This easy homemade roasted garlic butter (aka garlic compound butter) requires just 3 ingredients (with tons of optional add-ins) and can be made from scratch or with pre-made butter for a mouthwatering addition to veggies, meats, garlic bread, and more!

A few months ago, I shared a recipe to make my favorite garlic bread with homemade roasted garlic butter. However, along with spreading over bread, roasted garlic butter is the ultimate flavor-booster for proteins, veggies (like corn on the cob), and really anything savory that needs that “something special.” Which is why this easy roasted garlic compound butter deserves a post of its own (with a long list of recommended uses included!).

I love making homemade compound butter (aka flavored butter). Along with sharing a basic recipe for homemade butter (ONE ingredient!), I’ve also shared recipes for avocado butter, vanilla butter, and cinnamon butter. This time, we’re turning savory again with this lightly caramelized, wonderfully tender roasted garlic compound butter.

All it requires is a couple of super-simple steps: roasting the garlic, then combining the ingredients, and you’re ready to boost any meal in style! And with tons of add-ins to choose from, you’ll be loving experimenting with this roasted garlic herb butter. Plus, even though the recipe technically takes almost an hour, the actual hands-on prep time is below 10 minutes! So let’s jump right in!

Roasted Garlic Butter Ingredients

The basic roasted garlic butter recipe requires just 3-4 ingredients, including:

• Roasted garlic: I’m so obsessed with roasted garlic that I now nearly always have some stored in the fridge or freezer.
• Butter: you can make the butter from scratch OR make a quick garlic butter using pre-made unsalted butter. It needs to be softened but not melted. If needed, you can use salted butter, but then reduce any extra salt from the recipe.
• Salt: add salt to taste.

And optionally:

• Oil: If you’re roasting garlic, especially for this homemade garlic butter, you’ll also need a little oil to brush the garlic before roasting. I recommend olive oil or avocado oil.

I often add a tablespoon (or slightly more) of fresh parsley to the garlic herb butter, no matter what else I choose to add (below).

Optional Add-ins and Variations

As usual with compound butter, there are TONS of ways to adapt this homemade garlic butter recipe to add extra flavor. Here are some of my favorite options.

• Lemon: you can add lemon to make this into a lemon garlic butter sauce or hardened compound butter. To do so, add the juice (if making the melted garlic butter sauce) and zest of one lemon and a handful of chopped parsley and/or chives.
• Parmesan: to make garlic parmesan butter, mix around ¼ cup of freshly grated parmesan and a pinch of Italian seasoning to the roasted garlic butter.
• Smoked paprika: this adds a wonderful smoky depth to the roasted garlic butter and would work in the regular version or either of the two options above (especially the garlic parmesan butter).
• Herbs: there are tons of herbs that pair well with roasted garlic. You could make rosemary garlic butter (wonderful with lemon zest too), garlic parsley butter, garlic basil butter, garlic chive butter, garlic thyme butter, etc. Add the herbs finely chopped (about a Tbsp).
• Spicy: for spicy garlic butter, you could add some red pepper flakes or chili sauce.
• Black pepper: add a subtle “heat” to the roasted garlic butter recipe with the addition of cracked black pepper (to taste).
• Garlic truffle butter: for this version, I like to use a tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs along with either some truffle salt OR truffle pâté/paste.
• Honey garlic butter: last but not least, this sweet and savory DIY garlic butter is made as a melted butter sauce rather than hard compound butter usually. Use equal parts butter and honey with a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped parsley, too. Add a little chili sauce or pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat.

Let me know in the comments if there are other garlic compound butter flavor combinations I haven’t thought of!

How to Make Roasted Garlic Butter?

Learning how to make garlic butter is incredibly simple and requires just two simple steps!

Step 1: Roast the Garlic

If you haven’t already got roasted garlic to hand, then first, it’s time to prepare that (otherwise, skip this step). To do so, slice the top 2 inches of the garlic head and drizzle or brush with a bit of olive oil.

Wrap in a parchment paper or aluminum foil parcel and then roast in a pre-heated oven at 400ºF/200ºC for between 30-40 minutes, until golden and tender.

For even more caramelized garlic, remove the foil/parchment from the garlic head at the end. Then continue to roast or broil for a few more minutes until darker. You can also read all my top tips and tricks for roasted garlic here!

Step 2: Mix the Roasted Garlic Butter

Once ready, allow the garlic to cool slightly (until you can handle it). Then use your hands to easily pop out the roasted garlic cloves into a small bowl and mash with a fork.

Combine the softened butter with the roasted garlic, mix, and season with salt, to taste.

OR add all the ingredients to a small blender and process until combined.

You can either use the butter immediately, transfer it to the fridge to set in the bowl, OR roll it into a log wrapped in parchment paper/wax paper (or plastic wrap) before transferring it to the fridge.

It’s best to allow it to come back to room temperature before spreading.

How to Use Garlic Butter?

There is certainly no shortage of ways to use this delicious garlic compound butter. Some of my top recommendations include:

• To make the BEST homemade garlic bread (and cheesy garlic bread).
• Spread over other bread dishes like sweet potato flatbread, bagel, simit, focaccia, crusty no-knead bread, etc.
• To toss with cooked vegetables: roasted, steamed, or sauteed (like these sauteed mushrooms or baked corn on the cob).
• Use over egg dishes like scrambled eggs, omelettes, etc.
• Mix into creamy mashed potatoes or toss with boiled/steamed new potatoes.
• Stir into grains like rice, quinoa, and couscous for extra flavor.
• Use to make garlic butter noodles.
• Use to baste or serve with meats like chicken, steak, shrimp, crab, and salmon.
• Combine with a couple more ingredients to make garlic butter sauce.
• Brush over the outside of a grilled cheese.
• Swirl into soup when serving – like this Creamy Roasted Garlic Potato Soup, Ginger Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk, or Vegetarian Minestrone Soup.

How Make Ahead and Store?

Make ahead: you can roast the garlic 1-2 days in advance. Then store it wrapped tightly in the fridge until ready to make the recipe.

Store: store the roasted garlic butter either tightly wrapped or in an airtight container in the fridge for between 3-4 days. While it won’t turn “bad” after that, there is a risk of botulism due to the garlic being in an anaerobic environment, so I don’t recommend consuming it past that.

Freeze: you can freeze the roasted garlic compound butter for up to two months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using (or defrost it in the microwave for just 10-20 seconds).

Recipe Tips and FAQs

• Can I use raw garlic? Technically you can, and it tastes nice. However, this roasted garlic butter is truly decadent and moreish and is a must-try! If using fresh garlic, reduce the amount (use between 2-3 garlic cloves) as the flavor will be much stronger.
• Could I use ghee? If you plan to use the garlic herb butter melted, then feel free to use ghee in place of butter. However, for thick, spreadable compound butter, use regular butter.
• Can I use vegan butter? Aboslutely, the process will be exactly the same.
• Adjust the texture: You can hand mash/mix the garlic compound butter or add all the ingredients and process until smooth. The first will result in a chunkier texture, while the latter will be a smooth and creamy whipped garlic butter.
• Adjust the amount of garlic used: Based on how strong you want the flavor within the garlic herb butter.

More Ways to Enjoy Garlic

• Fermented garlic honey
• How to make garlic confit
• Pickled garlic (plain and spicy)
• Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
• Creamy Roasted Garlic Dressing
• How to make garlic powder + garlic flakes
• Lebanese garlic sauce
• Garlic chili-infused honey
• How to make garlic paste
• How to peel garlic (6+ ways tested)
• Black Garlic – what it is, how to make it, and how to use it!

If you try this easy roasted garlic butter recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!