The Easiest Way to Soften Butter for Baking

You have a recipe you planned to make, but whoops – you forgot to take the butter from the fridge to soften. Not to worry, we tested several methods for how to soften butter quickly and came up with five of the fastest and easiest options.

Not every recipe requires softened butter, but when you have a recipe that states softened butter, you need to use it. Neither cold butter nor melted butter will have the same results in whatever you bake.

Image shows a Close up of a stick of butter on a wooden table.

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What Does Softened Butter Mean?

Softened butter refers to butter that has come to room temperature, which makes it pliable and easy to mix with other ingredients. It should still hold its shape but be soft enough to press into with slight resistance.

The easiest way to tell if butter is softened it to gently press a finger (or the flat edge of a knife) into the butter. If it leaves an indentation without sinking all the way through, it has softened perfectly.

Butter that’s too hard will feel firm and won’t give under pressure. On the other hand, if the butter is too soft or oily, it’s too warm and soft, which can cause issues in recipes, like cookies spreading too much or dough becoming too greasy.

Image shows a stick of butter in a white bowl with a finger testing its softness.

Why You Need To Use Softened Butter in Baking

When you make a batch of cookies, you generally see it call for you to cream softened butter with sugar to create that perfect fluffy base for your cookies and cakes. Creaming them together creates a tender crumb and delicate texture.

Using soft or room-temperature butter ensures you have a consistent texture throughout your batter or dough. Cold butter can cause small pockets of butter to remain in the dough, which can lead to uneven baking.

Using soft butter in baking also gives cookies and cakes more rise. Cold butter can slow down the chemical reaction between the baking powder or soda and the other ingredients in the recipe, resulting in denser final product.

We all want those cookies and cakes to turn out just like the pictures you see, right? Soft butter can help to speed up this reaction, resulting in a higher, fluffier cake or cookie.

PS This works just as well when you want butter for your toast as it does for baking. That said, I love my butter bell for my day-to-day butter uses that safely keeps it at room temperature.

How to Best Soften Butter

There are several ways to soften butter. These methods tend to work the best without melting the butter, which creates an entirely different set of issues with your baking.

Microwave Method

This is probably the most well-known method, and for good reason, it’s quick and it works like a charm. All you need is a microwave-safe dish and a microwave.

Cut the butter into small cubes or slices. The increased surface area helps to ensure all the butter gets softened without melting.

Image shows a Plate of butter cut up into pieces.

Place the butter in the microwave-safe dish and microwave the butter on low power for about 10–15 seconds. It’s very important to use the low-power option on your microwave here to ensure the butter doesn’t melt.

Check the butter after 10 seconds. If it’s not quite soft yet, give it another 5–10 seconds, but be aware that this method is the most likely to end up with butter that is too warm if you aren’t careful.

Hot Water Method

This method is a little bit more hands-on, but it’s still pretty easy. All you need is a bowl and some hot water.

Just like you would if you planned to use the microwave, cut the butter into small cubes or slices and place the butter in a bowl. Fill a saucepan with hot water and place the bowl of butter on top of the saucepan, ensuring the bowl is not touching the water.

The heat from the hot water will gently soften the butter in just a couple of minutes. Once the butter is soft, remove it from the bowl and it’s ready to use.

Hot Glass Method

This is a great method that takes just a few minutes and helps to soften butter evenly and quickly without melting it. You do need to check it every couple minutes, but this is my favorite method.

Fill a glass or mason jar with hot or boiling water, and let it sit for a minute or two to warm up. After a minute, pour out the water.

Stand your stick of butter – still in its wrapper – on its end. Place the warm glass upside down over your stick of butter on the counter.

The heat trapped inside will gently soften the butter in just a few minutes without melting it. It’s an easy way to soften butter evenly and quickly without using a microwave.

Image shows a stick of butter inside a warm mason jar to soften.

Room Temperature Method

This method takes a little bit longer, but it’s perfect if you’re planning ahead. All you need is some time and a cool room.

Remove your butter from the fridge and leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes to an hour. The butter will gradually soften as it comes to room temperature, though you ideally want it a few degrees below your actual room temperature when you use it.

Rolling Pin Method

This method requires a rolling pin, but it’s a great option if you’re in a hurry and don’t have access to a microwave or hot water. In a pinch, you can use something else like a wine bottle or a large jar.

Remove the butter from its wrapper and place it on a cutting board or a clean surface lined with a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place a second layer of parchment paper or wrap over the stick of butter.

Use the rolling pin to gently press down on the butter, rolling back and forth. The pressure from the rolling pin will soften the butter as it flattens.

Box Grater Method

If you’re in a real hurry, you can use a box grater as your last resort. This method is quick, but you’ll still need to wait a bit for softened butter so you may want to do this first and then get out the rest of the ingredients for your recipe.

Hold the butter in one hand with only the end still in its wrapper and grate it using the large holes of a box grater. The small pieces of butter will quickly come to room temperature and they’ll be soft and ready to use.

I use this method when I make homemade crescent rolls, as the dough is already warm so it helps to melt the butter pieces. Just be sure to watch your fingers!

Some Ideas for Using Softened Butter include:

There are a million ways to use softened butter. And not all of them involve baking.

The obvious it to use it in recipes that call for room-temperature butter, like cookies, cakes, and enriched breads like this Chocolate Orange Babka.

Mix it into mashed potatoes or cauliflower – it will melt and blend in quickly for an extra rich and creamy side dish. I like the texture it gives mashed veggies more than using cold butter.

Bookmark This Tutorial for Your Next Baking Emergency!

The next time you’re in a butter emergency, you’ll know exactly what to do. And, who knows, you may even impress your friends and family with your newfound butter-softening skills.

Image shows Butter ready for baking on a table with egggs with text fast and easy butter softening tips.

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