The Butter Book

by Anna Stockwell

A delightful celebration of butter in all its golden glory—history, how-tos, and irresistible recipes for anyone who believes everything is better with butter.

Butter is a perfect ingredient. In both cooking and baking, it can be foundational or a finishing touch. It’s a flavor powerhouse, a sauce emulsifier, a taste enhancer, and above all else, a bringer of joy. In this charming kitchen companion, you’ll


Butter’s curious history


Tips for buying butter, fun ways to serve it, and its ability to transform the most humble foods—a pot of rice, a day-old muffin—into something revelatory


How to make butter at home, then whip, clarify, or compound it to elevate your everyday cooking


Ten recipes that showcase butter’s multitudes, from Butter-Basted Scallops with Beurre Blanc to Butterscotch Pudding, each one teaching easy yet essential techniques, including browning and emulsifying


Collectible butter accessories


And more!




Dive headfirst into this deliciously creamy, dreamy world to get the most out of your dairy drawer. The Butter Book is a true celebration of this essential ingredient, cleverly designed and just right for home cooks, gourmands, and homesteaders alike.

THE BUTTER From butter mountains at restaurants and butter boards on TikTok to #stickofbutter outfits and butter-yellow everything in fashion and home décor, butter is at the melting point of popularity. Filled with trivia and packaged to look like an actual stick of butter, The Butter Book is a must-have for butter enthusiasts.



DELICIOUS BUTTERY Learn how to make your own or work with store-bought butter to create compound butters that enhance everyday dishes, with flavors like Seaweed, Hot Honey, and Raspberry-Thyme. Follow step-by-step instructions to create a dazzling butter board or butter sculptures for easy entertaining. Sample ten recipes that showcase butter, including Butter Roast Chicken, Grown-Up Buttered Pasta, and Cultured Butter Oat Shortbread. This kitchen handbook is full of inspiration that will make you double down on your love of butter.



IRRESISTIBLE PACKAGE PERFECT FOR With a vellum case reminiscent of a butter wrapper, this slim volume features creamy yellow pages, blue text, and twenty full-color photographs, making it extra-covetable and sure to delight dairy lovers. Slip it in a Christmas stocking or pair it with a wooden board or butter bell for a thoughtful and affordable birthday, housewarming, or hostess gift.

Perfect


Home cooks of all levels


Butter lovers


People who collect epicurean goodies like fancy olives, tinned fish, and gourmet kettle-cooked chips


Homesteaders and anyone who enjoys kitchen projects like sourdough baking, pickling, or jam-making


Shoppers looking for a holiday, birthday, or anytime gift for the cook or butter devotees in their lives

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking

112 pages, Hardcover

Published March 17, 2026

Reviews

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, Really does anything more need to be Said? It’s about Butter and has Recipes using Butter. This Book gives a Simple Overview of the Different Butters and Even how to Make Your Own Butter which I Really Enjoyed. It is Easy. My Favorite was Another Easy Process of Making Compound Butter and Adding Different Flavorings. There are about 10 Recipes, but Can pretty much add what you like. This is Perfect for the Holidays and Entertaining or Just For Enjoying All By Yourself. Yum 😋

Recommend For Butter Lovers. Enjoy the Extra Recipes, too.

Thank You NetGalley and Chronicle Books for a Copy of this Book. I always leave reviews of Books I Read.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Butter, glorious butter!

I wish there were more than 10 recipes in this book that use butter. That being said, they are butter forward, easy to follow, and will absolutely make your mouth water.

I also enjoyed the bits of butter history and trivia throughout the book.

There is a section on making butter. I...will buy butter. But, thank you.

The book is cute and will make you absolutely want a buttery baked good after reading.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

THRILLED to read this book! I’ve had my eyes on reading this as soon as I saw a local bookstore was partnering with a local chef for a cooking glass linked to this book! As an Iowan (thanks for the Butter Cow shoutout), a dietitian (eat what you want!) and someone who could eat good bread with good butter for every meal, this cover, title and description spoke to me! The author provided the perfect amount of history related to butter. I applaud how she provided just enough interesting information that made me surprised I never knew how much I cared about the history of butter!

