Parmesan Chive Butter

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Parmesan chive butter is one of my favorite homemade butters. This compound butter takes about 5 minutes to make with softened butter, fresh chives and finely grated Parmesan.

My other favorites are roasted garlic butter, cinnamon honey butter and strawberry butter. As you can see, I like flavored butter a lot. If you haven’t tried making it at home, I highly recommend it.

How to make chive butter with Parmesan

Rinse the chives and dry them well before chopping. Extra water can make the butter loose, so make sure the chives are not still wet when they go into the bowl.

The butter should be soft enough to mix easily with a fork, but not melted. Put it in a bowl with the finely grated Parmesan and chopped chives, then mix until well combined.

Give it a taste. You can add more chives or Parmesan if you like. Parmesan already adds salt, so taste the butter before deciding whether it needs any more. You could also add a pinch of black pepper, but I usually leave it out.

Where to use it

My favorite is spreading it over a slice of sourdough bread.

It is also good on potatoes. Use it on loaded hasselback potatoes, roasted potatoes or baked potatoes. For mashed potatoes, you can add the butter cold, straight from the fridge, and let the heat melt it through.

Add a little to vegetable foil packets or let it melt over grilled vegetables. Warm corn on the cob is another good one. For a more garlicky corn topping with cilantro and lime, try my garlic Parmesan corn on the cob.

A small pat also melts nicely over hot steak or grilled fish.

Good to know

Use real butter rather than a butter substitute or spread. I prefer unsalted butter, but salted butter will also work.

Grana Padano or Pecorino will also work here. I personally love Pecorino, but it is stronger and saltier than Parmesan, so I would use a little less.

If you end up with a lot of chives from the garden and need ideas for the rest, this guide on how to preserve chives is helpful.

How to store it

You can make this butter ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. A jar with a lid, a ramekin covered with plastic wrap or a log rolled in plastic wrap all work.

For spreading, take it out about 15 to 30 minutes before serving so it can soften. The exact time depends on how warm your kitchen is.

For hot mashed potatoes, corn or vegetables, you can use it straight from the fridge.

Because it contains fresh chives, I don’t keep it longer than 1 week. I prefer making a small batch rather than a large amount I might not use in time.

Butter freezes well, so you can freeze this if you like. Shape it into a log, wrap it tightly and freeze it for a couple of months.

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4.72 from 7 votes

Parmesan Chive Butter

A simple compound butter made with fresh chives and finely grated Parmesan. Spread it on bread or let it melt over corn, potatoes, vegetables, steak or fish.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Author: Julia

Ingredients

1x2x3x

USMetric

• ▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, 1 stick
• ▢ ⅓ cup Parmesan finely grated
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh chives chopped

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Instructions 

• Rinse the chives and dry them well, then chop finely.
• Put the softened butter, finely grated Parmesan and chopped chives in a bowl. Mix with a fork until well combined. The butter should be soft enough to mix easily, but not melted.
• Taste and add a little more chives or Parmesan if you like. Parmesan already adds salt, so taste before adding any extra. Add a pinch of black pepper if you like.
• Use right away or transfer to a covered jar or ramekin. You can also shape the butter into a log in plastic wrap before refrigerating.

Notes

1. Butter: Use real butter rather than a substitute or spread. I prefer unsalted butter, but salted butter will also work.
2. Adjustments: The amount of chives and Parmesan can be adjusted to taste. I usually leave out the black pepper, but you can add a pinch if you like.
3. Cheese substitutions: Grana Padano or Pecorino can be used instead of Parmesan. Pecorino is stronger and saltier, so you may want to use a little less.
4. Storage and serving: Because this butter contains fresh chives, I prefer making a small batch to use within 1 week. Store it covered in the fridge in a jar, ramekin or wrapped log. Let it soften at room temperature before spreading. For hot potatoes, corn or vegetables, use it straight from the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 tbsp, Calories: 94 kcal (5%), Carbohydrates: 0.2 g, Protein: 1 g (2%), Fat: 10 g (15%), Saturated Fat: 6 g (38%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 0.4 g, Cholesterol: 26 mg (9%), Sodium: 55 mg (2%), Potassium: 9 mg, Fiber: 0.03 g, Sugar: 0.1 g, Vitamin A: 349 IU (7%), Vitamin C: 1 mg (1%), Calcium: 43 mg (4%), Iron: 0.05 mg

Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and may vary based on ingredient brands, substitutions, and portion sizes.

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

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