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Bacon Butter

Homemade bacon butter is the most glorious spread and condiment you can imagine — a wondrous combination of creamy butter and crunchy bacon. This spreadable elixir has so many potential uses, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Our Bacon Butter recipe features the tastiest blend of crunchy bacon, creamery butter, pan roasted garlic, shredded Parmesan cheese and seasonings.

Serve it melting over a hot steak just off the grill. Accompany crostini or crackers with this bacon compound butter for a delectable appetizer. Spread it on toast, melt it over baked potatoes, or try one of the other dozen other serving ideas we share below.

A bowl of bacon butter garnished with bacon lardons, four rolls, and a spreader knife on a wood background.

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Bacon butter is easy to make, and you’ll turn to it again and again to add creamy, amazing flavor to so many dishes.

For more creative ways to enjoy bacon’s amazing deliciousness, be sure to check out our recipes for Bacon-Infused Vodka, Bacon Aioli and Bacon Salt, too!

Why You’ll Go Hog Wild for This Recipe

Bacon Butter is a versatile spread and condiment that adds amazing flavor to everything you put it on.

It’s quick and easy to make, and doesn’t require any fancy ingredients.

Bacon Butter makes a fun food gift! Just put it in a resealable jar and store in the fridge or freezer until it’s time to give it to your lucky recipient. Bacon butter can be refrigerated for up to 7 days or frozen for up to a month.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Two sticks of butter, a bowl of shredded Parmesan cheese, ground black pepper, two garlic cloves, six bacon slices and a pig shaped cutting board.

Shown from the top, here are the ingredients you’ll need to prepare this bacon butter recipe:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened – You can use unsalted or salted butter, depending on how salty you want the final product to be.
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 6 slices thick cut bacon – The thicker slices work best for this recipe. If you only have regular-cut bacon on hand, no problem. Just add 2 more slices to the recipe.

Equipment Needed

Here’s what you need in the kitchen to make this recipe:

  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Large skillet
  • Slotted spoon
  • Paper towels
  • Small skillet
  • Food processor
  • Spatula
  • Serving dish

Step by Step Instructions

Chop the bacon in 1/2-inch pieces with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors.

A pile of chopped bacon and a knife on a cutting board.

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it is brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain.

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat, which will go in the Bacon Butter and add amazing flavor.

(You can strain and save the remaining drippings for cooking SO many tasty things! Here’s what to do with bacon grease, 25 ways to use bacon fat and 20 best bacon fat recipes.)

Chopped cooked bacon in a black cast iron skillet with a slotted spoon scooping it out.

Now it’s time to pan roast the garlic. I love this easy method for quickly roasting just a few cloves of garlic. The process takes away the harsh flavor of raw garlic and replaces it with sweet, smooth garlic flavor that works so well with this recipe.

In a small skillet, heat the unpeeled garlic cloves over medium heat until they just start to brown, about 6 minutes. Turn over and continue cooking until garlic is fragrant and soft, about 10 to 12 minutes total.

2 cloves of unpeeled, lightly browned pan roasted garlic in a gray skillet.

When the garlic cloves are cool enough to handle, remove the peels and chop the garlic finely.

Put the cooked bacon, softened butter, reserved 2 tablespoons bacon fat, chopped roasted garlic, Parmesan cheese and pepper in the bowl of a food processor.

Softened butter, cooked bacon, Parmesan cheese, and chopped roasted garlic in the bowl of a food processor.

Process until bacon is chopped up and mixture is blended. Use a spatula to redistribute any excess mixture from the sides of the food processor bowl, and pulse one or two more times until blended.

Bacon butter in the bowl of a food processor with a red spatula.

How simple is that??

Adjust seasonings if necessary, and spread into a serving dish.

Bacon butter in a wooden serving dish, with a small knife that has scooped some up, surrounded by brioche rolls.

Pro Recipe Tips

To soften chilled butter, leave it out at room temperature for about an hour before using. Cutting it in small pieces will speed up the process. Another trick is to grate the sticks of butter in a box grater.

