Why You Should Always Use Salted Butter in Baking—No Matter What the Recipe Says

In culinary school, and then as a professional recipe developer, cookbook author, and food director at REAL SIMPLE, it has been ingrained in me to use unsalted butter in baking, as opposed to salted. Most recipes call for unsalted, and when I’m developing my own, I follow that rule by habit. 

So when I was recently talking with two extremely talented professional bakers—cookbook authors Jessie Sheehan and Samantha Seneviratne—and the subject turned to butter (as it naturally does), I was surprised and intrigued when they both proclaimed that they prefer salted butter. 

Suddenly, I started seeing salted butter all over the place. Baking expert Chadwick Boyd calls for it in his Greek Yogurt Biscuits and Chamomile Coconut Cake recipes. Bestselling cookbook author Justine Doiron uses it in her outstanding pancake recipe, and there was a salted chocolate chip shortbread recipe that went mega-viral a few years back.

Unsalted butter is our go-to here at REAL SIMPLE, but after talking to Sheehan and Seneviratne, I’m rethinking that—or at least endorsing swapping in salted instead. I know that’s the variety what I’ll be reaching for in my own kitchen from now own, no matter what the recipe calls for. According to Seneviratne, “It’s the secret to the best cookies of your life.”

Why Unsalted Butter Is Standard

Traditionally, there was the notion that butter manufacturers would add salt to cover up sour or off flavors in butter. The thinking went that by buying unsalted butter, where bad flavor wouldn’t be masked, you were more likely to get high quality butter. These days, when butter is remarkably dependable, that’s not a worry.

Today, the main reason recipes call for unsalted butter is for consistency, since there’s no set standard for the amount of salt in a stick of salted butter (although it’s typically around 1/4 teaspoon). “If the butter is already salted, then it becomes more difficult for a recipe developer to know how much actual salt should be included in a recipe,” says Sheehan. “Starting at a baseline of zero salt in the butter means we can control the saltiness—or lack thereof.”

The Argument for Salted Butter in Baking

The control angle seems reasonable, so why the passion for salted butter? Seneviratne says it comes down to one word: flavor. “Salted butter is more delicious. It’s seasoned. Wouldn’t you rather eat seasoned food? It’s like cooking with wine. They say to use what you would like to drink for the best results. I think that applies to butter too.” In her book Justine Cooks, Doiron calls salted butter “flavor insurance.”

Sheehan agrees, saying that baked goods are often under salted. “When I am baking at home, I prefer salted butter and not because I want baked goods to taste saltier. It’s because I don’t want them to taste flat. Salt pops flavor, including chocolate, vanilla, and fruit.” 

But does that mean that even if your recipe calls for unsalted butter, it’s okay to use salted? Seneviratne says yes. In her book Bake Smart, she writes, “The amount of added salt in a stick of salted butter is not going to ruin anything, and in some cases (hello cookies!), salted butter actually works better.”

Where Salted Butter Truly Shines

In some baked goods, the flavor of the butter is clutch, and that’s where salted butter can make the biggest difference, says Seneviratne. “I love it in recipes where the flavor of the butter itself comes through at the end. Think shortbread, sugar and chocolate chip cookies, and pound cakes and butter cakes.” Sheehan agrees, adding that it’s also fantastic in pie dough and cookie crumb crusts. 

As for which type of butter, both are fans of salted European butters like Kerrygold. European butters have more fat, and thus more flavor, than most American butters.

In the end, any type of butter—salted or unsalted, American or European—will be just fine. We’re talking cookies here, not brain surgery. But, Seneviratne has me convinced, declaring, “If you really want to win at baking, use salted European butter.” Sold.