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    Home ยป Kitchen Tips

    Kitchen Tips: Salted or Unsalted Butter?

    January 25, 2017 By Sam Merritt 71 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Sticks of salted and unsalted butter

    It’s possibly the question that I receive most: should I use salted or unsalted butter?  Or: is it OK if I substitute salted butter for unsalted butter?

    Today I want to talk about the differences in salted and unsalted butter, substitutions you can make if you only have one kind on hand (and it’s not the kind your recipe calls for), and why some recipes call for one type of butter over the other.

    Salted or Unsalted Butter? Kitchen tips on when to use which kind of butter, and what the differences between the two are || Sugar Spun Run

    Until about two years ago, my inclination when baking was to always reach for the salted butter, no matter what the recipe said.

    More salt = more flavor, right?

    Well, no, not necessarily.

    In fact, in nearly all of my recipes that I share here, I specifically call for unsalted butter.

    So why is that?  Well, there are several reasons, so, if you don’t mind reading over 500 words about my favorite fat, let’s discuss.

    Salted or Unsalted Butter? Kitchen tips on when to use which kind of butter, and what the differences between the two are || Sugar Spun Run

    Salted vs. Unsalted Butter: What’s the Difference in Baking?

    If you’re buttering toast or nestling a big hunk of butter on top of some steaming hot pancakes, you’re going to want to go with the salted butter, that will give you the best flavor in these situations.

    However, when you’re baking, it’s a whole different story because we want to be able to control the amount of salt that we’re adding to our cupcakes, cookies, cakes, etc.

    And that’s what it all boils down to: The reason that most baking recipes call for unsalted butter is because of the need for control.

    When you use salted butter, it is very difficult (impossible?) to know for sure how much salt is being added to the recipe by way of the stick of butter.

    Different brands use different amounts of salt in their butter, so unfortunately, you lose all of your control and run the risk of over-salting your recipe.

    Salted or Unsalted Butter? Kitchen tips on when to use which kind of butter, and what the differences between the two are || Sugar Spun Run

    As a recipe developer, I put a ton of time into making the recipes that I share just right.  I’ve optimized every ingredient with the goal of giving you the best flavor possible.  Most other recipes that you’ll find across Pinterest and the web are fine-tuned the same exact way.

    So, if a recipe calls for unsalted butter and a half teaspoon of salt, but you use salted butter and a half teaspoon of salt, you’re going to have a saltier dish than the recipe was actually designed for.  Not more flavorful, but actually a worse result.

    Carefully following what is called for in the recipe is the best way to ensure that you will get the best results possible

    A warm chocolate chip cookie broken in half to show melty center
    Like these cookies
    Freshness is a Factor

    Unsalted butter is generally believed to also be fresher than salted butter.

    The reason behind this is that since salt is a preservative, salted butter can be stored longer and may be older than your unsalted butter.  In fact, it could actually be bad, or approaching going bad, but the quality would be masked by the salt.

    For the best, freshest, flavor in baking, always use unsalted butter.

    Salted or Unsalted Butter? Kitchen tips on when to use which kind of butter, and what the differences between the two are || Sugar Spun Run

    Unsalted Butter Substitute

    But let’s say you’re set to bake some cookies, the recipe calls for unsalted butter, but you only have salted on hand.  You’re already in your comfy pants after a long day at work and not about to run back out to the store, so what can you do?

    While unsalted butter is always preferred when called for, there is a substitution: my general rule of thumb is to decrease the amount of salt that the recipe calls for by ยฝ teaspoon per cup of butter.

    For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup (or two sticks, or 227g for you metric users) of unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon salt, I would use 1 cup of salted butter and only ยฝ teaspoon of salt.  If the recipe called for 1 cup of unsalted butter and ยฝ teaspoon salt, I would omit the salt entirely.

    That’s ยผ teaspoon of salt per stick (113g) of butter.

    Ideally, you want to use what the recipe calls for, but this subtle variation has never steered me wrong in the past.