Cook the chopped bacon until all the pieces are crispy, and drain them well. Crisply cooked bacon will chop better in small pieces in the food processor.

If you like, before serving you can garnish the bowl of bacon butter spread with bacon lardons, those crispy little morsels of goodness!

10 Ways to Use Bacon Butter

There are so many ways to “spread the love” with this tasty butter:

  1. To top baked or mashed potatoes
  2. Over hot pasta
  3. On a butter board
  4. Spread on warm cornbread
  5. Over steamed green beans
  6. Spread on a hamburger
  7. On a charcuterie board
  8. With biscuits
  9. On a hot steak
  10. Broiled on a French baguette for the ultimate bacon garlic bread

If you discover new ways to use bacon butter, drop a comment below!

Recipe Variations

Maple Bacon Butter – Omit the garlic and Parmesan cheese from the recipe. Add 1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring and 1 tablespoon maple syrup to the mixture in the food processor bowl, and proceed with the recipe.

Bacon Herb Butter – Add 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives and 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley to the mixture in the food processor bowl, and proceed with the recipe. Feel free to substitute your favorite fresh herbs.

How to Store Leftovers

Bacon butter can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped, for up to a week. It freezes very well, and can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Here’s the full, printable recipe:

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A bowl of bacon butter garnished with bacon lardons, four rolls, and a spreader knife on a wood background.

Bacon Butter

Eliza Cross
Bacon Butter is the creamiest, most delectable spread that infuses tasty bacon flavor
5 from 23 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Bacon Spreads and Sauces
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 199 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 6 slices thick cut bacon
  • 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 cup butter, softened*
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • bacon lardons or bacon bits for garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Chop the bacon in 1/2-inch pieces with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
  • In a small skillet, heat the unpeeled garlic cloves over medium heat until they just start to brown, about 6 minutes. Turn over and continue cooking until garlic is fragrant and soft, about 10 minutes total. When the garlic cloves are cool enough to handle, remove the peels and chop the garlic finely.
  • Put the cooked bacon, softened butter, reserved bacon fat, chopped roasted garlic, Parmesan cheese and pepper in the bowl of a food processor.
  • Process until bacon is chopped up and mixture is blended. Use a spatula to redistribute any excess mixture from the sides of the food processor bowl, and pulse one or two more times until blended.
  • Adjust seasonings if necessary, and spread into a serving dish. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Notes

*To soften chilled butter, leave it out at room temperature for about an hour before using. Cutting it in small pieces will speed up the process. Another trick is to grate the sticks of butter in a box grater.
Store the bacon butter in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped, for up to a week. It freezes very well, and can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES

Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes!

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcalCarbohydrates: 0.3gProtein: 3.7gFat: 20.5gSaturated Fat: 11.5gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 331mgPotassium: 60mgCalcium: 7mg
Nutritional Information Disclosure
Keyword bacon condiments, bacon spread, butter
Did you make this recipe? We love seeing what you made! Be sure to leave a review, and show us your bacon creations on Instagram! Tag us at @BensaBaconLovers!

Got questions? Just ask! I’m happy to help. You might also enjoy the bacon butter recipe web story.

If you post your creations on social media, tag #BENSABaconLovers so I can share! Thank you for your support. – Eliza

Nutrition Disclaimer: All nutritional information shared on this site is an approximation. I am not a certified nutritionist, and any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline.

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eliza cross

About Eliza & BENSA

BENSA was founded by bacon expert Eliza Cross, author of more than a dozen cookbooks. She has written three bacon cookbooks including the award-winning Bacon Beans and Beer, the bestselling 101 Things to Do With Bacon, and the popular sequel 101 More Things to Do With Bacon. Learn more about BENSA...

12 thoughts on “Bacon Butter”

  1. 5 stars
    The flavors are so complex and amazing, the roasted garlic is not to be missed! We slathered it on French bread and toasted it like garlic bread – AHMAZING!

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    Oh, girl, you seriously have gone and done it now!! My hubby is our grill master and always adds a pat of compound butter to his steaks. Just wait until he hears about this — he will surely go hog wild!

    Reply

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