Butter is trending. Once scorned in favor of margarine and shortening, this dairy product’s popularity has been skyrocketing for the past several years. Butter boards, butter candles, butter-colored stand mixers—you get the picture.
And the dairy aisle reflects it. What used to be a simple section is now brimming with a plethora of different types and brands, each boasting its own unique selling points. Organic, grassfed, European, cultured... the list goes on. In the midst of all these options— some of them with exorbitant price tags—we have to ask: Which butters are actually worth buying?
I blindly tasted butter from 16 different brands. Every butter sample was unsalted and served at room temperature, so I could taste the full, true essence of each product. After tasting each sample, I rated it on a scale of 1-10, based on texture as well as flavor. At the end, I determined my favorite butter in each of five separate categories, as well as my favorite overall. Here are the results.
Best Economical Butter: Whole Foods 365
It might be a store brand, but this butter was anything but standard. With a super smooth, rich texture, this butter swept the economy category, hands down. One thing that set it apart was its flavor, which had a rich “dairy-ness” to it that none of the others had. It tasted almost like a splurge butter—and isn’t that the dream when we’re looking for a great affordable option?
Best Plant-Based Butter: Country Crock
Maybe it’s not actual butter, but Country Crock proves that plant-based can be just as craveable. Featuring a warm yellow hue and a texture that was creamy and soft without turning greasy, this butter was miles ahead of the other plant-based butters I tried. Where competitors tasted vaguely coconuty or, in some cases, weirdly bean-forward, Country Crock was just giving, well, butter. Which is exactly what I wanted.
Best Splurge Butter: Horizon Organic
If you’re looking for a nicer butter that’s actually worth the higher price tag, Horizon Organic has you covered. With a super spreadable texture and a solid dairy richness, this butter does not disappoint. It’s also organic and made from pasture-raised cows' milk, but unlike other organic offerings I tried, its flavor and texture stood up to its nutritional backing. And at the end of the day, we’re looking for a butter that tastes just as delicious as it is “good” for us and the planet. This one delivers.
Best European-Style Butter: Kerrygold
Kerrygold is endorsed by professional bakers and home cooks all over the world, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when it swept the European-style butter category. With a super creamy texture and a rich dairy finish, this butter was an absolute joy to eat.
One of the biggest things I noticed while I was tasting through this category was how much creamier and more luscious in texture the European-style butters were compared to most of the butters in the other categories. This makes total sense: European-style butters are at least 82% butterfat, while American-style butters are only around 80% butterfat. It’s logical that European-style butters would taste richer and creamier, but still, I was still shocked by how big the difference was. Even the least impressive of the European-style butters was a substantial cut above the best budget-category butters. The takeaway? Spend a few extra dollars on European-style butter when you can. It’s well worth it.
Best Overall Butter: Kate’s
I had never tasted Kate’s butter before this, but I will be stocking it in future. This unassuming butter with a beautiful sweet cream flavor and soft creamy texture swept the entire board, stealing the top spot from even the fancier, pricier entries.
Even though Kate’s is not explicitly European-style butter and gives no butterfat percentage, it was just as rich and creamy as any of the butters in the European-style category, and honestly, I found it more flavorful. I’d put this butter on everything from biscuits to toast and use it in anything from chicken piccata to buttercream frosting. It was that delicious.