The author thought of everything, from butter accessories (and pictures), making butter, buying butter, storing butter and of course, eating butter. I absolutely will be making my own butter, whipped butter and every flavor of compound butter imaginable. The author’s line, “The more rolls of compound butter you have sitting in your freezer or fridge, the richer you are in flavor,” sold me! In addition to fabulous writing, that made me crave anything and everything with butter on it, the pictures were beautiful! This book is eye catching and will either create or make a great conversation piece!

Would I recommend this book to everyone? Probably not. But I would recommend this book to several people! If you care about food, cooking, learning new things or experimenting in the kitchen, you would likely enjoy this enjoyable and quick read! I can’t wait to join the book/cooking class for this book to try the recipes and techniques too!

Thank you NetGalley, Chronicle Books and Anna Stockwell for a copy of this book.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

yeah i bought it just because it looks like a stick of butter. kind of thought i was going to get more butter lore but i suppose thats on me for not really looking past the cool design before buying it. it did teach me what ghee is and about bog butter which. so glad i know about that now. lots of recipes which i enjoy and will be trying but yeah. wanted more butter lore. catholic butter indulgence tax is something i for sure would’ve had to pay if i was catholic and alive in that time

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last night, I read the Butter Book. And brace yourself because I have a lot of things to say.

First, I’m pretty serious about only requesting books on NetGalley I would likely seek out and buy in real life. The Butter Book is no exception, while I don’t usually read a ton of culinary themed books, I am a sucker for a pretty book as well as butter. This book is gorgeous and I’m judging that by the PDF of the galley I read. The pages look exactly like a stick of butter. And the photos inside contain butter that looks so delectable at one point while I was reading this I actually got up to eat some butter (on bread, I’m not an animal). I would undoubtedly pick this up in any store and peruse it.

This book gives wanna be cooks like me an overview of butter from its history to the types of butter, from DIY butter recipes to recipes using butter. And I truly think I want to start making my own butter? Upon finishing this book I looked up supplies, and I’m not kidding. I’m still thinking about it!

This book gives some pro tips about butter like which kind you can leave on the counter and the difference between ghee and clarified butter (I didn’t know there was one).

Since I could see myself impulse buying this for myself and my butter loving friends, I looked up more details about the actual physical hardcover. And guys, it’s beautiful. It’s the proportions of a stick of butter basically with a velum cover that mirror the wax wrapping on butter. The book is not very wide, but it is long so it probably feels like holding a giant stick of butter in your hand. I say this because again simply the PDF on my phone looked so delectable I had to eat butter during this read.

Honestly, I didn’t expect to love this book so much. Now I’m adding a physical copy to my birthday wish list and considering buying everyone I care about a copy. This review is genuine I truly love butter and this butter book. Thanks to Chronicle books and Anna Stockwell for the ARC and improving my butter game.

[Kendall P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was worried this was going to be a watered down urban outfitters coffee table book about the trendy condiment of butter - I was wrong! This is perfect for fans of Claire Dinhut's "The Condiment Book," or people who grew up watching Alton Brown.

The Butter Book, while I would not call this a cookbook (meaning it has the perfect title!!!) only features a handful of recipes - BUT really dives into the uses, history, and art of butter. I think my personal favorite part was the section on compound butters or butter sculptures!

The branding throughout the book is consistently representative of the classic butter wrapper we are used to in the US, which was fun! The photography was lovely, but I also wish it was more whimsical and less farmhouse/rustic. It felt like the imagery was too refined to match the tone of the text.

Overall, I think this is a really fun addition to any food or history lovers kitchen. I think this would be great in gift baskets or on bookshelves. Its not a book you will rely on the really up your cooking game, but it is a book that will help you have a more comprehensive understanding of everyone's favorite fat - bbbbuuuutttttteeeeerrrr!!!

