Small batch butter recipes with Challenge Butter cubes

A super simple way to experiment with new butter flavors!

If you cook or bake even a few times a week, butter is probably always hanging out in your fridge. I recently came across Challenge Butter Cubes, which are adorable pre-portioned packs with 4 tablespoons of butter in each one. They turned out to be the perfect starting point for making small-batch flavored butters. I tested a bunch of combinations, and these are the ones I loved the most.

Long time Challenge Butter fan

Challenge Butter has been around since 1911, when four founders set out to support small cooperative creameries and make a better butter than the larger dairy companies of the time. They started with little more than a borrowed horse, a wagon, and a rented space in Los Angeles, but they had a big goal: put quality first. The name “Challenge” was inspired by a mural of two elk competing to become the “King of the Forest,” a fitting symbol for a company determined to stand out.

I first discovered Challenge Butter when I started creating recipes for social media back in the old days, AKA 2018. I’ve been a fan ever since.

How much butter in one cube?

These cubes are individually wrapped portions of butter, each one exactly 4 tablespoons, or 2 ounces. They come in both salted and unsalted versions. It sounds small, but I can’t tell you how many times I need a half stick of butter. I wind up sticking the portion that I didn’t use in a plastic bag, so the cubes are perfect for me.

Small batch flavored butter recipes

Each recipe starts with one Challenge Butter Cube, so you can make all four flavors using just two full sticks of butter.

Spicy Korean-Style Scallion Butter

Flavor profile: Garlicky, slightly smoky, mild heat

Use for: Steak, roasted vegetables, rice, noodles, or bread

Print

Fresh Herb Garden Butter

Flavor profile: Bright, fresh, herby

Use for: Chicken, fish, pasta, warm bread

Print

Truffle Pasta Butter

Flavor profile: Rich, earthy, slightly elevated

Use for: Pasta, ravioli, gnocchi

Print

Vanilla Bean Sweet Butter

Flavor profile: Warm, bakery-style, lightly sweet

Use for: Toast, pancakes, waffles, muffins

Print

Chili Herb Butter

Flavor profile: Savory with a little heat and freshness

Use for: Bread, grilled meats, vegetables

Print

Gotta love Challenge

Challenge Butter Cubes take something simple and make it more usable in a way that actually fits real life. The quality is solid, the format makes sense, and the flexibility is what makes it worth it.

If you like experimenting in the kitchen, even in small ways, this makes it easier.