Skip to main content

How to Soften Butter Quickly

Ah, butter  — at once the most pedestrian, unremarkable of foodstuffs yet also a delectable addition that makes everything better. Butter is in a unique category with foods like the onion, orange, and salt: we take them for granted, but can you imagine eating in a world without them? Butter is stable for up to three months in the fridge, it can last for nine months when stored frozen, and — it’s even safe for a couple of days stored at room temperature, provided you do so in a proper vessel that blocks light and limits air exposure. (A butter dish and more butter-focused kitchen gadgets, e.g.)

Indeed, keeping a portion of your butter stored at room temperature allows for quick and easy slathering onto bread, waffles, or pancakes and can make cooking with the rich, fatty stuff all the more efficient. From a standard fridge kept around 40º F, a standard stick of butter will take about an hour to soften through. Chopping it smaller will of course speed that up.

Recommended Videos

If you forgot to keep a bit of butter out of the fridge an hour ago (or yesterday) and now it’s time for slathering, cooking, or making butter into fancy shapes for the perfect holiday table tableau, fear not: it’s easy to quickly soften butter without melting it into liquid form. (Though there’s a time and a place for liquid butter, of course!)

How to Quickly Soften Butter

Ingredients/Tools:

  • A standard bowl (such as for cereal or soup)
  • 12 ounces of water
  • A second bowl (much like the first)
  • A microwave
  • Butter (placed in bowl #2)

Method:

  1. Put the water in bowl #1 and microwave it on high for 90 seconds
  2. Swap out the water bowl with the butter bowl and seal the steamy microwave ASAP
  3. Wait 8 to 10 minutes, and retrieve that perfectly soft butter from the microwave

Ah, but what to do with said perfectly soft butter? Why not try this perfectly simple recipe and whip up something sweet?

Easy Cinnamon Butter Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of softened butter
  • 3/4 cups of white sugar
  • 2 and 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 375º F
  2. Mix butter and sugar, then stir in egg and vanilla extract
  3. In separate bowl, mix all remaining powder ingredients, then stir into the wet ingredients and blend
  4. Use a cookie press if you have one, or use a spoon to drop ping-pong-ball sized balls of batter onto a cookie sheet and press them down to about a 1/4 inch in height (you can use the bottom of a glass)
  5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stopping once they turn golden

And if you want to turn things up to awesome, also mix in some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients. Because spice.

Steven John
Steven John is a writer and journalist living just outside New York City, by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, by way of…
7 must-know tips for the best burger seasoning for grilling
Noteworthy tips to bring the most flavor out of burgers
Burgers on a grill

I didn’t always know what I was doing on the grill. There was one summer when I learned how to make a hamburger, I figured a quick sprinkle of salt and pepper made me a burger expert. In reality ... it didn’t. The patties looked great, but they lacked flavor and soul. That’s when I started experimenting with spices, testing ratios, and learning what makes beef sing. Fast-forward to today, and I’ve landed on the best burger seasoning for grilling, and I’m laying it all out right here. If you want brag-worthy burgers, this list will get you there.
1. Seasoning matters more than you think

Ground beef is a blank canvas. It’s mild, even a little bland, to be honest. Seasoning transforms it because it adds depth, creates crust, enhances fat, and keeps you wanting to take your next bite. Skip this part, and even the fanciest beef falls flat. Gordon Ramsay is an industry vet who does an excellent job of showcasing how the work toward a great burger starts with getting your beef patties ready by seasoning them ahead of time.
2. You can mix it in or sprinkle it on, but I'd go with sprinkling

Read more
How to make a frozen cappuccino: The perfect refreshing coffee drink
How to find (and make) this frothy, frozen coffee
frozen cappuccino

A frozen cappuccino is not a drink you'll come across often. If you do find it on a menu, order it. Last week, I first saw this drink on a restaurant menu in Florida, which featured a spiked frozen cappuccino made with rich chocolate and a splash of spiced rum. I immediately knew I needed to learn more about this interesting take on an iced cappuccino. A frozen cappuccino is the perfect refreshing coffee drink to sip on a hot day or as a fun alternative to a frozen espresso martini. Here are three different ways to make a frozen cappuccino at home.
Easy frozen cappuccino recipe

Unlike the popular Starbucks Frappuccino, a frozen cappuccino in its most basic form is a frozen twist on a regular iced cappuccino. Using a blender to crush the ice creates a smooth, frozen, and slushy texture for this drink, almost like a "coffee smoothie". What makes a cappuccino unique is its stronger espresso flavor, made with a balanced ingredient ratio of 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 espresso, and 1/3 milk foam.

Read more
How to start a charcoal grill: It’s easier than you think
Firing up a charcoal grill is esay with the right technique
Charcoal grill

I used to avoid charcoal grills because they seemed like too much of a hassle. Gas felt easier because it was quick and required less effort. Once I took the time to learn how to start a charcoal grill, I realized it was more approachable than expected. The payoff in flavor and texture made it worth every step. Charcoal gives you better control over heat and a smoky finish that gas struggles to match. It requires a little patience, but the process quickly becomes second nature. With the right approach, anyone can grill with confidence and get great results from the first try.

Which type of charcoal should I pick?

Read more