    Salted or Unsalted Butter? Kitchen tips on when to use which kind of butter, and what the differences between the two are || Sugar Spun Run

    Salted Butter Substitute

    It’s less common that you’ll find a recipe that calls for salted butter when you only have unsalted on hand, but if you do, just apply the above steps backwards.

    That is: for every 1 cup of salted butter that the recipe calls for, use 1 cup unsalted butter and ยฝ teaspoon salt, instead.

    Super simple stuff, huh?

    Salted or Unsalted Butter? Kitchen tips on when to use which kind of butter, and what the differences between the two are || Sugar Spun Run

    Ok so that’s it for today.  In summary:

    • Use the salt that the recipe calls for, when possible.  
    • Unsalted butter is most often used to give you more control over the salt content of the recipe and to maximize freshness and flavor without making your baked goods overly salty.
    • If you only have salted butter and the recipe calls for unsalted, reduce the salt called for in the recipe by ยฝ teaspoon per cup of butter called for.  This isn’t an exact science (remember, we aren’t sure how much salt is actually in salted butter), but it will produce best results.

    Are there any other kitchen questions that you have that you’d like me to write about next?  I have a few more planned but I’m happy to receive any suggestions!

    Other Kitchen Tips:

    Easy Buttermilk Substitute

    Overhead of milk and lemon juice mixture in measuring cup

    « Cake Batter Fudge
    Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Muffins »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. emily

      April 29, 2020 at 6:17 pm

      This is something I’ve noticed and you may be able to verify and explain what’s happening. When I’m making pie dough or something like scones or biscuits I’ve noticed that salted butter gets soft sooner than unsalted butter as I’m cutting it into the flour. I always start with frozen pre-cubed butter so that part is the same, but the salted butter starts to soften before it’s fully cut-in. This results in a less flaky crust when cooked. I’ve learned to adjust and put dough in the refrigerator to re-chill before continuing cut-in. Sometimes the need to bake is too strong even if I don’t have unsalted butter at the time, LOL . Thank you, now I know salt adjustment amounts — I’ve always wondered. We fellow sweeth-tooths enjoy many of your recipes.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 02, 2020 at 3:36 pm

        Hi Emily! I don’t work with salted butter too often but that is an interesting observation. I will have to try it out sometime and see if I notice the same thing. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
      • Ellen

        June 03, 2020 at 6:51 pm

        That is exactly what happened today. Butter thoroughly frozen, yet, softened while grating. And, I only had salty soooo, of course it was a wee bit saltier than expected. BUT…still delicious. I shaped by hand. Any thoughts on doing that rather than using a cutter.

        Reply
        • Sam

          June 04, 2020 at 10:45 am

          Hi Ellen! My only caution in shaping it by hand rather than with any kind of cutter is that your hands are going to be much warmer than the cutter would be and that would warm up the butter as well. ๐Ÿ™‚

    2. Elizabeth

      December 16, 2019 at 7:35 pm

      What if the recipe calls for ยฝ cup unsalted butter and ยฝ teaspoon salt.I only have salted butter do I use 1/4 teaspoon of salt or no salt at all?

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        December 17, 2019 at 10:02 am

        Hi, Elizabeth! It really depends on the recipe. Most of the time I advise omitting the salt entirely.

        Reply
    3. Sherrie Swerbensky

      June 18, 2019 at 10:33 am

      I know that I am late to the party but I was wondering you ideas on doubling/tripling etc recipes and if you do the same thing for the baking powder/soda? I have heard mixed ideas about this.
      (I hope that makes sense)
      Thanks and have a blessed day,
      Sherrie

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 18, 2019 at 11:02 am

        Hi Sherrie! It really depends on the recipe if you want to be really particular, but generally yes you would double all ingredients in a recipe.

