I Asked 7 Pro Bakers To Name the Best Butter, They All Said the Same Brand

It’s no secret that the key to the endless pillowy layers of dough that make up my favorite pastry, an almond croissant, is butter. Lots of butter. Not only is butter key to the structural integrity of a croissant, but it also adds that unbeatably rich flavor and melt-in-the-mouth texture. 

I cannot live without butter. I always have some in the fridge, and then I have a butter crock on the counter for butter that is ready to spread. My favorite butter depends on the situation. I keep a different kind of butter on the table for spreading on a fresh baguette than I keep in the fridge for baking.

Knowing how important butter is for baking, I decided to ask some of my favorite pastry chefs and bakers about their go-to butter. Which brand is worthy of taking up freezer, fridge, and counter space for all your baking needs? Every baker I asked gave me the same answer, and it’s one of my favorites, too!

The Pro Bakers and Pastry Chefs I Asked

• Becky Courchesne: Pastry Chef at Frog Hollow Farm
• Miro Uskokovic: Pastry Chef at Gramercy Tavern and James Beard Award Finalist 
• Spencer Huey: Chef at Chez Panisse
• Florence Stanton: Baker and recipe developer at Tasting Thyme
• Maura Kilpatrick: Executive Pastry Chef/Owner at Sofra Bakery
• Andy Baraghani: NYT Bestseller cookbook writer and James Beard Award Winner
• Katie Zukhovich: Recipe developer behind The Sunday Stack

The Best Butter for Baking Pastries, According to Pro Bakers and Pastry Chefs

The butter pastry chefs stock up on? It’s Kerrygold.

Becky says, “At home for baking, I use Kerrygold Unsalted. Eurostyle butter has less water in it than other butter which makes it better, richer.” European butter, like Kerrygold, typically contains more fat than American butter, making it creamier and richer.

Miro also gives Kerrygold extra points for its fat content: “My favorite store brand, available-everywhere butter, is Kerrygold. I like the flavor—complex but not too grassy or nutty, making it versatile for many uses, from plain shortbread to brioche or simply spread over warm biscuits. Its higher fat content also translates to a more pliable texture.”

Spencer adds, “My favorite all-around butter is the salted Kerrygold butter. It has a deep flavor, a beautiful yellow hue from the grass-fed cows, and a slightly higher fat content (which makes the butter malleable and easy to work with). This may be controversial, but I like the added salt when baking.” Just remember to omit additional salt if baking with salted butter.

Florence shares, “I am a huge advocate for Kerrygold butter, especially since moving to the U.S. from the U.K.. It tastes so much better than lots of grocery store brands and has never failed me in any of my bakes!”

I had to ask Maura, head chef of one of my favorite bakeries in the Boston area, about her butter preferences. She agrees that Kerrygold is one of her favorites.

Andy adds, “While I've used many types of butter over the years, my go-to butter is unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter. It has a lovely creamy texture and a deep golden color. It's also easy to source, which is a high priority for me when I'm developing recipes and thinking about what people are buying.” 

Katie summarizes her love for this butter best: “Love me some butter—Kerrygold all the waaaay.”