Okayyyy people, I’ve been sitting on this recipe for like TWO MONTHS and finally getting around to sharing it because my life has been absolute chaos (more on that disaster later). But first – can we just talk about how strawberry butter is basically the most underrated thing ever?? I mean, I literally cannot understand why everyone isn’t making this stuff by the gallon.
So last weekend I was supposed to be cleaning out Emma’s old bedroom closet (the project that never ends omg) but instead I got completely distracted when James brought home these gorgeous strawberries from the farmers market. And they were sooooo red and perfect that I couldn’t just let them sit there, ya know? My brain was like “MAKE SOMETHING PRETTY WITH THESE NOW” and somehow I ended up with this strawberry butter situation that was basically life-changing.
The Strawberry Butter Obsession Begins
I’ve prolly made this recipe like 17 times since March (not even exaggerating) and it’s become my go-to whenever we have people over for brunch. My sister-in-law Karen keeps asking for the recipe, but I’ve been gatekeeping it because… well, mostly because she’s still mad that Charlie chewed up her expensive throw pillow at Thanksgiving and I’m still feeling petty about her reaction. #familydrama
But whatever, I’m feeling generous today so I’m sharing it with all of you! Just don’t tell Karen you got it first lololol.
Why This Strawberry Butter Is Going To Change Your Life Too
- Takes literally 5 mins to make (perfect for my attention span these days)
- Only needs 3 ingredients that you prolly already have
- Makes people think you’re some kind of fancy kitchen wizard
- Tastes AMAZEBALLS on literally everything
- Can be made while simultaneously watching TikTok and answering work emails (my specialty)
The Backstory No One Asked For
Remember when I was all about making everything from scratch after I quit my marketing job? Yeah that lasted approximately 3.5 weeks until I realized I’m way too impatient for most DIY food projects. I mean, I still have that sourdough starter in the back of my fridge from 2020 that I’m afraid to look at (is it alive? is it dead? at this point it might qualify as a science experiment or possibly a new lifeform).
ANYWAY. This strawberry butter is different because it’s genuinely quick and I can’t mess it up even when I’m having one of those days where I burn microwave popcorn (which happened TWICE last week when I was binge-watching that new true crime series about the yoga instructor murderer. SO GOOD BTW).
Let’s Talk Ingredients (The Shortest List Ever)
The thing I luuuurve about this recipe is that it needs basically nothing fancy:
Fresh Strawberries
Get the ripest ones you can find! I usually grab mine from the farmers market on Saturdays, but honestly even the ones from Kroger work fine if you’re not a farmer’s market snob like my husband. (James insists everything tastes “completely different” from the farmers market, which… sometimes yes, sometimes no, but I’m not paying $7 for lettuce, JAMES.)
If you’ve only got frozen berries, teh good news is they’ll work too! Just thaw them out and drain off the excess juice otherwise your butter will be a soupy mess and nobody wants that.
Unsalted Butter
I use the fancy Kerry Gold butter that James complains costs too much, but whatever, the man spends $6 on coffee every morning so he can hush about my butter habits. You want the butter to be soft but not melty – like the consistency of…hmm…what’s a good comparison? Like when you leave chapstick in your car on a warm-but-not-hot day. You know what I mean?
Oh and make sure it’s UNSALTED unless you want weird salty-sweet butter which actually might be interesting now that I think about it? Has anyone tried that? Maybe I’ll experiment next time. Where was I?
Powdered Sugar
Just a lil bit to sweeten things up! Don’t go overboard unless you want it super sweet. You could use honey instead which is what I did that time we ran out of powdered sugar and I was too lazy to go to the store because I was still in my pajamas at 2pm (working from home life, amirite??).
OTHER STUFF YOU COULD ADD (but totally optional)
- Vanilla extract – just a teensy splash
- Cinnamon – if you’re feeling fall-ish
- Lemon zest – this actually makes it reeeeally good, discovered by accident when I was making that lemon cake for Ryan’s birthday that he didn’t even eat because he’s “not eating sugar right now” (eye roll, this diet will last 11 days max)
How to Make This Magical Strawberry Butter
This is literally so easy that I’ve made it while simultaneously feeding the dog, answering emails, and trying to fix that weird noise the dishwasher keeps making (still unfixed btw, add it to the list of house projects I’m ignoring).
