We tasted a dozen grocery store butters — these are the best salted picks for 2026

When I became a writer, I never thought my job description would include “must be willing to taste a dozen types of butter in one sitting.” Well, life is full of surprises, and here we are! Of course, I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon; as a former full-time baker, I have a penchant for dairy-based fats — and strong opinions to match. That’s why I eagerly accepted my assignment to seek out the best grocery store salted butter, with some help from nine very game colleagues.

As familiar as I am with unsalted butter (my preference for baking; more on that to come), I don’t really buy the salted variety very often. Sure, I enjoy slathering it on a dinner roll at a restaurant, but I didn’t go into this test with a favorite brand. I was genuinely curious to see how the different types would stack up. Would rich, golden-yellow European butter win us over, or would a paler American option take the cake? Would a tangy cultured butter impress us, or would we prefer a milder, sweet flavor? Twelve salted butters later, including samples from the likes of Land O Lakes, Cabot, and Kerrygold, these are the ones we’d like to “stick” around.

Best grocery store salted butter for 2026

Factors to consider when shopping for salted butter

Salted butter comes in more varieties than you might think. Our testing included an array of styles, fat contents and salt levels, all of which contributed to how much we enjoyed each sample. Here’s what to pay attention to when you’re trying to narrow down your options:

✓ Style: The three types of salted butter you’re likely to find on grocery store shelves are cultured butter, European butter and American butter. American butter, often referred to as “regular” butter, reigns supreme in grocery stores in the United States — but it doesn’t get its name from where it’s produced. The USDA defines American butter as having at least 80% milkfat (with most of the remaining 20% being water). American butter also uses a grading system: AA is the highest quality, followed by A, with B being the lowest quality. The more you know!

Conversely, European (and European-style) butter has a milkfat content of at least 82%. It’s also often cultured, meaning live cultures are added before the churning process. These can include yogurt, which gives the butter a slightly tangy flavor.

✓ Fat content: You might be thinking, “How big a difference could there be between 80% milkfat and 82% milkfat?” The truth is, quite a lot! Keep in mind that European butter must contain a minimum of 82% milkfat; it can have as much as 90%! This makes European butter richer and creamier than its American counterpart, which is why it’s often more expensive.

✓ Salt content: Not all salted butter is created equal; some of the butters we sampled had just the slightest hint of saltiness, while others bordered on too salty. Taste is subjective, so you’ll want to compare nutrition labels to see how much sodium each butter has per serving (usually one tablespoon). It’s also important to think about what you’ll be serving salted butter with; a pat you spread on otherwise plain toast can probably handle more salt than butter you slather over a slice of olive bread.

✓ Flavor: Salt in and of itself adds a lot of flavor to butter, but you can also opt for a compound butter, which is simply butter that’s been mixed with other ingredients. These can be sweet or savory; for instance, a fruity blueberry butter or an herbal rosemary butter. They’re often found at gourmet or specialty food markets, but they’re also easy to make at home: Just allow your butter to come to a spreadable consistency and stir in whatever mix-ins you’d like.

How we tested salted butter

To include a range of tastes, 10 Yahoo staffers tried the 12 butters in our testing pool. Our group included a former food magazine editor, butter enthusiasts who said they “love it more than words can describe” and “eat it daily,” as well as those with more lukewarm feelings about the condiment (“I like it a normal amount,” said one).

To prevent biases from swaying commentary, we presented the butter on plates without packaging, labeling each one with a letter. Because salted butter is often used as a topping for bread, we served the samples alongside sliced baguettes, encouraging tasters to try the butter on its own and on the bread. We also let the butter sit at room temperature for two hours before sampling to make it easier to spread.

As participants ate, they filled out a questionnaire, rating the butters from one to five (with five being the most favorable score) on flavor, salt level, texture, appearance and overall enjoyment. We then collected and reviewed everyone’s feedback, tallying up the scores to help determine our top selections. We also took cost and availability into consideration.

Other salted butters we tested

Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter with Sea Salt: Our tasters had wildly different opinions on this variety. “WOW!” exclaimed one. “This butter is so so so good. It’s rich and thick and creamy, almost like cream cheese! It tastes divine!” That said, it didn’t knock everyone’s socks off; others described it as “underwhelming,” “mild” and “greasy,” and some weren’t fans of its tanginess. “I detected a sharpness that almost makes me think it’s going bad,” wrote one, while another noted a “weird aftertaste.”

Plugrà Premium European Style Salted Butter: I know many a professional baker who reaches for this brand’s unsalted butter, and while it didn’t make our top picks, it fell solidly in the middle. “It tastes like my childhood,” wrote a taster. “It is easy to spread and is creamy yet salty.” “Nothing particularly special here,” said another, adding, “The flavor is very balanced.” I felt it was a bit bland and could have used more salt, and one of my colleagues agreed: “Meh, doesn’t really taste like anything to me.” Not offensive, but not particularly memorable.

