Homemade Maple Butter

updated Aug 16, 2024
maple butter, with maple syrup on top
Credit: Shilpa Uskokovic

This isn't just syrup mixed with butter. It's the fluffiest, most delicious sweet-salty spread you'll ever try.

Makes3/4 cup

Prep5 minutes

Cook11 minutes to 15 minutes

Jump to Recipe
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maple butter, with maple syrup on top
Credit: Shilpa Uskokovic

Whatever regular ol’ butter can do, maple butter can do better. The touch of sweetness and caramel-y, toffee notes alter butter so magically that it’s hard to believe how simple it is to make. 

Because maple butter has so few ingredients, it’s essential to ensure those ingredients are good-quality. Here you’ll want real-deal maple syrup — sweet, smoky, and amber-colored. Look for maple syrups from Vermont, New York, or Canada that are labeled with one or more of these words: Amber, Dark, Grade B, or Robust. These are stronger in flavor and won’t get lost in all that butter. 

While you could simply mix maple syrup into a bit of softened butter, taking some extra time to cook it down makes a big difference. It concentrates the maple flavor so it’s bigger, better, and bolder. For a final touch, add a tiny bit of salt and cinnamon. It rounds out the fluffy, easy-to-make spread.

Why You’ll Love It

  • Maple butter is delicious on everything. Spread it on cornbread, fried chicken sandwiches, pancakes, and waffles. The real question is what can’t you use this sweet-salty spread with?
  • You can make it ahead. Freeze it so that you’ll always have a stash on hand for all your maple butter needs.

Key Ingredients in Maple Butter

  • Unsalted butter: Use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in the maple butter. We add kosher salt to balance out the sweetness.
  • Maple syrup: Use a dark or robust maple syrup.
  • Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is a classic pairing with maple syrup.

How to Make Maple Butter

  1. Soften the butter. Let the butter sit at room temperature until softened.
  2. Reduce the maple syrup. Simmer over medium-low until reduced by a quarter. The syrup will look thick and coat the back of a spoon and the bubbles in the pan will be larger and slower. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
  3. Whip the maple butter. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the cooled maple syrup, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon. Beat until fluffy and lighter in color.

What’s the Difference Between Maple Butter and Maple Cream?

Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, maple butter and maple cream are two distinct products.

  • Maple butter: Maple butter is flavored butter and, at its simplest, is just soft butter mixed with maple syrup.
  • Maple cream: Maple cream is made by heating maple syrup to a specific temperature (usually around 235°F), letting it cool until it begins to crystallize, then agitating it (by whisking or beating) until it forms a soft paste. Think of it as spreadable maple fudge!  

Helpful Swaps

  • Spice substitutions: Freshly grated nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for the cinnamon.

Storage Tips

  • Refrigerator: Refrigerate maple butter in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Some maple syrup might bead on the surface of the butter after a few days. Let the butter come to room temperature, then re-whip until smooth and well-combined.
  • Freezer: You can freeze maple butter for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and re-whip before serving.
Credit: Shilpa Uskokovic

What to Serve with Maple Butter

Maple Butter Recipe

This isn't just syrup mixed with butter. It's the fluffiest, most delicious sweet-salty spread you'll ever try.

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 11 minutes to 15 minutes

Makes 3/4 cup

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons

    (1 stick) unsalted butter

  • 1/2 cup

    dark or robust maple syrup

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    ground cinnamon

Instructions

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  1. Let 1 stick unsalted butter sit at room temperature until softened. Meanwhile, place 1/2 cup maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by a quarter, 10 to 12 minutes (keep a close eye, as the syrup could boil over!). The syrup will look thick and coat the back of a spoon and the bubbles in the pan will be larger and slower. Remove from the heat and let cool completely, 20 to 25 minutes.

  2. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, beat the butter with a whisk.) Add the cooled maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Beat until fluffy and lighter in color, 1 to 2 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Refrigerate maple butter in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month. Some maple syrup might bead on the surface of the butter after a few days. Let the butter come to room temperature, then re-whip until smooth and well-combined. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and re-whip before serving.