I will be purchasing this as a physical copy!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about butter, which sounds a bit odd, but stick with me. This book includes not only recipes on how to make your own butters, and different types of those butters, but recipes using those butters in your meals as well. I've made butter before, usually the shake it up in a mason jar recipe, but I found there are other methods (including my stand mixer), and that I wasn't exactly following all the steps. So I pulled out my handy dandy mason jar, and the stand mixer, and went to work. Instructions are easy to follow, there are explanations and tips throughout, and I had great success with everything I've tried so far. Both methods of making the butter worked equally well, I think it was just a matter of being able to work on other things if the stand mixer was being used.

I've also discovered I'd been making some mistakes on the clarified butter, but this recipe was a good fix and it tastes delicious. I also made several of the compound butter recipes, some of the food recipes using the different butters, and I had success with all of them. Great book if you want to expand your butter repertoire.

I received an advanced copy of this from Netgalley and am providing an honest review without compensation.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t often immediately jump to buying a book, but The Butter Book has me excited to jump and add it to my kitchen collection.

The introduction and the first couple of sections grab my eye as a food & history fiend. I loved reading into the history of butter and will likely continue to research further into that. With the author then delving into how to make butter, some of the accessories used to make it, and even going as far as to teach about different types of butter and the usage for each. 

As someone who hasn’t delved too much into compound butter, the compound butter section had me jittery with excitement. Unfortunately for my wallet, I went out and bought ingredients for all of them. I found the Hot Honey butter pairs fantastically with pan searing scallops. 

I ended up also taking inspiration from the book (and TikTok) and doing a “butter board” with micro pairings for each, taking suggestions from the book and it was an absolute smash hit. 

Not too long after, I cooked and baked my way through the remainder of the book. The chocolate chip cookies have easily become a new favorite of mine.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Butter Book delivers exactly what it promises. You get a concise history of butter, a walkthrough on how to make it yourself, and reassurance from the author that while the process is a bit arduous, the payoff is real. There’s a genuine sense of accomplishment waiting at the end, and the author makes a convincing case that everyone should make their own butter at least once.

The book also explores different types of butter and includes several recipes that are unapologetically butter-dependent. These are dishes that simply wouldn’t be the same without it. As someone who has read a lot of food writing and cookbooks in this vein, nothing here surprised me, but that’s not a criticism. This is exactly the kind of niche cookbook I love.

The photography is beautiful, and the author’s deep, sincere love of butter comes through on every page. If you collect cookbooks or food writing, this one is absolutely worth owning. If you don’t, it’s still well worth borrowing from the library. It’s short, inviting, and honestly the kind of book you could happily flip through in a single sitting.

Either way, it’s a delightful little ode to butter, and a very satisfying read.

[carrietracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, I lost a lot of respect for the author when she advised people making their own butter that they could us raw milk if buying it from a trusted source.

There is no safe raw milk. Unless you are going to pasteurize it yourself, you should not be buying raw milk. Even the most basic AI google response tells you that there is no such thing as safe raw milk.

Aside from that it's an incredibly slim volume. There's barely any detail on the history of butter, just the briefest walk-through.

There's a table on flavors of compound butter and how you could make them - a mini recipe guide if you will, that is entirely unreadable due to formatting on a mobile device.

There's a chapter on making a butter board where you basically warm up the butter and pretend you've got something better like a charcuterie tray happening but really you just have a pile of butter on a board (god help me, who is washing that, it's never going to be grease free) and you sprinkle on some toppings or whatnot and people are advised to DRAG THEIR BREAD THROUGH IT, as though perhaps, knives wouldn't be an appropriate accompaniment here.

Quite disappointing.

[Grace (alatteofliterature) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Welcome to the new golden age of butter! It’s a delicious time to be alive.”

A delightful book about a niche interest of mine, I learned many new things and am somehow an even bigger fan of butter than I was before reading this. More Butter All The Time. Though its implied goal is to share the love of dairy, this book has a few recommendations for non-dairy replacements as well.