Finlandia Imported Salted Butter: Several testers really enjoyed this one; it earned a smattering of four- and five-star ratings. “Very nice flavor, not too salty,” said one, while another described it as “very creamy,” adding that it “almost had a cheese texture and flavor; thicker than the butter I’m used to.” “This one grew on me!” reported a third participant. “I ate the whole sample quickly without even meaning to. It is tasty, yet mild.” I agreed that it was “mild, but not unpleasant,” though some reviewers thought it lacked flavor.

Cabot Creamery Extra Creamy Premium Sea Salted Butter: While one taster found this butter pleasantly “salty and creamy,” the majority of us were unimpressed — and many downright disliked it. “Where is the salt?! I can barely taste it,” I wrote. “I mostly taste plain butter, so this would be bland as a topping.” “This tasted cheap and not natural — too greasy,” added one of my colleagues. “There’s something about it I don’t love,” said the former food magazine editor.

Cabot Creamery Sweet Cream Salted Butter: This Cabot variety didn’t fare much better, though one sampler who rated it a five called it “thick, creamy, mild and balanced.” Another said, “This is solid, but not my favorite.” Alas, most of our group placed it toward the bottom of our lists. “Not much salt up front, but then it hits you; that said, it has sort of a flat taste at first, and then a slight aftertaste,” I wrote.

Trader Joe’s Cultured Salted Butter: We were pretty divided when it came to this butter; one described it as “terrific,” while another taster wrote, “I didn’t mind this one! It did not have that ‘grocery store’ or artificial aftertaste. The flavor was consistent throughout my bite. But is it craveable? Maybe not.” Those who didn’t enjoy it commented, “There is something off about the flavor,” and “Kind of oily and mild; almost tastes like it has freezer burn.” I was one of several people who felt it wasn’t salty enough, and I also noticed a funky aftertaste that I wasn’t crazy about.

Horizon Organic Salted Butter: This butter was my least favorite; in my notes, I wrote, “I taste chemicals! Not a lot of salt, and a strangely artificial flavor.” (Surprising, given the fact that it’s organic.) I wasn’t alone: “This doesn’t even taste like butter. I can’t believe it is butter,” joked another tester, while a third said, “I didn’t like this butter at all. It reminded me of the cheap butter they gave us at camp on bread and butter sandwiches. It wasn’t salty enough and tasted too much like milk to me.”

Grocery store butter FAQs

What’s the difference between salted and unsalted butter?

There aren’t many nuances between salted and unsalted butter; butter that contains any amount of added salt is considered salted, while butter made of cream and nothing else is classified as unsalted. The benefits of using each type are less straightforward, but generally, salted butter is regarded as more of a condiment (i.e., for bread, baked potatoes and corn on the cob), while unsalted is often preferred for baking.

What’s the difference between cultured, European and American butter?

American and European refer to two styles of butter rather than where the butter is produced. By definition, American butter contains at least 80% milkfat while European butter contains at least 82% milkfat (and up to 90%). Because American butter contains more water than European, it often lacks the rich creaminess that European butters exhibit (and it’s often less expensive). Cultured butter refers to butter made with live cultures, including yogurt, for a tangier flavor.

What is the best butter for baking?

When I worked in a bakery, we solely used blocks of unsalted butter for everything from breads and cakes to cookies and pastries. I still bake with unsalted butter because I like being able to control the salt content in my baked goods (remember, salted butters can have wildly different flavor profiles!). I once accidentally used salted butter to make buttercream for a cake, and it was inedible!

That said, I’ve spoken to some bakers who incorporate salted butter into their treats. One told me they actually prefer salted varieties for baking cookies, as it produces “a better crisp around the edges than with unsalted.” Of course, you’re less likely to get an overly salty result when you use salted butter in something as sugar-loaded as a cookie — and if you’re the type of person who thinks there’s no such thing as too much salt, by all means, give it a go! Just keep in mind that with cake batters and cookie doughs, you can’t taste while you go, and different recipes will yield different outcomes.

In terms of the best butter for baking, I think both American and European styles have pros and cons. American butter is less creamy, which means it won’t melt as quickly while you’re handling it (certain pastries, like croissants, require butter to be as cold as possible to achieve peak flakiness and distinct layers). European butter is tops for flavor, so more experienced bakers who can work quickly might prefer the richness it lends their treats. My advice? Try making your recipe with both types and see which outcome you prefer. Nothing wrong with having double the amount of baked goods!

Must-haves for storing and enjoying salted butter

We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.