One of the most frequently asked questions is salted vs unsalted butter – what is the difference? We’re breaking it down, along with simple substitutes, how to store and more!
Butter is such an important key ingredient in your cookies! Understanding the difference between salted butter and unsalted butter can fundamentally improve your baking for the better.
Does it make a difference which type you use? Will it ruin your recipe if you only have the kind that’s not required? Butter makes everything better, but only if you know these key rules of thumb for choosing the best butter for baking!
Table of Contents
The Difference Between Salted and Unsalted Butter
What’s the difference between salted and unsalted butter? It’s simply – salt! These butters are almost exactly the same, with one key difference: salt. Salted butter simply has additional salt on top of the sweet creamy flavor.
Since butter is used in a wide variety of recipes, it’s important to have a basic grasp of the fundamentals. Learn how to substitute the different types of butter and which kind is generally preferred, depending on the type of recipe you’re tackling.
Salted Vs Unsalted Butter – a Comparison
Salted Butter
Salted Butter is butter with added salt. It’s truly the only difference. The added salt acts as a preservative extending shelf life.
Salt brings out all the other flavors in baking. If you opt to use salted butter, it’s typically best to reduce or omit salt in the recipe.
Unsalted Butter
Unsalted butter is butter in its purest form – there is no added salt. It is often fresher in taste. Salt is a natural preservative, so unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life.
It tends to have a slightly sweet flavor. Most recipes are based on unsalted or sweet butter. It is a go-to for baking.
If a recipe doesn’t specify, you’ll generally want to use unsalted butter.
Unsalted butter gives you complete control when cooking and baking, allowing you to add salt as needed. This helps you customize a recipe to your tastes and dietary needs!
Substituting Salted and Unsalted Butter
Typically, every half cup (1 stick, ¼ pound, 115 grams) of salted butter contains about ¼ teaspoon of salt. To substitute unsalted butter for salted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt. To substitute salted butter for unsalted butter, reduce salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon.
Unfortunately, the amount of salt can vary between brands. Since baking is all about science, it’s important to proceed with caution and taste prior to adding salt.
Do not use salted butter without omitting or reducing salt in simple recipes like sugar cookies. It’s more suitable for flavorful recipes like Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Can I substitute salted butter for unsalted butter?
Yes, you can. You may want to omit or reduce the amount of salt in the recipe or add salt to taste before adding eggs.
What is the healthiest butter?
The only difference in nutrition between salted butter and unsalted butter is the sodium. Per USDA salted butter has 90 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon.
How long is salted butter good for?
Salted butter can be kept on the counter at room temperature, however, it will stay fresh longer refrigerated. It keeps well up to five months refrigerated. It can be frozen up to six months if frozen prior to the use by date without losing flavor.
It is best wrapped in its original container with the date and placed in a freezer bag to prevent odors from seeping in. Alternatively, you can use plastic freezer wrap. Beyond that, it may absorb freezer odors or lose flavor. Use within 30 days after removing it from the freezer.
How long is unsalted butter good for?
Unsalted butter keeps well 1-3 months refrigerated, according to USDA. It can be frozen up to four months in its original container and placed in a freezer bag or wrapped with plastic freezer wrap or waxed paper and placed in a freezer bag.
You can test for yourself using Disappearing Marshmallow Cookies, Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Christmas Wreath Cookies which taste amazing with a hint of added salt.
Now you know the difference between salted vs unsalted butter!
Join the cookie club! Receive the best new cookie recipes and tips delivered directly to your inbox!
Unsalted butter gives you complete control of the overall flavor of your recipe. This is especially important in certain baked goods where the pure, sweet cream flavor of butter is key (butter cookies or pound cakes). As it pertains to cooking, unsalted butter lets the real, natural flavor of your foods come through.
If you're baking and swapping in salted butter, the excess water from salted butter may make more of an impact. This is because extra water can have an effect on how gluten reacts and forms within dough. Consider slightly lessening any additional water the recipe may call for.
I use salted every time, no matter what, and still add the amount of salt in the recipe. Never ever had an issue, and no, my cookies are not excessively salty tasting. But you could use a little less and probably not change the taste of the cookies, while reducing the amount of sodium.
In general, with baking you want to use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in your final product. I tend to follow this rule, but I did notice that even the biscuit recipe that I liked the best only called for a small amount of salt.
The best butter for your baked goods depends on what type of recipe you're whipping up. Unsalted, American-style butter works well in goods like cookies, pound cakes and pancakes that require the high-fat content of conventional butter and more flexibility with salt and flavor content.
Here's why: Most importantly: unsalted butter ensures that you can control the amount of salt you add to your cakes, cookies and Fig and Almond Breakfast Cake. Different companies add different amounts of salt to their butter.
But if you only have unsalted butter when the recipe calls for regular butter, you can add a ¼ teaspoon of salt for every stick or ½ cup of Challenge Unsalted Butter required.
Salted butter will add extra salt to your baked goods. If your recipe does not call for salt, you may want to reduce the amount of salt you add. Salted butter can make your baked goods more brown. This is because the salt helps to draw out moisture from the butter, which causes the crust to brown more quickly.
The simple answer is that yes, it is fine to use salted butter in baking. That being said, there is a reason that bakers – myself included – and just about all other cooks use unsalted butter as their kitchen staple instead of salted. Salt serves two roles in butter, acting as a preservative and as a flavoring agent.
Can I Use Salted Butter to Replace Unsalted Butter and Visa Versa? In a pinch, you can replace unsalted butter with salted, as long as you reduce the amount of additional salt in the recipe.
When using salted butter in baking, it's important to keep in mind that it may impact the final taste of the product as it contains added salt. It's recommended to either reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by a 1/4 teaspoon or omit it completely. The amount of butter used in the recipe should not be changed.
And if you come across a recipe that calls for unsalted butter and all you have is salted butter, simply decrease the salt in the recipe by the same ratio above—1/4 teaspoon of salt per 1/2 cup of butter.
It all comes down to what you're cooking. If you're sauteing vegetables, toasting bread, basting pork chops, scrambling eggs, or making a sauce, chances are you can use salted butter and that added sodium will also add some flavor enhancement to whatever you're making.
If you find your fridge empty in the butter department or can't tolerate dairy, you can swap it completely with these butter replacements. For 1 cup unsalted butter, substitute 1 cup shortening, ⅞ cup (that's 14 Tbsp. or ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp.)vegetable oil, or ⅞ cup lard.
The differences might be almost imperceptible—a touch more or less salty flavor, minor changes in texture due to the fact that variations in salt content can also lead to variations in water content—but you could also be way off and end up with a dessert so salty that you can't eat it.
Salted butter has a saltier taste that can block the taste of the baked goods. If you want to have complete flavor in your baked goods then use unsalted butter. If you control the salt then you can control the flavor of the finished product.
How to Substitute Salted Butter and Unsalted Butter. It's best to use the type of butter called for in a recipe. But here's a general rule: reduce or add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per 1/2 cup (1/4 lb; 115g; 1 stick) of butter.
Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
