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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHAT YOU GET: A Maple Pecan Compound Butter recipe that’s an instant way to upgrade pancakes, oatmeal, or other treats with the homey taste of maple and pecan.
Whipping up a delicious flavored butter couldn’t be easier, and this simple four-ingredient butter is a great way to make your Sunday pancakes or weekday toast feel extra fancy! Just in time, too! In the Northern parts of the states, it’s officially maple season, and those trees have already been tapped.
This compound butter is sweetened with pure maple syrup, and all that sweetness gets rounded out with aromatic toasted pecans. It’s a great addition to your breakfast or a go-to-anytime snack.
If you like this, you’ll like my Orange Honey Compound Butter as well!
What Is Compound Butter?
Compound butter, or flavored butter, is butter that’s been whipped together with other ingredients. You’ve likely had it before, maybe in the form of a rosemary compound butter on top of a steak at your favorite steakhouse. In this case, we’re using maple syrup to flavor our butter, along with toasted pecans that give you a nice crunch throughout and lovely nutty notes.
Should I Use Salted Or Unsalted Butter for Compound Butter?
You should use unsalted butter for compound butter so you can really have a handle on all of the taste profiles. While I like using salted butter in a lot of my baking to give my desserts a little extra flavor when I’m making compound butter, I stick to letting the ingredients I’m adding take control.
What Type Of Maple Syrup Should I Use For Maple Flavored Butter?
For this recipe, you really want to use the best maple syrup you can find. Be sure to use pure maple syrup as well — no “maple-flavored” syrup allowed.
Maple syrup comes in different “grades.” Grade A Golden syrup is lighter in color and comes from the first sap of the season. It has a more subtle taste of maple, with hints of vanilla. Grade A Amber is a bit darker and has a richer flavor. Both of these are likely what you put on your pancakes in the morning.
Grade A Dark (formerly known as “Grade B”) has a darker amber color and a more pronounced maple flavor. BBQ pitmasters like to use this grade on their meats, but if you love the taste of maple, this is for you.
Grade A Very Dark (formerly Grade C) is the strongest maple syrup flavor out of the four and is very dark amber. You get this rich syrup toward the end of the tapping season. You likely won’t be able to find this in the store as this grade is typically sold commercially for places like candy factories. It may also taste a bit burnt.
For this compound butter, I would stick to Golden and Amber grade syrup. If you like lots of maple flavor, go with Dark! If this is confusing, use your go-to favorite pure maple syrup and skip thinking about the grades.
How Do I Toast Pecans?
To toast pecans, I place them on a baking tray and roast them for about 7-10 minutes in a 350°F (180°C) oven. The nuts are toasted when you can smell their nutty aroma in the air.
Tools You Need To Make Maple Pecan Compound Butter
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer
- Plastic wrap
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Maple Pecan Compound Butter
- Use the best quality ingredients you can find. Since this recipe has only three, be sure to use high-quality butter pure maple syrup and be sure to toast your pecans to amp up the flavor.
- Try this butter on my Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes or Buttermilk Waffles.
- Try eating this spread on a piece of good toast, add a pat to your oatmeal, or use it as an alternative to butter and jam with my Irish Scones.
- This butter can be whipped with an electric beater to make it fluffy for serving.
More Recipes!
If you loved this recipe, you’re going to love these, too.
- Orange Honey Compound Butter
- How to Make Cream Cheese (Bold Baking Basics)
- 3 Homemade Cream Cheese Flavors For The Perfect Bagel Bite
- How To Make The Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- How to Make Clotted Cream
- How To Make Stabilized Whipped Cream
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Try These Recipes!
Maple Pecan Compound Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks/8oz/225g) unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup (5oz/142g) pure maple syrup
- ½ cup (3oz/85g) pecans (toasted and finely chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, maple syrup, pecans, and salt until well blended.
- Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap and use the wrap to help shape the butter into a log.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, until firm. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or slice and freeze for up to 2 months.
Absolutely delicious and could not be easier to make! I made the Orange/honey and the maple/pecan. Both are equally scrumptious!! I halved each recipe by using 1 stick of butter (salted, as that is all I ever have on hand) and of course halving the other ingredients in each batch and that will be enough for me and my husband to enjoy for a couple of weeks. And it is so easy to make I’m happy keeping the batches small each time. Thanks for another fantastic recipe!!
I made this n used it on Grilled Pork chops. It was Amazing. I think. Gonna trying using on our Hands after smoking them this year.
Thank you for a great recipe.
Your Maple Pecan Compound Butter sounds delicious! I think it would also taste fantastic on a sweet potato or yam! Can’t wait to make it! (your Orange Honey butter as well!).