- Step 1: Get Your Strawberries Ready
Wash those berries and cut off the tops. Then chop ’em up into little pieces OR mash them with a fork if you’re feeling aggressive (great for days when your boss sends you passive-aggressive emails or when Ryan asks for money again).
If you want super smooth butter, you can blend them, but I’m usually too lazy to dirty the blender AND have to wash it after, so chunky it is at the Smith household!
Pro tip that I learned the hard way: if your strawberries are super juicy, let them drain in a strainer for a few mins or your butter will end up runny. Made that mistake when I was rushing to get ready for book club and ended up with what was basically strawberry soup. Still delicious tho.
- Step 2: Beat That Butter
Grab your mixer (or a fork and some elbow grease if you’re feeling old school or your mixer is still packed from when you moved THE LAUNDRY ROOM AROUND 3 MONTHS AGO AND NEVER FINISHED UNPACKING, not that I’m talking about myself or anything).
Beat the butter till it gets all fluffy and light. This takes like 2 mins if your butter is the right temp. If you forgot to take it out of the fridge earlier (which I do 99.8% of the time), just cut it into cubes and zap it in the microwave for like 8 seconds. NOT 10 seconds because then it gets melty and weird in some spots.
- Step 3: Mix Everything Together
Now just fold in those strawberry bits and add your sugar. Mix it all together until it looks pretty. There’s literally no way to mess this up unless you like, drop the bowl or something (which tbh I’ve done before when Charlie decided to sprint between my legs while I was carrying it to the table).
Taste it and see if you want it sweeter. Sometimes I add more sugar, sometimes I don’t. Depends on if James is watching me make it (he’s always like “that’s too much sugar!” while secretly eating ice cream after I go to bed, THE HYPOCRITE).
- Step 4: Refrigerate (Or Just Eat It Immediately)
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You’re supposed to refrigerate it but honestly half the time I just start using it right away because patience is not my virtue. But if you’re a rule-follower, put it in a cute little jar and stick it in the fridge.
Pro tip: If you put it in a fancy jar, take a picture for Instagram and your friends will think you’re Martha Stewart. I used one of those little Weck jars I bought during my canning phase of 2021 (another hobby that lasted approximately 12 days).
Ways To Use This Magical Butter Creation
I’ve basically been putting this stuff on EVERYTHING. Some ideas:
- Toast (obvs) – makes even the cheap bread taste fancy
- Pancakes – Ryan actually ate these without complaining about the carbs!
- Waffles – especially good on those frozen Eggo ones when you’re feeling lazy
- English muffins – my personal fave, especially those sourdough ones from Trader Joe’s
- Scones – if you’re feeling British or whatever
- Directly off the spoon while standing in front of the open fridge at midnight (not that I’ve done this or anything)
Yesterday I even put some on a plain bagel and it was so good I made weird noises and freaked Charlie out. He’s still giving me side-eye about it.
Common Questions That No One Has Actually Asked Me But I’m Answering Anyway
How long does this last?
In theory, about a week in the fridge. In reality, about 2 days in my house because we eat it on everything.
Can I freeze it?
Yep! Just wrap it up or put it in one of those little containers. I froze some last month and then completely forgot about it until I was digging around for frozen peas. It was like finding hidden treasure!
Is this healthy?
Um, it has fruit in it? So… yes? No? I don’t really care tbh. Life’s too short to not eat strawberry butter.
Can I use other berries?
I tried it with blueberries and it was good but turned this weird purple-gray color that looked kind of suspicious. Tasted fine tho! Raspberries work really well too.
My butter got too runny! Help!
You prolly didn’t drain your strawberries enough. No worries, just pop it in the fridge for like 20 mins and it’ll firm up. Or embrace the runny-ness and call it a “sauce” instead. Boom. Problem solved.
The Time I Almost Became a Strawberry Butter Entrepreneur
So this is sort of embarrassing but after I made this the first time, I had this GRAND PLAN to start selling fancy flavored butters at the farmers market. I even made James listen to my whole business plan while he was trying to watch basketball.
I spent like three days researching food business licenses and commercial kitchen requirements and calculating costs… and then I remembered that I hate waking up early on weekends and the farmers market starts at like 8am. Dream crushed by my own sleep requirements.