Fun historical facts I learned from The Butter Book:
- The French giveth, and the French taketh away: Napoleon III provided the impetus for the (horrific, false) butter substitute that is margarine
- Is it really better in Europe? Maybe! European butter has a minimum of 82% fat versus American butter.'s 80%

I give it a 4.5 on cow diet facts, but that’s just a footnote of the work, so I'll keep my technicalities to myself.

Justine Doiron Butter Board mention! Yak's milk origin story! Irish bog butter lore! IOWA STATE FAIR BUTTER COW MENTION (Est. 1911)!

BRB time to learn how to make beurre blanc!!

Thank you to Chronicle Books, Anna Stockwell, and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Who knew that I needed to know much more about butter than I already did? Did you know that in the state of Wisconsin, which has long held the title of The Dairy State, it was illegal to sell butter substitutes for decades? People would literally make margarine runs to neighboring states and bring back car trunk loads of the butter alternative. (Read more here.)

The Butter Book contains the following:

Filled with trivia
Physical book is packaged to look like an actual stick of butter
Learn how to make your own or work with store-bought butter to create compound butters
Step-by-step instructions to create a dazzling butter board or butter sculptures for easy entertaining
Sample ten recipes that showcase butter, including Butter Roast Chicken, Grown-Up Buttered Pasta, and Cultured Butter Oat Shortbread.
Twenty full-color photographs, which are absolutely gorgeous
and more!

[Nellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW****

This book is truly a love letter to butter. If you’ve ever wanted to know everything there is to know about butter,from clarifying it, to making compound butters, to using it in both savory and sweet recipes, this book delivers. Anna Stockwell breaks things down in a way that feels approachable, informative, and genuinely fun to read.

The recipes are the real stars here. They’re simple yet elevated, and you can tell butter is treated as the main character, not just an ingredient. The chocolate chip cookies? Absolute chef’s kiss,perfectly rich, buttery, and unforgettable.

Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or someone who just loves a good kitchen experiment, this book will earn a permanent spot on your counter. I’m already looking forward to trying many more recipes and finding new ways to let butter shine. 🧈✨

[Charley Goodyear · Rating 3 out of 5]

A butter shaped book about butter would look really cute on a dining table before a dinner party, but I cannot imagine ever wanting to read it more than once. We have a brief history of butter, info on how to make it (DO NOT USE RAW MILK even if "you have a raw milk dealer you trust"), an overview of butter related tools, types of butter and things to use it for, and finish out with the authors top 10 butter related recipes. I liked the authors voice but some of the information seemed off (i repeat my raw milk statement, I feel like it shouldn't have been even entertained. also I dont think dairy cows eat straw?). Also, the recipes seemed interesting, but I have very similar ones in more general cookbooks, so I don't think this is a book I would pick up again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for the review copy, all opinions are my own.

[Michelle "Champ" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! I had heard of some of the terms used here, but didnt really know what they were. Like clarified butter or a butter compound. Now I know exactly what they are and have recipes to make my own compound butter (going for the pumpkin spice next week at Thanksgiving). I had made my own butter before, but this book gave me new tips to make it a success, so I am going to try again.

As a child, I thought all butters were alike, I learned in the last few years that they are not, and this book further explained why I prefer one over another.

There is nothing quite like the taste of butter in your dishes, read this book and see exactly how you can take something from good to next level. Brilliantly executed!

[Megan Beech · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing and fascinating history of the glorious food that changed our history in food as we know it: butter! As someone who loves reading anything about food and the history of food, this was a book that I absolutely enjoyed and couldn't put down! This was a love story and ode to butter in the best way possible and I feel closer to knowing more about this mellow substance than I had before. This food is feared by most but there's nothing to be afraid for butter is here to stay! Needless to say, I CAN believe it IS butter!

