When to Use Each and How to Substitute

When you’re shopping for ingredients for a recipe, it’s easy to wonder if using unsalted or salted butter really makes all that much of a difference. The two are not always interchangeable, according to chefs. That’s because a small amount of salt alters how your butter tastes — and indicates whether it’s best for baking, whisking into a sauce, or spreading onto toast. 

Here’s our guide to salted and unsalted butter, so you can be sure you have the best stick (or slab, or pat) for the job. 

When to use unsalted vs. salted butter

Both butters have their time and place.

Unsalted butter is generally easier to incorporate into dishes than salted butter because of its consistency across producers. While salt content differs from brand to brand, all unsalted butters have relatively uniform and neutral flavor profiles. Use unsalted butter in desserts from soufflés to snickerdoodles, or spread it onto toast, grilled cheese, and the like. 

Naturally, salted butter is more flavorful, making it a great choice for schmearing onto slices of fresh-baked bread, hearty corn muffins, or other baked goods. It’s also delicious whisked into pasta sauces and spreads, or dabbed onto steamed or roasted veggies. You can even add a pat of salted butter onto a burger as it comes off the grill.

The best butter for baking

Unless a recipe specifically calls for salted butter, unsalted butter is best for baking. 

“Using salted butter would require adjusting other components of the recipe to compensate,” says Amy Eubanks, the senior team leader of culinary development for the bakery departments at Whole Foods Market. “I only use unsalted butter for baking because baking can be more precise and specific.”

Each ingredient in a baked good is carefully calibrated to produce certain tastes and textures. Swapping in salted butter tweaks that balance, so your baked goods might turn out saltier than you expected, or not as airy or ethereal as you’d hoped. 

Is salt the only difference?

It’s in the name: the main difference between unsalted and salted butter is, well, salt. Exact amounts vary by brand, but you can expect approximately ¼ teaspoon of salt for every ½ cup of salted butter. 

Salt content isn’t the only distinction, though. The unsalted butter you find in the supermarket  may also be slightly fresher than its salted brethren. 

“Salt acts like a preservative for the butter,” says Claudia Fleming, a legendary pastry chef and the culinary director of Daily Provisions in New York City. Because salt prevents microbial growth and prolongs the shelf life of products like butter, grocery stores can keep salted butter on shelves longer than unsalted butter. 

That doesn’t mean every stick of salted butter is a time capsule from another era, but it is a good reminder to check expiration dates when shopping the dairy case. 

Can you substitute salted for unsalted butter — or vice versa?

Salted and unsalted butter aren’t exactly interchangeable, but you can usually make the swap by adjusting your other ingredients. It all depends on which type of butter you have and what you’re making.

If a recipe calls for salted butter and you only have unsalted, it’s an easy fix: Simply add a small amount of salt to your ingredients (approximately ¼ teaspoon salt per ½ cup of butter). 

It’s a bit tricker to substitute salted for unsalted butter. If you’re cooking something that calls for unsalted butter, and the recipe also instructs you to add salt at any point, you can likely skip the salt and rely on your butter for flavor. However, omitting the salt in the dry ingredients of a baked good can negatively impact its finished taste and texture. Salt strengthens the gluten network of breads and baked goods, and imprecise salt content can alter their shape and structure when they come out of the oven.

If you’re only going to keep one type of butter in your fridge, pros recommend opting for unsalted. “Ultimately, it’s always easier to add than subtract when cooking,” Fleming says.