Have you noticed the recent fascination with Butter Boards?

We’re not sure exactly where this started, although it seems that a Portland, Oregon chef, Joshua McFadden, may have originated the idea back in 2017.  Then, last year, the idea took off when it became a “thing” on TikTok.

If you haven’t seen butter boards, think of it as a charcuterie board for butter.  And, lots of butter!  The idea is to spread a stick or two of softened butter on a wooden board, and then decorate it with a variety of toppings (things like sausage, smoked salmon, nuts, seeds, fruit, radishes, jams or honey).  Then, serve it up with crackers and toasted bread (something to transport the butter and toppings from the platter to your mouth)!

Some of these creations are absolutely beautiful, while others just look like an excuse to eat a bunch of butter (do you feel your arteries clogging just reading this?)!

While we are not fans of something that involves globs of butter being scooped up with every bite, the idea of butter boards intrigued us.  This has potential to be a really interesting way to serve up nutritious and delicious combinations of REAL food, whether just for a few people or to feed a crowd!  Instead of butter, which has about 100 calories and 7 grams of saturated fat in 1 Tbsp, what if we focused the boards on healthier ingredients?  Things like hummus or nut butters or avocado or pesto.  Watch our video to see how easy butter boards can be!

Build Your Board

Think of the board as a combination of a base and toppings.  You want the base to be something soft and creamy that you can spread all over your board or platter.  Hummus, nut butters, avocado or pesto are a few excellent options.

1. Use either a wood board or a plate or platter, depending on the visual appearance you are going for.  A tip we love is using a piece of parchment paper or wax paper between your base and your board.  This will make cleanup easier, preserve your board, and prevent any cross-contamination issues if your board has been used for other things over the years.
2. Spread the base all over the board (or all over the parchment or wax paper) in whatever pattern you wish.
3. You now have a blank canvas that is ready for toppings!  Just like a charcuterie board, think of this like an art project…

What do you want your board to look like?  What foods do you want to include and how can you group complimentary foods together?  Is there a certain visual design you are looking for or a particular food (or foods) you want to highlight?  Are you looking to do something savory or sweet – or maybe a combination of the two?!

Some inspiration…

The possibilities are endless to create the perfect blend of flavors and textures.  Let your creativity be your guide and have fun!  There is no right or wrong way to put together an amazing board – let your imagination run wild!

Here are just a few ideas to inspire you:

• Transform the Middle Eastern Nachos, using hummus as the base and toasted pita chips or sliced cucumbers as the dippers.
• Use avocados as the base and add your favorite Mexican toppings.  Transform the Mexican Black Bean Veggie Pizza by using the avocado cream or Simple Guacamole as the base, and then top with black beans, red bell pepper, sliced jalapenos, red onion, black olives, paprika, cumin and cilantro.  Serve with baked corn or whole wheat tortilla chips.
• Use nut butter (like almond butter or peanut butter) as the base, and then get creative with your toppings such as dark chocolate chips, sliced bananas, apples or pears, flaked coconut, granola, roasted nuts, honey, cinnamon and other toppings.  Serve this board with whole grain toasted bread, cinnamon raisin bread, bagels or waffles.  You could also create an “ants on the log” section with celery and raisins or dates.
• Abracadabra pesto!  Use pesto as the base and add your favorite combination of toppings.  Smoked salmon, thinly sliced red onion, capers, tomatoes, and fresh dill are all great ideas and then serve it with whole wheat bagel slices.  Or transform the Spinach Artichoke Pesto Pizza by topping the pesto with pineapple, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and microgreens or baby spinach, and then serve it with whole grain baked pitas.
• Sweet treat!  Make a batch of dessert hummus (like the Brownie Batter, Snickerdoodle, or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough), and then top it or serve it with sliced apples, pears, strawberries or your favorite fruits!

No double dipping!

Your family and friends will need some “dippers” to enjoy the spread.  Depending on the theme for your board, use sliced veggies or fruits, crackers, toasted bread, bagels, waffles, English muffins, pita chips, tortilla chips, or other options.  Either allow people to scoop up their food directly from the board, or provide small knives or spoons for your guests to assemble everything together.

We know you will have creative ideas for a healthified butter board!

Please share your ideas or, better yet, share your pictures!

This could even be a fun idea for your Super Bowl party!