as an alternative.
• Flat-leaf parsley — Fresh parsley brightens the butter. You can swap in coriander, basil, thyme or rosemary if preferred.

How to make the butter

Roast the garlic first. Cut each head of garlic in half across the middle so the cloves are exposed, drizzle with about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil, then place cut-side down on a sheet of foil. Wrapping the garlic whole halves keeps the cloves protected and prevents waste. Roast at 180°C (360°F fan) for about 30 minutes.

While the garlic roasts, prepare the remaining ingredients. Place the raw garlic, black garlic (if using) and flaky salt into a pestle and mortar. If you don’t have one, a small bowl and the back of a fork will do. Once the roasted garlic is soft (test by carefully opening the foil and pressing a clove — it should collapse easily), let it cool until you can handle it.

Squeeze the softened roasted cloves from their skins and add them to the pestle and mortar. Pound everything to a smooth paste, then transfer that paste to a large mixing bowl. Add the softened butter, chopped parsley and nigella seeds. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until the mixture is uniform and no streaks of plain butter remain. Spoon into a sealed container and refrigerate.

Got a question?

Four ways to use this roasted garlic butter

• Spread it on warm, crusty bread or slather it on a no-knead loaf for exceptional garlic bread.
• Brush it onto soft flatbreads to create a quick garlic naan-style side.
• Toss roasted potatoes in melted garlic butter for rich, flavourful potatoes.
• Use it to replace other compound butters when roasting chicken or finishing grilled meats and fish.

Like this recipe? Here are some others you might enjoy

• Easy chilli jam recipe
• How to make homemade basil pesto
• Chilli oil recipe
• Creamy super smooth hummus

If you try this recipe, let me know in the comments — I love hearing how you use it.

Roasted Garlic Butter

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• Author: Kate Alexandra
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 300g
• Diet: Vegetarian