There's no single "best" butter country, as preferences vary, but France (Normandy), Ireland (Kerrygold), Switzerland, New Zealand, and Denmark (Lurpak) consistently rank high due to rich, grass-fed milk and traditional methods, with French PDO butters (like Isigny) and Irish butter often cited for superior flavor and texture. The "best" depends on whether you prefer tangy, rich, or subtly sweet butter, with artisanal makers in the U.S. also making top-tier options.
The best butter depends on your use, but top contenders for flavor and quality often include Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter for rich taste, Kerrygold for balance, Plugrá or European-style for high fat (82%+) for baking, and Vital Farms for high butterfat (85%) and texture. For budget, Aldi's Countryside Creamery is praised, while Cabot is a reliable, well-regarded choice for general use. Look for high butterfat (80%+), cultured, or grass-fed options for superior flavor and texture, with brands like Meander Valley, Smre'r, and Nelly's also highly rated for baking.
European butter (like Plugra or Kerrygold brand) contains less water than classic butter, so the extra butterfat content make the end result much more flavorful. If you can't find any, or can't splurge at the moment, regular salted butter will work in a pinch (and yes they'll still be remarkably good!) !
Some butter types, like grass-fed and organic, have more nutrients and fewer additives. Butter can be part of a balanced diet, but some types offer more nutrients and fewer additives than others. Grass-fed, organic, and whipped butter are among the healthiest options to consider.
The combination of grass-fed milk, slow churning, and cultured cream gives Scandinavian butter a flavour that's hard to beat. It's rich, creamy, and just a little bit tangy—perfect for everything from baking to spreading on your morning toast.
Appreciating the very best that butter has to offer from all over the world.
Best Butters in the World
The healthiest butter in Australia is generally considered grass-fed butter, like Westgold, due to its higher omega-3s and CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), but for a heart-healthier choice, nutritionally dense spreads with plant sterols or lower saturated fat, such as those with olive oil or canola, are often recommended over traditional butter by dietitians. Always check nutrition panels for low saturated fat and trans fat, especially with Western Star or Devondale if choosing dairy.
Any butter labeled as "pure butter," "100% butter," or simply "butter," made from cream and salt (or no salt), with no added oils, gums, or thickeners, is 100% butter, like Mainland, Western Star, or The Butter People, and is used for cooking, baking, or spreading. Always check the ingredients list for "cream and salt" and no oils, ensuring it's natural, grass-fed if desired, and free from additives for true 100% purity.
There's a lot of conflicting information about saturated fats. Should I eat them or not? The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fats to less than 6% of total calories. Saturated fats are found in butter, cheese, red meat, other animal-based foods and tropical oils.
The secret lies in Ireland's lush, green pastures. Dairy cows graze on this nutrient-rich grass. This diet gives a deeper yellow color and a more complex, tangy taste to Irish butter. The flavor is often described as smoother than its American counterpart.
This means that butter with a higher fat content, like a European-style variety, is a better bet to leave on the counter. If you want to be an overachiever, opt for a salted variety—more flavor, duh, but also because the salt acts as a preservative.
Key Takeaways. Kerrygold is our panel of pro bakers and pastry chefs' favorite butter for baking. They praise the butter's higher fat content, rich flavor, and wide availability.
LURPAK® QUALITY BUTTER SINCE 1901
We have had an uncompromising approach to making real, quality lactic butter since 1901. Made only with the highest quality ingredients Lurpak® butter has a distinctive, creamy delicate and fresh taste.
Kerrygold Unsalted Pure Irish Butter came out as the clear winner among chefs. The combination of flavor, ease of use and high fat content make it the best overall choice for everyday butter.
Westland Milk Products, based in Hokitika, New Zealand, is the partner behind Costco's Kirkland Signature grass-fed butter.
Grass-Fed Butter
This type of butter comes from cows that graze on grass, leading to higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), according to research. This fat profile is healthier for your heart than traditional butter, so I'd consider it the healthiest butter.
Lurpak is UK's number 1 butter and spreadable brand and has been making real quality butter since 1901. Made with only high quality natural ingredients - 100% fresh milk, pressed rapeseed oil, water and salt - making it the perfect texture to spread straight from the fridge, saving time and effort in the kitchen.
Higher quality butter has more butterfat and less milk solids. So your second brand seems to be better. You can verify this by checking the packaging for the butterfat percentages. Brand B should have a higher fat %.
The most expensive butter in Australia often comes from small-batch artisans, with Madeleine Signature Butter by Jack Gaffney noted for high prices (around $12 for 120g) for its quality, while imported French butters like Lescure or Isigny St. Mere at specialty grocers also command high prices (around $10 for 250g), far exceeding standard supermarket brands. Premium Australian cultured butters from brands like Pepe Saya and Meander Valley also sit at the higher end.
A closer read reveals there are two versions of “Beautifully Butterfully Salted Butter” made for Aldi by rivals Fonterra and Murray Goulburn. If either of them wins it will be interesting to see how Aldi explains to their customers which half of its award-winning butter is which.
European butter is churned longer than American butter to reach 82%, and those two tiny percentage points make a big difference! Not only is European butter creamier and easier to spread, but it's also richer and more flavorful, too. It's ideal for pastries and pie crusts, where the butter flavor really shines.
No matter the variety, butter eventually goes bad. Though butter has a relatively long shelf life thanks to its high fat content and, in the case of salted butter, the preservative effects of salt, it is still a perishable dairy product.