Homemade Truffle Butter With Black Truffles
This Homemade Truffle Butter is a seasonal specialty bringing the deep, earthy taste of black truffles into your kitchen. It’s a rich condiment used as a flavor enhancer that instantly upgrades a variety of dishes, from seared meats to hot pasta or a simple piece of toast.
In This Article
What Is Black Truffle And Why Is It So Expensive?
Black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) also known as Périgord truffle or French black truffle is a highly prized edible fungus that grows underground. It grows in a symbiotic relationship with the roots of specific trees, primarily oak and hazelnut trees. Known for their intense, earthy aroma and complex flavor, black truffles were originally found in Southern Europe (like France, Spain, and Italy). However, they are now cultivated in other suitable regions worldwide, like here in Australia. The very high price of truffles is due to their rarity, very specific growing conditions, and the labor-intensive harvesting process. This task requires trained dogs (or pigs) to sniff them out so they can be gently dug up and hand harvested. There’s a reason they’re referred to as black diamonds of the culinary world!
Nutritional Benefits
Black truffle butter isn’t just about its remarkable taste; it also offers some notable nutrients. Butter provides a concentrated source of fat-soluble vitamins, including Vitamin A, D, E, and K2 (1). Vitamin A is essential for good vision, a healthy immune system, and skin (2). Vitamin D for bone health and immune regulation (3), vitamin E acts as a strong antioxidant (4), while Vitamin K2 is increasingly recognized for its role in bone and heart health (5). Butter also contains butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid linked to gut health and anti-inflammatory effects (6).
Truffles, even in small quantities, contribute a distinct range of micronutrients and beneficial compounds. Research shows that black truffles (Tuber melanosporum) provide various minerals and antioxidants all crucial for numerous bodily functions. They also possess anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-microbial properties (7). While the amounts in truffle butter are small, these contributions add to the overall nutritional profile of this nutritious condiment.
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
This recipe is essentially a truffle compound butter. That is, a butter that’s been softened and had other ingredients added to it then chilled again. Making a great black truffle butter relies on using a few simple ingredients that each play a critical role in its flavour and texture.
- Unsalted Butter – one of two main ingredients in this recipe. Go for unsalted, cultured (fermented) butter also known as European butter depending on your location. This type of butter is rich and creamy with a little tang from the fermentation process. Better yet, make your own Cultured Butter!
- Fresh black truffle – the earthy flavor of shines through and is a perfect pairing for a deliciously creamy butter.
- Sea salt – A little goes a long way here, so I only use 1/4 tsp. I like to sprinkle a little on top of the butter once its shaped too. To amp up the truffle flavor you could add in truffle salt in place of sea salt?
You can make this an extra special seasonal specialty by joining a truffle hunt to dig for you own! It’s a great experience and certainly gave me a greater appreciation for the harvesting complexities. Recipes like this flavorful butter are the best way to use up any bits and pieces of truffle you have left from your harvest. You don’t want any of that black diamond going to waste!
How To Make This Truffle Butter Recipe
This recipe can be made in minutes, but you will need to remember to take the butter out of the fridge. It’s important that it’s softened or mixing the truffle in will be impossible. I don’t recommend softening in the microwave because you don’t want any of it melted. Just soft and malleable.
- Soften the butter by leaving it to sit in a bowl on the bench for 30 minutes to an hour. It will really depend on the weather at the time you’re making this.
- Add the salt, then grate the truffle straight over the top.
- Mix well to ensure the truffle is evenly distributed throughout the butter.
- Put the butter back in the fridge to firm up slightly so it’s easier to shape. If you’re keeping it pressed in a small dish you can do this straight away then place in the fridge.
- If shaping into a block or log – remove the butter from the fridge and shape as you wish. I used butter pats to shape mine back into a block. You can also roll it into a log in baking paper and store it that way.
- Store in the fridge. This will keep its lovely truffle flavour for a good couple of months.
There are so many ways you can use this. I love to make scrambled eggs with it, you can put a knob on cooked steak, toss pasta through it, or even butter your toast with it.
Substitutions And Variations
For a lighter flavoured butter and one that is a little more budget friendly, you can reduce the amount of truffle used. Or feel free to add a bit more for more intense flavour and replace the sea salt in the recipe with truffle salt if you have any on hand.
If fresh black truffles aren’t in season, or they’re not something you want to pay a high price for – use a high-quality truffle paste or finely minced preserved truffles as a substitute. Start with adding 1 teaspoon per 110g/stick of butter. The intensity of these products can vary greatly so you may want to add more or less depending.
Do not use truffle oil as a substitute in this recipe. The artificial flavourings they contain often have a very harsh, chemical taste that will not mimic the flavour of fresh truffle that you’re after.
Tips For Success With This Recipe
A microplane is the perfect tool for grating the truffle. This creates a very fine grate that allows for better dispertion of the truffle throughout the butter.
Speed up the time it takes for your butter to soften by chopping it into cubes before sitting it in the bowl.
Use the best quality butter and salt you can find. The flavor of your truffle butter is only as good as the butter you use as the base. Opt for cultured/European unsalted butter for its higher fat content and richer flavour. Using unsalted also allows you to control the overall saltiness of the final product.
Storing/Freezing
Proper storage is essential to maintain the flavor and aroma of your homemade black truffle butter. Wrap the truffle butter tightly in parchment paper or plastic wrap and then place it in a butter dish or any other airtight container you have. It will store in the fridge this way for up to 2 weeks.
The butter also freezes beautifully. To do this, form the butter into a log and wrap it tightly in several layers of plastic wrap. Place this ins a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze. It will keep this way for up to 6 months without impacting heavily on the flavour. For convenience, you can also portion the truffle butter into smaller discs or cubes before freezing. When ready to use frozen truffle butter, simply transfer the desired amount to the fridge and let it thaw overnight, or allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes until softened.
FAQ
It has a very earthy taste not unlike mushrooms though definitely nuttier and more fragrant. That makes it a great match for a lot of heartier and slightly heavier winter foods.
There are endless uses for this seasonal wonder. It makes the most perfect scrambled eggs or truffle pasta, you can put some on a steak when it comes off the grill, or just have it on toast.
Yes, but keep in mind they are significantly more expensive than black truffles… often up to 5-8 times the price more!
More Preserving Recipes
- Cultured Butter
- Truffle Salt
- Fruit Paste (Apple & Honey)
- Dehydrated Strawberries
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Homemade Truffle Butter With Black Truffle
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 stick good quality butter (Roughly 115g)
- 4.5 oz freshly grated black truffle (12g)
- ¼ tsp salt (optional)
Instructions
- Soften the butter by leaving it to sit in a bowl on the bench for 30 minutes to an hour. The time needed will really depend on the weather at the time you're making this.
- Add the salt, then grate the truffle straight over the top.
- Mix well to ensure the truffle is evenly distributed throughout the butter.
- Put the butter back in the fridge for 45 mins to an hour to firm up slightly. This will make it much easier to shape back into a block or a log. If you're keeping it pressed in a small dish you can do this straight away then place in the fridge.
- If shaping into a block or log – remove the butter from the fridge and shape as you wish. I used butter pats to shape mine back into a block. You can also roll it into a log in baking paper and store it that way.
- Store in the fridge. This will keep its lovely truffle flavour for a good couple of months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY