The 9 Best Butter Brands For Baking, According To Professional Bakers

If you love baking, then you know how important butter is. The golden spread is key to shortbread and pound cakes, croissants and danishes. To pick up any old block on the shelf is understandable, but if you really want to wow your tastebuds, high quality makes all the difference. It was a treat, then, for Chowhound to speak with bakers, chefs, and culinary figures on the butter brands they swear by again and again. 

Certainly, mileage might vary according to your needs, but each recommendation has seen extensive testing, whether in the form of artisan pie dough or the silkiest buttercream frosting. "Butter is the structural backbone and flavor engine of most baked goods," explains Stefani Pollack, who's spent almost 20 years crafting recipes for her blog Cupcake Project. "It provides richness, builds texture through creaming and lamination, and carries flavor in a way margarine and oils don't match."

Despite varying price-points, these labels contain something in common, and that's the fat. To bake with full-fat butter ensures everything from cupcakes to scones maintains proper flavor and structural integrity. "Higher-fat butters create flakier pastries, richer laminated doughs, and more tender crumb structures. They also have lower moisture, which means less steam and more control in delicate bakes," says Chef Joey Sergentakis of Allendale Social, Charlie's Place, and other destination across New Jersey. Behold, the nine best butter brands for baking. 

As of late, Kerrygold has been making waves across the pond for its high standards. It won our definitive grocery store butter ranking wholesale, confirming its place as the dairy section's golden child. On toast — and in baked goods. To no surprise, expert bakers have a field day with the Irish brand in just about every context, and though pricier than other brands, splurging guarantees spectacular outcomes from the oven. 

For one, the import consists of fresh milk from grass-fed cows. This translates to flavor that's far more robust and, well, buttery. "If I'm making something where butter is going to be the main flavor (think brown butter chocolate chip cookies, shortbread, or a flaky pie crust), using Kerrygold or another European-style butter is going to pay off," says Ella Gilbert, recipe developer for the blog Alpine Ella. 

Carissa Erzen runs the website Humbly Homemade and considers herself a diehard Kerrygold fan. From her culinary trials, the bright yellow sticks are a star in scrumptious German goodies. "I also love Kerrygold's vibrant golden color, which I find translates directly into beautifully golden pastries and cookies." Nikki Schaeffer, who directs the baking program at Lofty Coffee Co., also praises its performance in boosting dainty golden croissants. That being said, there are regional variations — you can learn more about the difference between American and European butter here. 

Giving away tons of sugar cookies over the festive weeks to come? Time-pressed bakers know there's something to be said about reliability, which is why Challenge steps up to the plate. Stocked on the West Coast, the dairy empire's made its livelihood off of butter, which features a sweet cream base churned to perfection. It's much lighter in color than grass-fed butter, but experts say this serves as a great canvas for all kinds of delicacies, including icings, cakes, and quick breads. 

The primary rationale Stefani Pollack has for Challenge in her culinary rotation? The versatility. "It creams beautifully with sugar, blends smoothly into doughs and batters, and the flavor is clean and rich without any off-notes," she raves. Plus, she can count on the dairy to produce identical results, regardless of the recipe. "The consistency across sticks means I'm not dealing with variability batch-to-batch, which matters when you're recipe testing or teaching classes to home bakers."

For casual bakers who don't want to invest in pricey products, this is a fantastic choice to have on deck when the mood strikes for brownies or oatmeal cookies. If you'd like the biggest bang for your buck, professionals advise opting for sticks that are unsalted. As Nikki Schaeffer warns, salt can be added in — but it can't be taken out.

In the U.S., accessing authentic European butter in typical supermarkets might be tricky. That being said, we can appreciate that Danish Creamery brings the imported feel to shoppers (minus the up-charge). This is a California label that upholds the traditional methods of old-country dairy farming. Most agribusinesses maintain an industrialized footprint, but here, the brand sources its churned product from nearby farms. This results in a flavor and consistency considered superior to competitors.

The primary selling point for the brand's European-Style Butter is definitely the cost-to-quality ratio. It's an indulgent pick that doesn't break the bank, and packing loads of fat (a whopping 85%) will reward homemade treats with a luxurious finish. If you're embarking on puff pastry from scratch, Stefani Pollack says the label passes the test, "delivering the flaky, tender texture those recipes demand." We also appreciate that it's widely available, too — a variety of specialty supermarkets and grocery chains supply it. Great news for the everyday baker, if you ask us. If you're tired of standard-issue mainstream brands, this artisanal offering will shake things up. 

There's a reason highly-skilled bakers reach for Plugra. Translating to "more fat" from French means it offers ideal properties for fluffy rolls and moist, decadent cakes — every package boasts fat levels of 82%. "This is a butter I use in all my professional kitchens because it has a higher percentage of butterfat but isn't so high that I need to adjust all my recipes," says Michelle Palazzo, a renowned pastry pro overseeing establishments in the Big Apple. Likewise, Carrie Smith goes through sticks of the stuff at her job training bright new chefs at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). 

