32 Buttery Recipes To Make This Fall

While most of us aren't eating butter all by itself, we certainly are incorporating it into just about any recipe possible. Butter is a versatile ingredient that one can use in both casual and sophisticated contexts; whether you slather butter on your morning toast, use some to fry a grilled cheese sandwich, or baste some onto a freshly seared steak, the rich dairy product makes just about anything taste better. 

Though butter is a year-round ingredient that has no particular seasonal ties, there's no denying that a warm, comforting, buttery meal tastes much better during cooler months. Indeed, buttery meals are especially satisfying in the fall, but we're not just talking about savory dinner dishes. From butter cookies to brown butter banana bread, everyone's favorite churned cream works exceedingly well in baked goods, too, so there's really no stopping how much use you can get out of the refrigerator staple.

This honey apple butter doesn't technically include actual butter, but the sentiment is still there. You'll find ingredients like apples, brown sugar, honey, and a plethora of spices that come together to make a delightful spread that pairs quite well with butter on a slice of toast, should you opt to use it that way.

Of course, this honey apple butter isn't limited to just toast. Enjoy it on pancakes, waffles, crumpets — you could even dollop some onto a bowl of ice cream.

Recipe: Honey Apple Butter

This chateaubriand recipe is something of a two-for-one special — not only do you get an exceptional cut of meat cooked to absolute perfection, but you also get a mushroom-infused compound butter to top it all off. 

If you follow this recipe to a T then you'll end up with a medium-rare chateaubriand. You can cook it more well done if you'd like, but one thing you absolutely shouldn't skimp on is the compound butter, which is full of herby, garlicky, mushroomy flavor.

Recipe: Chateaubriand and Savory Compound Butter

If you've never cooked with saffron before, then you're missing out. It's one of the most expensive spices in the world and has quite a global history, but you can incorporate saffron right in your own kitchen, and into a familiar butter pasta dish at that.

Luckily, only a very small amount of saffron is needed to make an impact on your creamy butter pasta, so you won't break the bank making this meal — though you will be doing your taste buds a favor.

Recipe: Creamy Saffron Butter Pasta

Brown butter is this magical result of simmering butter on the stovetop until it darkens and takes on a warm, nutty flavor profile. Naturally, brown butter elevates average baked goods into something quite spectacular — take, for example, this brown butter banana bread.

Aside from the 5 minutes it takes to brown the butter, this recipe isn't any more time or labor-intensive than your average banana bread. Though it certainly does taste better than your average bread — pair it with nut butter to hone in on the nutty flavor.

Recipe: Brown Butter Banana Bread

Butter cookies may not be the most popular type of cookie out there, but after you make this recipe, they just might become your baking go-to. The beauty of butter cookies lies in their simplicity; they don't rely on additions like chocolate chips or raisins to make them exquisite — good old butter does the trick all on its own.

Because these cookies are rich and buttery, they're best paired with a cup of coffee or tea. And, if you do want to dress them up a bit, you could add some sprinkles for a pop of color.

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Butter Cookies

Butter is already a great condiment for toast or muffins as-is, but spiced honey butter takes things to a whole new level. While you could buy honey butter from the store, you're much better off making your own so you can control exactly what spices (and how much of each) go in. Plus, this easy recipe takes all of 10 minutes to make, so you've got nothing to lose, especially if your morning fare is in need of a flavor boost.

Recipe: Spiced Honey Butter

This miso-butter chicken and gnocchi recipe is ideal for those nights when you need something relatively quick and easy but still want it to taste good. White miso paste adds an unexpected umami profile to buttery chicken thighs, and storebought gnocchi adds a simple starch to round out the dish.

All told, this dish will be on your dinner table in 40 minutes flat. Don't forget the sprinkle of chili flakes and Parmesan for the perfect finishing touches.

Recipe: Miso-Butter Chicken Thighs and Gnocchi

Whether you're looking to impress a date or you want to venture into the world of homemade pasta, this sweet potato ravioli with sage brown butter recipe is a good place to start, especially if you have a ravioli form handy.

From the sweet potato filling to the herbaceous brown butter sauce, this ravioli makes for the perfect fall meal. It's rich, warm, nutty, and of course, nice and buttery.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

If we told you that layers of white bread and butter could come together to make a rich and delicious dessert, would you believe us? It's okay if the answer is no, but as it turns out, the two unsuspecting ingredients do make something surprisingly tasty.

Of course, there are a few more ingredients that contribute to Irish bread and butter pudding. You'll also need sugar, milk, cinnamon, and raisins to round out the buttery dish.

Recipe: Irish Bread and Butter Pudding

While most of us are familiar with mochi in a little ball form, this Hawaiian butter mochi is more similar to a gooey butter cake or lemon bar. These mochi squares are incredibly dense and rich, and they even come topped off with toasted coconut which helps contrast all of that butter. Of course, there's no denying that butter is the star flavor here, and combined with an irresistibly chewy texture, these Hawaiian mochi are sure to fly off the plate.

Recipe: Hawaiian Butter Mochi

Of all the types of cookies out there, it'd be silly to argue that anything other than chocolate chip reigns supreme. Even though a classic chocolate chip cookie is plenty delicious on its own, it's always a good idea to switch things up every once in a while, which is exactly what this brown butter-infused recipe does.

Once again, brown butter proves that it can add quite a bit of depth to even the most classic of foods. One bite will prove that the brown butter nuttiness pairs quite well with the chocolate chips in these cookies.

Recipe: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you like the texture of lemon bars but aren't too keen on the flavor, then these gooey butter bars will become your new dessert go-to. They're dense and chewy, just like a lemon bar, but they taste sweet, buttery, and a little bit creamy.

A big perk of making these bars is that you might not need to make a trip to the grocery store for ingredients. Most inclusions are common fridge and pantry staples, so when a sugar craving hits late at night, whip up these gooey bars for a quick and delicious fix.

Recipe: Gooey Butter Bars

For those who won't even consider a dessert that doesn't have chocolate, all of your dreams have come true thanks to this chocolate gooey butter cake recipe. Instead of using white or yellow boxed cake mix like classic recipes call for, you'll cleverly use chocolate mix, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips to accomplish that rich profile.

Other than the chocolate additions, you can expect this cake to taste and feel like any other gooey butter cake. And we mean that in a good way!

Recipe: Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

When you think of pecan desserts, pecan pie is likely the first fare to come to mind. We encourage you to venture outside of the world of pies, however, and consider giving this lush butter pecan cake a swing.

We wouldn't say that this cake is pecan-flavored, but more so pecan-accented. You'll make a vanilla cake, and pecans will find their way into the mix to add a nutty crunch that isn't too overbearing.

Recipe: Butter Pecan Cake

If you've never made fruit butter in a slow cooker before, you're missing out on a world of convenience. Yes, it will take several hours to whip up this slow cooker peach butter recipe, but your nifty appliance will be doing all of the hard work.

For those who still have a plethora of farmer's market peaches to use up, peach butter is the solution. Just think about how much tastier your morning toast will be!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Peach Butter

If you enjoy trying new seafood recipes, then perhaps you'll be so bold as to give this grilled clams and garlic butter recipe a spin. Many people shy away from shellfish for fear of not cooking it correctly, but surprisingly, these clams are actually quite easy to make.

You will need a charcoal grill to make the clams, but it'll be pretty easy to tell when they're done since they'll start opening up on their own. Topped off with a buttery, garlicky sauce, these clams make for an impressive seafood meal that wasn't actually all that hard to make.

Recipe: Grilled Clams and Garlic Butter