Will Butter Boards Take Over as the Next Big Food Trend?

Have you heard of a butter board? Chances are, you probably have by now. But in case you haven’t jumped on the butter board trend yet, the question was asked by TikTok star and recipe developer Justine Doiron (@justine_snacks) in a recent video post. In the video, Doiron spreads softened butter on a (very appropriate) bread-shaped board and covers it with spices, herbs, and other toppings and says that she wants the butter board to “become the next charcuterie board.” Well, step aside meat-and-cheese boards, because that wish is becoming reality: The video turned into a viral sensation overnight. 

Doiron's caption innocently claims she was just in a “goofy butter mood,” so it must be an unexpected surprise to find the 28-second video getting so much attention. At the time of writing this, the video has 8.1 million views on TikTok and 133,000 views on Instagram. The term “butter board trend” has also spiked by 750% on Google search trends within the week—but what makes these boards so special?

What Is a Butter Board?

In her video, Doiron credits the butter board concept to chef Joshua McFadden's cookbook, Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables. The idea revolves around gathering together, spreading softened butter on a plate or board, and topping it with pretty much anything that sounds delicious. Doiron's popular TikTok video shows her topping the butter with plenty of flaky salt, herbs, edible flowers, lemon zest, honey, and red onion. Of course, you have to serve it up with fresh, crusty bread for dipping, which Doiron credits as feeling “really communal.”

Butter Board Ideas

Since the video’s debut, a slew of different butter board ideas have made it into TikToks and Instagram Reels, and the term “butter board ideas” has shot up over 100% on Google searches in the past week. Doiron posted a butter board recipe with ideas on her site, but butter boards can really go any way you want.  

“The toppings are super versatile, and you can go sweet or savory with a butter board,” says Annie Probst, food stylist at Dotdash Meredith. Probst plans to go sweet with her own butter boards by topping compound butter with a variety of nuts, dried fruit, and a cinnamon-sugar sprinkle. “It’ll go great with cinnamon-swirl bread or pumpkin bread,” she says.

For a savory option, Juliana Hale, senior culinary specialist in the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen, recommends a combination of sautéed cremini mushrooms deglazed with balsamic vinegar, pickled onion, blue cheese crumbles, and herbs. 

In the past few years, we’ve seen charcuterie take the form of houses and cups. The trend even went beyond non-meat related themes (charcuterie literally means pork-butcher’s shop in French) by taking the form of dessert boards, holiday candy boards, and even brunch boards. Now with butter boards in the picture, there are plenty of ways to put that pretty wood board or serving platter in the cabinet to good use for easy entertaining.