Butter is foundational to a supreme pie crust, and experts Chowhound surveyed praised it for the purpose. Chef Joey Sergentakis finds it unmatched for the flakiest dough recipe, whereas Palazzo and Smith champion it for French-style patisserie. When crafting Pistachio Paris Brest, a ring-shaped delight "it especially gives the pistachio buttercream a richer and smoother texture," per Palazzo. And according to Lindsay Beck, resident pastry chef for CAMP Modern American Eatery in Greenville, South Carolina, the gourmet label always imbues her baked goods with lovely gold coloring — it "lends itself to a richer and more tender product with an added bonus of a rich butter flavor which caramelizes in the oven." With its Premium European-Style Butter, you'll score dessert gold every time. 

As Lindsay Beck tells Chowhound, with flaky pastry, "the flavor of the butter will be the star of the show so you want to use the best possible." That certainly explains why connoisseurs take time to hunt down the cream of the crop. President is widely revered for its authentic brie cheese, yet laying claim to a domestic butter you wouldn't believe came from a supermarket might be its greatest legacy. "It's a French butter that is generally considered one of the best in the world," raves Victoria Fisk of the LA confectionery company Bouqedibles. 

Compositionally, butters like President meet the standards for enhancing whatever goodies you crave. Examining the contents shows it's just heavy cream (from Normandy cows), churned in the typical fashion. However, one thing the brand does to help stand out is whip cultures into the final product. Those live organisms are known for activating a bolder mouthfeel, which can draw out a more pronounced taste in your recipe. We should also note the fat threshold is on par with other European varieties, meaning you won't struggle detecting the creamy notes in blondies, cookies, or moist gingerbread. In Carissa Erzen's opinion, butter from the EU tends to zhuzh up her treats with more flair. 

Aiming to perfect the heavenly rise of your cinnamon sticky buns? Vital Farms should definitely be on your radar, if they haven't already. Egg production is the dairy titan's focus, but churning the yellow spread (with free-range cow's milk) correlates with strong endorsements from folks across the baking community. Not to mention, its characteristics give it a bump up from other American labels consumers are used to. "It has a high fat content — 85%, which is at the upper end of what's recommended for butter," says Victoria Fisk. 

It should be noted that baking with Vital Farms' Pasture-Raised Butter (in Sea Salted or Unsalted) might have a time and place. It's the fattiest brick on our list, so Fisk is pretty selective when utilizing it in her kitchen. "It's a bit too rich and heavy for buttercream or everyday consumption, but it performs beautifully in doughs," she adds. That's not a ding against it, though — the overall quality, as it stands, contributes pleasantly to imbuing color and moisture to sweets and beyond. Give it a whirl in homemade babka (the best for top-notch bread pudding), or biscuits to see where it really shines. 

With accessibility and brand-recognition, Land O' Lakes is a common fixture in household kitchens. This reputation might preclude that it's not a five-star product, especially where artisanal sweets are concerned, yet you'd be mistaken. These are sweet cream sticks and they tout a neutral dairy profile. As a result, they cream well and blend seamlessly into a variety of confections. Kendall McCullough, who flexes her patisserie prowess at The Dogwood (a farm-to-table establishment within Tennessee' Blackberry Farms resort) tells Chowhound it's a great workhorse option — even polling well next to "nicer" labels on the scene. 

Additionally, as a mainstream brand, it promises economical value to boot. A pound of the salted sticks has a going-rate below $5 on Amazon, so if you're a beginner or prefer to batch-bake your creations, there's no need to be precious with it. Take Lindsay Beck's advice with a couple trays of classic chocolate chip (though truthfully, you probably didn't need an expert to tell you that). 

When confectionary masterpieces are on the line, there's always a temptation to gather the fanciest ingredients. However, that could be out of your budget. What if we told you that shelling out a lot of dough wasn't always necessary? April Franqueza, who heads The Inn at High Hampton's renowned baking program, stocks her fridge with a butter considered fairly affordable: "At home, I love using the Kirkland Signature Grass-Fed Butter, which has a butterfat content of 82%." It does contain salt, which is something to keep in mind. Franqueza advises tweaking whatever quantity your recipe calls for, though if you enjoy a salty-and-sweet contrast, Carrie Smith vouches for it in mouthwatering chocolate chip cookies. 

There's plenty of other incentives to justify the house label if you can swing it. Membership-holders can pick it up in bulk (four 8-ounce slabs are in every box, per the website). If you couldn't already tell by the sunny yellow coloring, the Costco buy also doubles as a dupe for a popular Irish import. "This butter is nice and creamy, has excellent flavor, and comes at a better value than it's counterpart, Kerrygold," Franqueza says. Delicious, quality butter, in an economical package? Time to put on that apron and let the cookie-rolling commence. 

When companies specialize in cheese, sour cream, and on and on, chances are high the butter will be equally solid. Tillamook pretty much runs the show in kitchens across the Pacific Northwest, and for good reason. The creamery operates off Oregon's Coast and prioritizes regional farming reflected in the final product. Customers will spot its flagship cheddar and ice cream on store shelves, though in this context, checking out the checking out the Extra Creamy Butter is a wise decision.

It's lower in fatty complexity and that pop of yellow, but compensates with a silky-smooth finish that translates nicely to a broad range of treats. From Victoria Fisk's perspective, the regional butter is a good all-purpose pick since it's so neutral. "I choose them when I want to achieve the whitest possible buttercream, which is more aesthetically pleasing for frosting cakes and easier to color with food coloring," she says. Maybe finicky croissant dough isn't your speed when mixing up goods from scratch. For simpler aims, Tillamook's a good buy — and only getting easier to find around the country.