Roasted Garlic Butter with fresh rosemary is an easy way to elevate steaks, warm bread, mashed potatoes, and even vegetables. Roasted garlic combined with creamy butter and fragrant rosemary adds a sweet, aromatic and elegant touch to dinner. Roasting garlic softens its sharp flavor and transforms it into something rich, creamy, savory, and slightly sweet. Combined with butter, it makes for a luxurious spread. Add the fragrance and flavor of fresh rosemary? You've officially got a masterpiece on your hands.
It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner and a special touch for a night of entertaining. I recently made this roasted garlic butter a day ahead and served it the next night at a large party on a giant bread board. It went alongside other dips and spreads like bread dipping oil, pesto, and marinara. Hands-down, this garlic butter was the winner. I received compliment after compliment on the flavor, and so will you.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
This roasted garlic butter recipe is straightforward, simple, and calls for very few ingredients.
Salted Butter | Because there are so few ingredients, quality goes a long way when it comes to roasted garlic butter. I used softened Kerrygold salted butter. In recipe testing, I found this particular butter had superior color and consistency compared to others.
Whole Garlic Bulbs | Look for tight, firm bulbs of garlic with no sprouting or soft spots.
Olive Oil | Olive oil gets drizzled over the bulb before cooking. It helps the cloves to retain moisture and promotes caramelization.
Fresh Rosemary | A little fresh rosemary goes a long way. You'll only need about 2 teaspoons of minced fresh rosemary. Since rosemary has a strong, woodsy, somewhat piney flavor, it is important you mince it as finely as possible for this recipe.
Kosher Salt | This ingredient is optional since the recipe calls for salted butter, but I always suggest tasting the butter alongside what you're serving and adding a pinch or two if needed. A seasoned steak might not need any additional salt, but something with less seasoning (like a dinner roll) could potentially benefit from a little extra.
How to Make Roasted Garlic Butter
Roast the Garlic
Prep the Garlic | Remove any loose paper from the garlic bulb. Lay the bulb on its side and use a sharp knife to cut about ¼ inch off the top. The goal is to expose as many cloves as you can without cutting away too much of each clove.
Wrap or Bake Covered | Place two small sheets of aluminum foil on a work surface, place the garlic bulb cut-side up, and drizzle the top with olive oil. Wrap the foil tightly around the garlic bulb and place on a small rimmed sheet pan to prevent oil leaking onto the the oven floor. Alternatively, you can roast the garlic in a small oven safe dish with a lid.
Roast | Transfer the baking sheet to a preheated 400°F oven and bake for about 40-50 minutes. Smaller garlic bulbs will take closer to 40 minutes to soften, while larger bulbs might need the full 50 minutes. Set aside and allow the garlic bulb to cool.
How to Tell When Garlic is Done
It is important to check whether the garlic is ready before attempting to squeeze cloves from bulb, not after. Test for doneness by inserting a knife or fork into the center of a clove. It should slide in easily with almost no resistance. If the garlic is still firm, return the garlic to the oven and continue roasting in 5-minute increments until ready.
Mix Butter, Garlic and Rosemary
Add one stick of softened butter to a small mixing bowl. Turn the cooled garlic bulb upside down and squeeze the cloves into the bowl and mash with fork until smooth.
Add the minced rosemary and mix again. Taste the butter and add a pinch of Kosher salt, if desired.
For an especially smooth butter, use a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed.
Tip: Don't add hot garlic cloves to softened butter as the butter will become runny and likely melt. You want your roasted garlic butter to stay spreadable.
Serve, Shape, or Store
Serve | Transfer to a small condiment bowl and serve right away.
Shape | Have ready a small sheet of parchment paper. Spoon the butter onto the center of the paper in a log shape. Roll into a cylinder by folding the parchment paper over the butter and rolling forward, enclosing the butter and forming a log. Compress into a smooth, tight cylinder and twist the ends like a candy wrapper. Refrigerate until firm enough to slice.
Store | Transfer to an airtight container and refrigeratate for 3-4 days. For longer storage, transfer the butter to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 3-4 months for best quality.
Recipe Tips
- Balance the Garlic | If you've never made roasted garlic before, an entire bulb per stick of butter might seem overpowering at first, but in reality, it's just right. As garlic roasts, it loses its sharp, pungent flavor and transforms into something mild, smooth, buttery, nutty, and slightly sweet.
- Use Fresh Rosemary | Fresh rosemary is bright, fragrant, and tender when finely minced. Dried rosemary from a jar has a more concentrated flavor and needle-like texture. Since the rosemary won't undergo any cooking to soften it, fresh is the way to go.
- Use Softened (Not Melted) Butter | Make sure your butter is softened, not melted. It should easily indent when pressed with your finger. If the butter is melted before adding the roasted garlic, it won't mix into a smooth, spreadable consistency. Also take care not to add hot garlic cloves to the butter or it will melt.
Ways to Use Rosemary Garlic Butter
- Melt over grilled steaks.
- Spread on warm, sliced bread or dinner rolls.
- Toss with roasted potatoes.
- Add to steamed green beans.
- Spread on corn on the cob.
- Use a spread for homemade garlic bread.
Can You Make Rosemary Butter Without Garlic?
Rosemary butter (also known as a compound or herbed butter) can absolutely be made without garlic. It's much faster without the roasted garlic, although the flavor changes quite a bit.
To make rosemary butter without roasted garlic, follow this recipe and simply leave out the garlic. If desired, you could also add other herbs like parsley and thyme to round out the flavor. We use a similar herb butter for our Thanksgiving turkey and roasted chicken, although those variations include fresh garlic and lemon zest.
Roasted Garlic Butter with Rosemary
Ingredients
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary finely minced
- Pinch of Kosher salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Remove any loose, papery skin from the garlic bulb. Lay the bulb on its side and use a sharp knife to cut about ¼ inch off the top, exposing as many cloves as possible without cutting away too much of each clove.
- Place the garlic bulb cut-side up on two small sheets of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap tightly and transfer to a small, rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the cloves are tender and lightly caramelized. A knife should slide into the center of a clove with almost no resistance. Set aside to cool.
- Add the softened butter to a small mixing bowl. Turn the cooled garlic bulb upside down and squeeze the roasted cloves into the bowl. Add the minced rosemary and mix with a fork until smooth and well combined. Taste and add a pinch of kosher salt, if desired.
- For an especially smooth, whipped consistency, use a handheld mixer on medium-high speed to combine the ingredients.
- Serve immediately as a spread, or transfer to parchment paper and shape into a log. Wrap tightly, twist the ends to secure, and refrigerate until firm enough to slice.
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