Black Truffle Butter

This truffle butter is one of my favorite black truffle recipes. It tastes so good on so many things!

 

This Truffle Butter recipe is surprisingly easy to make, requiring only 3 ingredients. Guaranteed to become your favorite black truffle recipe!

We recently returned from a family vacation to Italy where our 7-month old daughter realized she loves black truffles. Like seriously fought me for them. She has expensive taste…

As soon as we got home, I bought black truffle pate and started to incorporate it into a lot of our foods, starting with this black truffle butter.

Why You’ll Love This Truffle Butter

A flavorful butter that’s perfect when paired with an endless amount of dishes- what’s not to love!

• Simple ingredients – In fact, you only need three simple ingredients to make this butter. Truffle pate might be hard to find in a store, but you can easily order it online.
• Sophisticated flavor – If you’ve never had truffle before, they have an earthy, garlicky flavor that really elevates anything it’s added to.
• Easy to make – You can have this truffle butter ready in only five minutes, making it super quick to whip up and add a pat or dollop to just about anything.

What is truffle butter?

Well, it’s a compound butter – which just means that you mix butter with something else to make a more flavorful butter (cognac garlic butter is another popular example).

Most truffle butters use white truffle oil or truffle salt, and while these are easier to find, they can also lead to overly salty butter or difficulty blending. Instead, I used black truffle pate for a beautifully speckled truffle butter. You can also use grated or thinly sliced fresh truffles.

There is no mistaking the aroma of truffles or the flavor of truffles.

What is Truffle Butter Made From?

The recipe is basic with just 3 ingredients.

• Softened Butter– I use unsalted butter so I can adjust the salt accordingly, but if you can use salted butter if you wish, just omit the fine sea salt.
• Truffle Pate– I do prefer truffle pate versus oil because I love the specks and also robust flavor. Try to drain out as much olive oil as you can and know that a little goes a long way. It will blend better and leave you with a clean butter.
• Fine Sea Salt– I like a fine sea salt because it easily blends evenly into the butter and dissolves. Since there isn’t any heating, you’ll need something that dissolves fast and won’t taste gritty.

How to Make This Homemade Truffle Butter Recipe

Making this full-bodied butter is just like making other flavored butters. Easy, simple and can be made ahead of time.

1. Drain. Try to drain out as much of the oil from the pate as possible. It doesn’t need to be put through a mesh sieve or cheesecloth (that will just waste it), simple tip a spoon and release oil. Some if fine.
2. Blend. In a small bowl, mash together the creamy butter and truffle pate with a fork. Another easy way to blend it is in a food processor or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. If the butter is softened enough, a fork should suffice.
3. Season. Slowly add the salt, taste testing along the way to determine if more is needed.
4. Marry. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to allow butter to absorb flavors.
5. Chill. Cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Fresh Truffles vs Truffle Oil vs Truffle Pate

Fresh truffles can be super expensive and hard to find, which is why pate is my happy medium. Truffle mushrooms will come whole and you’ll need to process them anyhow. If they are coming from across seas, they are likely attached to a hefty delivery fee for a quick transit time to not spoil.

I can order it off Amazon and it is whisked to my front door in a day or two.

The other option is black truffle oil or white truffle oil, however most are made with the real stuff. Or at least that is what I’ve heard through the grapevine. But seriously, if you think about blending butter with oil, I just can’t imagine the weird texture it creates.

Black Truffles

Just to clarify in case you’re still wondering, “what are black truffles?”, we’re not talking about the chocolate treat here but rather a fungus that grows under trees in Europe.

And if you’re thinking “ew, fungus!”, remember that’s what mushrooms are too! And if you are like “ewww… mushrooms”… then I got nothing for ya.

What Do They Taste Like?

Black truffles have a taste that’s hard to describe but is often said to be a bit garlicky and “earthy”. I love adding them to things that I want a hint of garlic or herb flavor. This recipe is similar to garlic butter but without such a strong garlic flavor. 

Truffle Oil and Truffle Salt are both great too, but better for finishing dishes. Risotto with a drizzle of oil or a steak with truffle salt is pure magic. 

How to Use It

It is a delicious addition to nearly anything – those are just the ones I’ve used it for already. Truffle flavor for all! You can even use it to finish pan seared steaks or in any recipe that uses regular butter like stuffed lobster tails or crab oscar. And of course, use it to make a butter board.

Storage and Freezing

Storage: This truffle butter will last the same amount of time as regular butter if kept chilled and properly stored. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

PRO TIP: After making your truffle butter, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Butter (and compound butters) can easily take on other flavors nearby in the fridge.

Freezing: Just like any other butter, you can freeze it. Roll it into a log and package it well. It will last for about 6-8 months.

Commonly Asked Questions