Bored of your charcuterie boards? Want another spread to level up your tinned fish date night? Looking for a reason to turn an entire loaf of bread into a meal? TikTok’s latest trend, the butter board, might be the invention of your dipping dreams. Here’s everything to know about the viral snack and how to make one yourself.
The trend was first popularized by TikToker and recipe developer Justine Doiron. She posted a clip of her butter board creation on Sept. 15 for her 1.8M followers. “Have you heard of a butter board? This is what one looks like,” she says over a clip of colorful, lush dollops of butter with various toppings.
Doiron credits the butter board to chef Joshua McFadden, explaining that it’s the perfect snack while entertaining a group. The hashtag #butterboard now has 96.9M views and counting on TikTok, with Doiron’s original post racking up 8.3M likes since it was posted.
TikTok quickly ate the idea up (quite literally) as did the rest of the internet. Google Trends reported on Sept. 26 that the search term, “what is a butter board” increased by 750% in just a week. The customizability of the trend likely aids in its virality, as TikTokers are eager to use the rich butter base to set the scene for various palates of flavors like blueberry and lemon, shallots and green herbs, and prosciutto and caramelized onion.
If you’re looking for a last-minute dish for your weekend gathering, or just want a creative snack for yourself, here’s everything you need to know about the butter board trend taking over TikTok.
What Is A Butter Board?
While its iterations come in all shapes and sizes, a basic butter board is pretty self-explanatory. As the name suggests, a butter board is the result of butter spread across a board and used as the base for different toppings. The dish is meant to be served with bread so that guests can dip and swipe their way across the board to get a little bit of all of the flavors. Doiron does clarify in the comments of her viral video that you can, of course, serve it using a knife instead.
Though Doiron debuted the butter board with toppings like flake salt, lemon zest, and edible flowers, a butter board can be anything you make it. Takes on the trend, like one from @samschnur, include sweet toppings like figs, strawberries, and honey. If you approach the trend with a clear mind and the belief that nothing is out of bounds when it comes to making your butter board, you’re on the right track.
Want an Italian-style butter board? You can make that with the addition of pesto, Stracciatella cheese, roasted tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic glaze, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. How about a Desi butter board? That’s possible with the addition of mango chutney, sea salt, crispy garlic, coriander, and chili flakes.
Some users have even remixed the trend entirely — swapping butter for bases like cream cheese in this “everything but the bagel” board that’s begging to be enjoyed with a mimosa.
How To Make A Butter Board
To make a butter board, you’ll want to grab a serving board of your choosing. It might be smart to choose a board you find easy to clean since the butter will be greasy. Get some softened butter, and use the back of a spoon to delicately spread the butter across the board in small dollops. Or, if you’re not looking for anything too fancy, you can just spread the butter however way you choose.
Once you’ve created your butter base, choose some toppings that will highlight the rich ingredient's natural flavors. Ingredients like salt and honey are always good options, or you can opt for different spices and herbs if you want to make a savory board.
Grab a sliced loaf of bread, or any other conduit for dipping, and serve. Not only will you have the perfect party platter for any occasion, but you’ll also have the perfect conversation starter about how much you know about TikTok trends. Good for you.
