How to Soften Butter Quickly
Learn how to soften butter fast! When you forget to set out butter out ahead of time, try these few methods to quickly soften butter to achieve the ideal consistency for recipes that require room temperature butter.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
Instructions
Trick #1: Microwave the Butter
- Place the stick of butter on a microwave-safe dish. Use low power (around 30%) and microwave for 10 seconds. Then, turn it over and on low power, microwave for 8 seconds. If it has not reached room temperature yet, flip once more and on low power, microwave for 5 seconds.
Trick #2: Microwave Steaming
- Pour 2 cups of water into a microwave-safe cup or bowl– I often use a liquid measuring cup. Microwave it for 3 minutes until extremely hot, near or just boiling. Meanwhile, slice the butter into roughly even slices (8-10 slices) and place it in a heatproof bowl or plate.
- Carefully remove the water from the microwave and quickly place the butter in the microwave. Let it sit for 10-12 minutes– the remaining heat and steam will soften the butter.
Trick #3: Glass or Cup Steaming
- Pour 2 cups of water into a microwave-safe cup or bowl that is large enough to cover the butter– I often use a 2-cup or 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Microwave it for 3 minutes until extremely hot, near or just boiling. Let it sit for 3 minutes to further warm the cup. (Alternatively, fill a heatproof bowl or cup with boiling water and let it sit for 3 minutes.)
- Place the wrapped butter on a plate standing up. Pour the water out of the cup and place immediately over the butter. Check at the 6 minute mark, then every minute after– it will take about 7-9 minutes. Unwrap the butter and let it sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes, if desired, you can cut into slices or cubes to further speed up the process.
Trick #4: Cut into Slices or Cubes
- Slice the butter into 10 roughly even slices. Let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes. Alternatively, slice the butter in half lengthwise, flip and cut in half lengthwise again resulting in 4 long sticks of butter. Then, make 8 slices resulting in 32 cubes of butter. Let it sit on the counter for 8-10 minutes.
Notes
- The best way to soften butter is to simply leave it out on the counter about 1-2 hours before you need it. The amount of time depends on the season and how cool you keep the house. For example, sitting the butter on the counter ahead of time will vary during warmer months– likely around 30 minutes while colder months it could be closer to 2-3 hours.
- The more butter the recipe calls for, the larger the bowl or plate you need to hold the butter to give it room to breathe.