        Reply
    4. Shabnam

      May 23, 2019 at 11:46 pm

      Thanks for the butter sticks photo(and weight in grams). It’s always annoying when recipes call for a stick of butter and no decimal person ever knows what that means! Now I know!
      I get very fresh unsalted butter- but that means a trek to the shops. So I typically use salted butter an skip the added salt.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 24, 2019 at 10:08 am

        I’m so glad this was helpful for you, Shabnam. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5. Kaitlyn S

      March 08, 2019 at 11:01 am

      I NEVER paid attention to salted versus unsalted (we always have salted butter, never purchase unsalted) until I started baking and decorating sugar cookies. I made them several times, and they were great. I changed the brand of butter I used, added the salt, and they were way too salty. I traced it back to the butter, which I chose initially because it tasted better, but it tasted better because of the salt content. I always either use unsalted or cut the salt by half in the recipe.

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 09, 2019 at 10:18 pm

        It really makes a difference, doesn’t it!

        Reply
      • Dhalia

        March 23, 2019 at 2:24 pm

        Same here, we just always used salted butter but if I only have salted since I now follow many online recipes, and mainly use unsalted, then I’ll just omit the salt period. It doesn’t make that great a difference, salted or unsalted butter to me.

        Reply
      • David Barnes

        May 01, 2019 at 8:01 pm

        They add natural flavor to add flavor/preserve to the butter. It is soy and if avoiding soy, just use the salted butter. In fact everyone would be better off using the salted. The industry loads the cheapest ingredients in processed food

        Reply
        • Sam

          May 02, 2019 at 9:50 am

          Hi David, could you please provide a source regarding soy in unsalted butter? Spreadable butter or margarine may contain soy, but this post is about butter that we would use in baking and I’ve just never heard of soy being added nor can I find any information backing that up.

    6. Judy

      March 05, 2019 at 2:59 pm

      Hi. I usually have salted butter on hand.. that being said I have to admit to never adding the salt to a baking recipe.. I just never wanted extra salt .. I might try it now to see if it changes the flavor… but only one time.. I also cut all sugar by 1/3. To 1/2 stated. Maybe why some things donโ€™t rise as much.. TY for your article!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 05, 2019 at 10:43 pm

        I am glad you found it helpful, Judy! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    7. Kelli

      January 19, 2019 at 6:51 am

      Iโ€™ve never considered any of this!! Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 19, 2019 at 11:10 am

        You’re very welcome, Kelli! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    8. Jill

      December 23, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      Most recipes donโ€™t specify if salted or unsalted butter is to be used. I emailed an author once to ask and she said that for baking if itโ€™s not specified, assume itโ€™s salted butter. Do others agree with this? Making Christmas cookies and is always a dilemma. Spritz which calls for a cup of butter and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

      Reply
    9. Patsy Noel

      December 08, 2018 at 9:05 am

      My recipe for sand tarts calls for unbleached all purpose flour and no salt. So would it be okay to use salted butter? For some reason that is all I have in my fridge and my son wants to help or even bake the sand tarts today. He’s an adult and just wants to take the work off me. Sand tarts are a tiring chore but are very good and my men love them. Thank you for your information.

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 08, 2018 at 11:52 pm

        Hi Patsy! Since I don’t have the exact recipe in front of me I can’t honestly say for sure. If the recipe doesn’t specify whether you should use salted or unsalted butter and it doesn’t call for salt I would think you would be fine to use salted butter.

        Reply
    10. Aly

      October 31, 2018 at 2:39 pm

      Hey. My biggest issue with unsalted butter is the ingredients. If you can find me a brand that makes unsalted butter without the “natural flavor” I’d gladly use unsalted. Only salter butter has the 3 ingredients butter should have. Butter cream and salt. If you know about FDA standards of the term “natural” you would opt for salted butter. Have you ever tasted the difference? Especially in that cheapy brand you’re using. The flavor is so So bad. I bake ALL the time and constantly receive compliments. Never complaints of too much salt. This is America come on.

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 31, 2018 at 2:49 pm

        The natural flavor is for shelf stability, which salted butter doesn’t need added because it contains salt (a preservative). After years of experimenting and taste testing (verified “super taster” here), I stand by my recommendation of using unsalted and adding salt, but I am glad your way is working for you ๐Ÿ™‚
        Also if you’re referring to the brand of butter used in my photos here, I chose a generic butter so as to not promote a specific brand in this post.

