Here's what the experts had to say.
We've all been there. You're in the kitchen following a recipe, and it calls for unsalted butter. You go to the fridge to find that you only have salted butter. You think, What's the difference? Can't you still use salted butter? Some people would say not really.
We asked two chefs for their insight into the butter debate—Meg Walker, CEO and executive chef of Made by Meg Catering, and Chef Kim Canteenwalla, principal and managing director of the Blau + Associates restaurant group.
Differences Between Salted And Unsalted Butter
The main difference between salted and unsalted butter is, you guessed it, salt. "Unsalted butter has long been hailed as the superior butter in all applications in the kitchen," said Walker. The main reason is because it has no salt. "When you use salted butter, it combines two ingredients in a ratio that you can't control," she said. "Need a cup of butter? Then you are automatically getting all the salt that comes in that cup of salted butter."
When To Use Salted Butter
Both chefs agreed that when it comes to cooking and baking, salted butter is not the way to go because you can't control the amount of salt that will go in the recipe. But, salted butter is a great option to use after the cooking and baking process—like slathering on cornbread or blueberry muffins.
"For me, there is nothing better on a fresh loaf of bread than salted butter," said Canteenwalla. "Salted butter is great on bread or as a finishing ingredient to steamed veggies or on corn."
Keep in mind, some salted butter might also have additional flavors or additives.
When To Use Unsalted Butter
"As a chef, I don't believe a salted butter is ever better than an unsalted butter," said Walker. "I want to be in control of the salt content."
Most recipes, especially for baked goods, call for unsalted butter for that very reason. "When baking or cooking, the only choice for me is unsalted," said Canteenwalla. "There is no need to have salt in the butter; it gives you better control over your recipe to add the salt and seasonings yourself."
Additionally, the sweet cream flavor of unsalted butter is important for some baked goods, according to advice on the Land O Lakes website. "Unsalted butters are the purest butter ingredient that a chef can add to a dish," said Walker.
Can You Use Salted And Unsalted Butter Interchangeably?
"In a pinch, using either salted or unsalted butter is a possibility," said Walker. "Just remember to back off the salt when you use salted butter!" In this scenario, you'll want to taste and salt as you go to avoid over-salting your dish. This also depends on whether you're cooking or baking, of course, as you can't realistically taste as you go when you're baking.
Expertise: food & culture (Sustainability, Health, Travel)
Education: M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, B.S. in Information Science (User Experience Design) from the University of Michigan
About Me: As the Associate Editor at Delish, Allie is a writer, reporter, and producer of features at the intersection of food and culture. Before Delish, Allie worked for publications including Apartment Therapy and Insider. She even spent time working in restaurants and breweries. Allie has dumpster-dived in NYC to expose food waste, reported on the invasive lionfish you can eat, and wrote about the growing trend of weed weddings. Her health and nutrition stories on hydration culture, bananas, and coffee have generated nearly 2M combined views. She loves traveling, running, and eating her way through new places and even has a thorough Google Maps ranking system for her favorite restaurants and bars! When not writing about food, she's planning her next trip, lifting weights, or training for a race.
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