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How to Quickly Soften Butter

by Toni Herrbach

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Have you ever started a recipe and then realized you needed to soften butter and all your butter is stored in the fridge? When I lived up north, I could store my butter on the counter in a butter crock. But now that I live in the south it is too warm to store butter on the counter.

I found out the hard way that melted butter is not the same as “softened butter” in recipes.

A few years ago my sister showed me this simple tip to quickly soften butter when you are baking.

How to quickly soften butter

How to Quickly Soften Butter

Take a stick of butter (or however much butter you need for the recipe) and place it in a Ziploc bag.

butter

Fill a bowl or container with warm water. Place the butter in the Ziploc bag in the warm water.

Over the years I’ve found that my pyrex measuring cup is just the right size for a stick of butter.

In a few minutes you will have soft butter that is easy to spread or use in a recipe. The key to getting the butter soft, but not melted is to use warm water, not hot.

I don’t recommend heating the water in the microwave because it will be too hot and melt the butter. Warm tap water will be hot enough to soften the butter quickly.

Delicious Recipes 

Oatmeal Pancakes with Walnut Butter (Gluten-Free)

Apples & Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Butter 

Apple Butter Stuffed French Toast

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free option)

Comments | 14 comments

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Comments

  1. Heather says

    at

    ooo good tip! I always use the microwave and end up with partially melted butter…which sometimes really makes a negative impact on a recipe.

    Reply
  2. L2L says

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    I so needed this tip and this morning, I forgot to set out the butter for our breakfast cookies, now all is not lost!!!!!!! Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!

    Reply
  3. Christine says

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    Thanks! (wish I had read this 12 hours ago!)

    Reply
  4. Cherrill says

    at

    Thanks for this great tip, and your right FL and butter are not a great combination… I recently got a butter crock on a trip to NC it didn’t really work to well here either. Happy Thanksgiving
    Cherrill

    Reply
  5. Marni says

    at

    Great tip! The microwave is horrible. Cooks uneven and is all melted but then hard. Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Southern Gal says

    at

    Thanks for the tip. I used it with cream cheese and butter this morning. Works way better than melting in the microwave!

    Reply
  7. Samantha says

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    What a great tip! I always soften it TOO much in the microwave! Thanks!

    Samantha

    Reply
  8. MarshaMarshaMarsha says

    at

    the best ideas are often the simplest!

    Reply
  9. Julie E. says

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    Whatever you do, do not use hot water!! It melts very fast when it is in hot water!! LOL

    Reply
  10. Tess S. says

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    you are a life saver. just about had a meltdown. no pun intended.

    Reply
  11. Vikki says

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    I never thought of that. I just take a rolling pin to it. By the time it’s flat it’s soft.

    Reply
  12. Sharon says

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    Here’s another way – grate it. This works especially well when all you have is frozen butter. Send it through a grater and you’ve got yourself a bowl of softened butter.

    Reply
  13. Melissa says

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    Lifesaver!!!!!

    Reply
  14. Lean wall says

    at

    Thank you for the tip! We got rid of our microwave and softening butter is the only time it is missed.

    Reply

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