        Reply
      • Clint

        April 20, 2019 at 8:14 pm

        Aly, your arrogance and skill at being judgmental is as powerful as you deem the butter brand Sam has photographed is bad.
        Afterall, this is America, come on!!!

        Reply
        • Kelly

          July 31, 2019 at 8:10 pm

          Thank u for ur eloquence of words In putting this commenter in her place I was utterly shocked at the level of rudeness being hurled at this sweet blogger who is only giving us her honest and well earned professional recommendation ITS ONLY SALT for heavens sake I was tempted to leave a super rude reply then read ur comment and was swiftly calmed down and just wanted to say THANK U!

        • deborah donnelly

          December 14, 2019 at 9:09 pm

          Thank you .I use salted butter everyday & cut back on salt or cut it out& not devoted to one kind .Its whatever is on sale when I need it .At the moment its on for $2.99 here in Canada .That saves me $1.25 per pound I am happy,

      • Liz

        November 14, 2019 at 9:20 am

        What about when the recipe doesn’t specify salted or unsalted butter?

        Reply
        • Sugar Spun Run

          November 14, 2019 at 12:07 pm

          Hello, Liz! Typically in my recipes if its not specified I use unsalted better. ๐Ÿ™‚

      • Suzzanne

        May 06, 2020 at 1:10 am

        Well Iโ€™ve baked all my life and I use that butter, if you like to spend money, use what you want, but in baking it all taste the same.
        OH I live in America!

        Reply
    11. Michelle Walker

      May 14, 2018 at 10:14 am

      Now that we have covered the know how about butter, all about light brown sugar vs. dark brown sugar. Most recipes don’t really clarify which to use.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 14, 2018 at 9:15 pm

        Great idea, I will work on a post about that, thank you for the idea! Usually if the recipe doesn’t specify I just default to/assume they mean light brown sugar

        Reply
    12. Honey

      May 08, 2018 at 8:18 am

      Thanks so much for the information didn’t know exactly what the difference was between the two, it was very helpful.

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 08, 2018 at 8:31 pm

        I’m very glad that you found it to be helpful! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Suzzanne

          May 06, 2020 at 1:13 am

          Iโ€™m very glad I found you and your recipes. Just made the yellow cake and chocolate frosting. I was going to say icing but that would tell you my age! Thank you for what you do!

        • Sugar Spun Run

          May 06, 2020 at 6:43 am

          I am so glad that you found my blog too and that you enjoyed the first recipe that you tried, Suzzanne! Thanks for commenting. I can’t wait to see what you try next. ๐Ÿ™‚

    13. Christine

      March 16, 2017 at 10:14 pm

      Thank you for taking on this topic! About 20 years ago I came across my first recipe that specified the use of ‘unsalted butter’. Before then, I never knew ‘unsalted butter’ existed. But, it made logical sense, as the recipe was for homemade Birthday cake and frosting from a famous bakery in NYC. Honestly, salt in fresh, homemade buttercream frosting does sound grose. I have never used ‘salted’ butter since when baking! If recipes do not state salted vs. unsalted, I opt for unsalted. Nicely worded blog post. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    14. Lisa

      January 27, 2017 at 11:13 am

      Awesome! Awesome!!! I have always wondered about this!!! It’s like you read my mind! This was so helpful as this exact situation happened to me last weekend when I was making banana bread. I only had salted and I omitted all the salt and it didn’t come out as good. Now I know. Thanks Sam – love your tips and recipes.

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 27, 2017 at 11:54 am

        Woohoo! So glad ou found it to be helpful, Lisa! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Thank you for commenting, I’m glad you enjoy the blog!

        Reply
    15. Mary Beth

      January 26, 2017 at 11:56 am

      Thanks for the tip! I usually use salted butter and sometimes omit the added salt. I don’t really notice a difference but I’ll try this next time. The only time I’ve had a recipe turn out way to salty is if I use salted nuts!

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 27, 2017 at 11:36 am

        I’m so glad that you found it helpful, Mary Beth! Thank you for commenting! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
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