Are you wondering what European-style butter is? Before we dive into that, let's look at how butter is made. The basics: cows produce milk → cream comes from milk → cream is pasteurized → pasteurized cream is churned into butter.
Everything to know about European-style butter and how to use it
What Is European-Style Butter?
European-style butter is butter that is churned longer to achieve at least 82% butterfat. Pretty simple, right?
What’s the Difference Between Regular Butter and European-Style Butter?
American butter has 80% butterfat, while European style has at least 82%. A higher butterfat content means it contains less water, it's richer in taste, creamier in texture, brighter in color, and has a faster melt-ability.
How Do You Use European-Style Butter?
A good rule of thumb is that European-style butter is the best choice when the flavor of butter is needed as much as its purpose. Meaning, European style is good to use when you're making something that requires a buttery taste, like (garlic parmesan) butter noodles, a buttered bagel, or steak finished with (black truffle) butter.
With that said, European-style butter, like Epicurean Butter, can be used just like regular butter. There's no going wrong if you use European-style butter instead of regular butter. We use it in everything, and our food always tastes good, even when we mess up a recipe.
With 82% butterfat, Epicurean Butter is still the great tasting flavored butter it's always been, now just richer and creamier.
Learn more about Epicurean Butter in our blog,What Is Compound Butter?
FAQs
What's the Difference Between Regular Butter and European-Style Butter? American butter has 80% butterfat, while European style has at least 82%. A higher butterfat content means it contains less water, it's richer in taste, creamier in texture, brighter in color, and has a faster melt-ability.
What is special about European butter? ›
Typically churned longer than American butter, European butter has between 82 and 85 percent butterfat (European Union regulations call for between 80 and 90 percent in salted and between 82 and 90 in unsalted). It also has a richer taste, softer texture, and is brighter yellow in color than its American counterpart.
Does European butter need to be refrigerated? ›
This means that butter with a higher fat content, like a European-style variety, is a better bet to leave on the counter. If you want to be an overachiever, opt for a salted variety—more flavor, duh, but also because the salt acts as a preservative.
When should I use European butter? ›
Things like butter cookies or kouign-amann, which take most of their flavor characteristics from butter, are ideal candidates for European butter, Baldwin says. She adds, “Any type of recipe that depends on the fat in butter for either leavening or shortness will do best with a high fat butter.
What is the best butter in the world? ›
Why Cabot Creamy Won Best Butter. At the World Championship, all entries are evaluated by a panel of skilled experts from around the world. They examine the taste, look, texture, saltiness, and more before awarding a score out of a possible 100 total points.
Does European butter melt faster? ›
The higher percentage of butterfat in European-style butter means a richer taste, softer texture, and faster melt-ability.
Why do Europeans leave butter out? ›
"Back in Europe, to this day, butter is made with raw milk, versus here in the states, where it is made with pasteurized milk, allowing it to be stored out in the pantry or countertops." As a chef, Uzarowski has a preference for storing butter mostly in the pantry or out on the counter.
What is the difference between Irish butter and European butter? ›
Irish butter (such as Kerrygold) and European butter contain at least 82% butterfat for a creamier product and are easier to spread than classic butter. The difference between the two lies in a couple of details: Irish butter is salted and uncultured, while European butter is unsalted and cultured.
Can you freeze European butter? ›
As it turns out, butter is freezable and can be stored in the freezer for use in recipes or in case you need it in a pinch.
What butter do top chefs use? ›
The Best Store-Bought Butter, According to Chefs
It's unanimous: The best butter for sweet and savory applications is Kerrygold, our seven food pros agree. “It ticks every box for that classic 'butter' you think of in your head,” Fennel says.
Land O Lakes® Extra Creamy Butter is a European Style Butter. This means that it is still churned to meet European standards for butter, which has a lower moisture content and an increased fat content of 82%. This is in comparison to standard butter at 80%.
Does Costco sell European butter? ›
California Dairies European Style Butter, Unsalted, 1 lb, 4 ct | Costco.
Is European butter worth it? ›
Yes. It has a higher butterfat content than American butter—82% vs 80%. The amount of difference sounds small but it is believed to be enough to account for the difference in flavor and texture. More fat, more flavor.
Is European butter better for pie crust? ›
Pastry chefs know that the secret to flaky, delicate and decadent pie crusts is Challenge European Style Butter. Made more slowly, European style butter offers a richer flavor and contains less water, resulting in a richer, flakier pastry.
Can you use European butter in cookies? ›
The higher butterfat content of European-style butter doesn't always lend itself well to recipes developed and written in North America. The higher fat content can weigh down cakes and cookies, making them too rich. It is, however, an obvious choice in French pastries like gâteau breton, pâte sucrée, and kouign-amann.
Why is European butter more yellow? ›
In the United States, the diet of cows varies from those in Europe and Oceania, and there are also breed differences. The level of the natural pigment carotene in milk, derived from the diet of cows, is the strongest determinant in whether butter appears yellow.
Can I substitute regular butter for European butter? ›
European Style Butter, such as our Land O Lakes® Extra Creamy Butter, may be substituted for regular butter in any recipe. Whether salted or unsalted, our Extra Creamy Butter makes tender cookies and flaky pastries and crusts, making it a great choice for baking.
Why is Irish butter the best in the world? ›
Its superior flavor has everything to do with the cows and the way they are raised in Ireland. Compared to the majority of dairy cows in the United States, Kerrygold cows are hormone- and pesticide-free. They live out their lives munching on the nutrient-rich grass that imbues Ireland with its electric green color.
