Blackberry-Mint Butter Board

The prettiest butter boards have vibrant colors coming from ingredients like fresh berries and edible flowers, which is exactly what we’ve done for this one with luscious blackberries, lemon, mint, and yellow flowers.

Butter Boards are all the rage and I’ve been having so much fun creating new versions. I’ve a whole bunch of them on my website already. You can see them all, as well as tips for making the best (and easiest!) butter boards over here.

This one though, topped with blackberries and mint, is probably my favorite. It’s so pretty with all the colors coming from the berries, fresh mint leaves, and edible flowers.

When To Serve This Butter Board

You might be wondering when is the best time to serve this fruity but also savory butter board. It involves bread, so that seems like it should be before dinner, but it has fruit, which makes it feel more like dessert. It can totally be for either, though.

In terms of it being like an appetizer, think of things like melon wrapped in prosciutto, which is a classic Italian appetizer and involves both salty and sweet. Here, the berries are like melon, and the salted butter are like the prosciutto. It’s therefore a sweet little appetizer.

If you’re wondering about it for dessert, it’s helpful to remember that a cheese course is often part of a dessert menu at restaurants, and people like me who don’t have sweet tooths quite like having that option. In that case, the salted butter and bread are like the cheese and crackers, while the berries are like the dried fruits or grapes that are often served with it all. It’s therefore like a salty little dessert.

Having said all of that, my favorite time to serve a fruity butter board like this is for neither appetizer nor dessert. You know how sometimes you want to have people over for a glass of wine on a Saturday but you don’t want to make a full dinner? Invite them over for post-dinner drinks at 8pm, get out some luscious red zinfandel, and whip up this butter board.

Butter Board Tips

My best tips for making great butter boards is to know use softened unsalted butter, and then add a sprinkle of crunchy salt, like kosher or sea salt. Also, plan on 1 stick of butter (that’s half a cup) per person. Use a board or platter that is 6-7 inches in diameter for that amount of butter, and spread it 1/8 of an inch thick. If your board is bigger than that, you can put the bread and crackers right on the board alongside the topped butter.

Finally, to make sure that the honey drizzle is not too thick and really covers the whole surface of butter evenly, melt it in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Then use a spoon or fork to spin thin threads of honey down over it all, instead of dripping it in puddles.

Can This Butter Board Be Made Ahead?

Whether a particular butter board can be made ahead or not depends on the ingredients being used. If there is anything that’s a bit watery or that might condense badly, I usually advise against it. I also advise against it if any ingredients are prone to wilting or discoloration. In this case, the blackberries aren’t very wet and mint is fairly hardy, so that all should be fine. I’d wait to add the edible flowers until just before serving though.

Do You Need Edible Flowers?

If you want to use edible flowers or flower petals, you can sometimes find them at specialty grocery stores near the fresh herbs, or you can get them online here. If you’d rather not use them or can’t find them, don’t worry! Your board will be lovely without them too. You could consider adding an extra color in there by adding some raspberries (golden raspberries when they’re in season!) or finely chopped dried apricot. But even without those added items, it will be very pretty and so tasty.

More Butter Board Recipes

Garlic and Herb Butter Board

Italian Butter Board with Sundried Tomatoes and Parmesan

Holiday Pomegranate Butter Board

Whipped Feta Greek Board

The Butter Board Formula For Making Your Own Combinations

I can’t wait for you to taste these butters spread on some nice crusty bread! Enjoy! -Christine xo

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