I would love to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I WON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT BUTTER. For a “cookbook,” the history section was surprisingly my favorite part—I walked away with genuine insight and plenty of new conversation topics. Anna Stockwell fully leans into the joy of writing an entire book about butter, especially in the playful and informative section “A Dozen and One Things a Bit of Butter Instantly Makes Better.”

The recipes and photography are truly drool-worthy, striking a balance between approachability and indulgence. This book doesn’t just offer recipes; it deepens your appreciation for an ingredient most of us take for granted. I can’t wait to start cooking from it.

[Alexis Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not your average coffee table book, as I expected it to be! It truly showcased the craftmanship and creative possibilities of artisan butter. It gives amazing recipes and opens your mind up to different uses and techniques for cooking with or making butter. I will never be buying butter again, I loved taking time and following the books instructions and knowing that my butter was created by me! I gifted some small batches with fresh sourdough bread to friends and family for Christmas as well!

Thank you so much to Anna Stockwell, Netgalley, and Chronical Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light, engaging read that also manages to be quite informative. The recipes are comprehensive and easy to follow, with some genuinely innovative twists on classics. I can't wait to try my hand at those mochi butter cupcakes! Or the 'adult butter pasta' with the anchovies. The illustrations were pretty and fit the vibe perfectly, and I love that the book included full visuals in the directions for making your own butter. All in all, well worth a look.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun and informative read about butter. I follow Anna Stockwell on social media and find her down to earth and very creative in her culinary styling. Her Butter Book shows how curious she is about food. Informative in the history of butter we also learn about the many creative tools there are for making butter a decorative piece for meals as well as social gatherings. She offers both simple butter recipes to more complex and all look delicious. The photos are gorgeous and a perfect compliment. Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheButterBook .

[donutqueenie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So whimsical and practical! I loved the pictures of butter tools and the included history of butter was so interesting. I have made ghee before but not clarified butter. I didn’t realize they were different. I can’t wait to make the hot honey butter and try it on a butter board.

This book is informative and fun. I wanted more recipes. It would be a great gift or a practical coffee table book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Sobia A Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked that the author included a brief time line of the evolution and history of butter. She also talks about the various kinds (dairy vs non, cow vs goat, etc.) and flavors as well as the various utensils and mold used with and for butter. She includes 10 recipes at the end. Through there are full color photos so the readers can visualize what she is describing.

A very short and fast read.

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but very informative. The photos are beautiful and I will definitely be trying some of the recipes, especially the Pommes Anna and the scallops with beurre blanc.
We get a bit of history about butter, techniques for making clarified butter and ghee, and shown different ways to present butter.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the eARC.

[Stroop · Rating 4 out of 5]

The formatting is so fun and the content is engaging and easy to follow. There are instructions for making your own butter, zhuzhing up store-bought butter, and making treats like butterscotch pudding and chocolate chip cookies.

This would make a great gift for any (dairy loving) baker!

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

[Julia T · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun! This book is full of stunning photos, fun butter facts, and interesting recipes. It’s the perfect gift for the cooks and food enthusiasts in your life. Love the cover. This book would make a cute addition to your kitchen shelf and would even make a great coffee table book. I already got my hands on a hard copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Netgalley ARC- Cute little book, has some tidbits about the history of butter (which I'd previously never really thought about). The handful of recipes are a good representation of dishes that use butter, easy to follow and well written. Definitely a good coffee table book that anyone would devour.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher fur letting he review this book. This was a quick read. There is a bit if history along with how to make butters and butter accessories. Towards the end if the book, there are quite a few easy recipes.

[Erin Wyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous layout and photographs. Maybe the hidden gem of my reading year. A common household staple is far from ordinary, this book explores how to make your butter experience shine!

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

You butter read this book to learn about its history, current trends, and recipes. A small but fun detail is that the pages are designed similar to common butter wrapping.

[Echo (BookEchommendations) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and informative. I didn’t expect such a thorough history lesson and I was pleasantly surprised. As a fellow butter lover, I am excited to try several of the recipes in this book.