Plus can you imagine me trying to be professional and not spilling strawberry butter everywhere? My white shirt is basically a magnet for red stains. I still have that spot on my favorite blouse from the Great Pasta Sauce Disaster of 2023.
Other Stuff You Should Totally Make (Because I Said So)
If you’re as obsessed with this strawberry butter as I am (and my stretchy pants suggest I might be TOO obsessed), here’s some other breakfast-y things that go amazingly with it. Or honestly stand alone if you’ve already eaten all your butter straight from the jar. Not judging.
1. That Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal Thing I Made When Emma Visited
Remember when I posted that oatmeal recipe and everyone was like “is that actually good?” IT IS. And if you plop some strawberry butter on top while it’s still warm… OMG. The PB and strawberry combo is giving me middle school lunch vibes but make it fancy. Made this last Sunday when I was still half asleep and didn’t even burn it!
2. My Famous-ish Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Ok so not actually famous but my book club goes NUTS for these. Perfect for when you have way too many strawberries and need something that’ll impress people but takes like zero effort. I made these for Ryan’s girlfriend and now she thinks I’m a good cook which is HILARIOUS because James is still traumatized from my cooking in the 90s.
3. Those Protein Waffles That Don’t Actually Taste Like Protein
Y’all know I’m not a health food person (hello, I just wrote 1000 words about BUTTER), but these waffles are legit tasty AND they keep me full past 10am which is a miracle. Add strawberry butter and suddenly you’re eating something that tastes like dessert but has enough protein to count as a Real Adult Breakfast.
4. Healthy Oatmeal Apple Pancakes
Found this recipe when I was trying to be “healthy” in January (lasted about 9 days, new record!!). They’ve got oats and apples and stuff so you can pretend they’re good for you. Top with melty strawberry butter and maple syrup if you’re having a rough morning. I’ve been having a lot of those lately since perimenopause is kicking my butt, but that’s a whole other blog post!
Anyway, I gotta go walk Charlie before he eats another one of my throw pillows (the turquoise one is already a goner). Hit me up in the comments if you try any of these! Or don’t. Sometimes I don’t check comments for weeks because I forget my login password and am too stubborn to reset it.
The Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (that's 2 sticks for normal people who don't measure butter in cups)
- ½ cup fresh strawberries chopped up real small
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or honey/maple syrup
- Optional add-ins: vanilla extract, cinnamon, lemon zest – whatever floats your boat
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Instructions
- Chop up those strawberries into tiny pieces (or mash 'em)
- Beat the butter until it's all fluffy and light
- Mix in the strawberries and sugar until everything's combined
- Taste it and add more sugar if needed
- Put it in a container and refrigerate (or eat immediately, no judgment)
Notes
Storing & Using This Strawberry Butter
Fridge Life: Keeps a week, but disappears in 2 days at our house! James hides it behind the pickles from Ryan. Freezing: Good for 3 months in those takeout containers we all save. Thaw overnight—don’t chip your mug on frozen butter like I did rushing to an appointment! Slather On:- Toast (even James’ cheap bread)
- Bagels (sorry, cream cheese)
- Pancakes & waffles
- English muffins (TJ’s sourdough ones!)
- Cornbread (life-changing with chili)
- Spoon at 2am (allegedly)
Nutrition
Final Thoughts From A Butter Enthusiast
I’m telling you, this strawberry butter has saved many a boring breakfast in this house. Even James, who usually only gets excited about his fancy pour-over coffee, was like “this is actually really good” which is basically a standing ovation from him.
I’ve started making a double batch because it disappears so fast. Last week Emma came home from college for the weekend and I caught her eating it straight from the container at 1am. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I guess?
Anyway, if you try this recipe, let me know! Comment below or tag me on Insta. Or don’t. Sometimes I don’t check my comments for like 2 weeks because social media makes me tired lately. Is that an age thing? Prolly.
Gotta go now because Charlie is giving me the look that means he’s about to start chewing on the couch if I don’t take him out. That dog has cost us approximately $873 in destroyed furniture this year alone, but he’s cute so we keep him.
Until next time, Lisa 💖
P.S. I finally fixed that check engine light in my Honda last Thursday after ignoring it for literally 4 years. The mechanic was like “how are you still driving this?” and I was like “VERY CAREFULLY SIR.”
P.P.S. If Karen asks you for this recipe, tell her you’ve never heard of strawberry butter.