The Case For Using Salted Butter In Your Baked Goods

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We have all been there, setting out to tackle an exciting new baking recipe, flour, sugar, and all the rest neatly arrayed on the countertop, only to open the refrigerator and discover that the butter tray is filled with just — gasp — salted butter. The recipe calls for unsalted butter, but how much difference could it really make, we wonder. Is there really enough salt in there to throw off the delicate balances inherent to baked goods? Or can you just add half a pinch of salt, rather than the full pinch the recipe calls for? To answer this age-old question once and for all, we reached out to two cookbook authors, Molly Baz and Randy Feltis, for a bit of expert advice.

Baz is known for books such as "Cook This Book" and "More Is More," as well as her partnership with Amazon to create nutritious, family-friendly meals under $50. Feltis is the author of "Katherine Wants: The Ultimate Date Night Cookbook," and can also be found on TikTok at @KatherineWants. While the two do differ slightly in their opinions, they agree on the basics. Namely, that, in a pinch, salted butter can make an acceptable substitute — at least in some cases.

The question really comes down to control of seasoning. With unsalted butter, a cook can be very precise with how much salt they put in a dish. It is a bit more of a gamble with salted butter, as the quantity of salt in salted butter can vary significantly by brand. For these two authors, that ambiguity really defines the whole conundrum.

If you ask Baz, salted butter can work just fine with baking. She does profess a preference for unsalted butter on the whole, citing its fresher flavor, but when the circumstances demand it, she doesn't see a problem with mixing a bit of salted butter into baked goods. "You could scale back the salt in the recipe slightly," she explains, "but to be honest, most baked goods are undersalted anyway so I wouldn't change much. The added salt might actually be a good thing."

It makes sense, really. Every recipe needs salt, and there's a reason that sweet and salty foods taste so good together. Salt is a flavor enhancer, and there are even special sweet receptors on your tongue that are only activated when sodium is also present. If you've ever had a really delicious piece of salted caramel or dark chocolate sprinkled with flaky sea salt, you know that a little extra salt can really be the complement that sweets are missing. Some folks even suggest that adding a pinch of salt can improve your maple syrup. For Feltis, however, baking is too exacting a science for this level of uncertainty.

When asked about substituting salted butter on the stovetop, Feltis had no qualms. "Absolutely," he says. "However, when it comes to baking use unsalted butter." The difference, as he puts it, is that on the stove. "You can always adjust your seasoning," Feltis notes. With baking, on the other hand, once you toss it in the oven, that dish is locked in.

Both Baz and Feltis agree that you should almost always use unsalted butter for baking, but for Baz, there is a bit more wiggle room. And this may come down to a difference in style, not unlike the inherent difference between cooks and bakers. If you are drawn to baking, odds are good that you like your ingredients and directions specific and precise. In contrast, if your preferred kitchen position is tucked up against the range, pan in hand, you are likely more drawn to the improvisational side of the culinary arts. A well-rounded cook has a bit of each, or at least can channel the skillset of the other side when needed, but neither is right or wrong — it's all just down to style.

The truth is, recipes are always a bit imprecise. For example, a recipe may call for two cloves of garlic, but everyone knows that garlic cloves can vary enormously in size. Even if you manage to pick a pair of perfectly average-sized cloves, the flavor is also not standard. Some heads of garlic are positively pungent, while others are middling and mellow — and you don't really know until you taste it. No matter what you're cooking, no matter how intently you follow the directions, there is always an element of the unknown. So, while Baz and Feltis agree that unsalted is the safer bet in your baked goods, there's a use for all types of butter, and a little extra salt may even be a nice touch.