This Is Officially the Easiest Way To Soften Butter Fast

While I’ve been baking now for over 20 years, and despite even cooking professionally for about five of those, I still forget to take butter out to soften before baking. Whether it’s cakes or cookies, the softening doesn’t get easier to remember—no matter how hard I try, and even if I improve in other areas.

I thought I’d heard all the tips: Put the butter in the microwave, rotating it every 5 to 10 seconds, or even grate it on a cheese grater. But no matter what, nothing has come quite as close to butter that’s perfectly soft, having rested for several hours or even overnight. That’s why when I saw this clever tip make the rounds on Instagram and even TikTok, I had to try it. There was something about it that made me think: This just might work. And it did—even better than I expected!

How It Works

This method uses boiling water to heat up a temperature-safe vessel, like a drinking glass or bowl. After pouring out the hot water, you overturn the same cup onto top of a stick of butter. The interior of the warm cup creates a convective environment at a higher—but not too high—temperature. It gently warms and softens the butter over the course of several minutes. Here’s a helpful breakdown of the steps:

1. Boil water. Then transfer it to a heat safe glass. (Make sure the glass is tall enough that the stick of butter fits inside).
2. Let it sit. This will transfer the heat to the bowl, creating a very warm environment within the glass once it’s upturned.
3. Place cold stick of butter upright. It’s important for the stick of butter to be upright, so that as much of its surface area is surrounded by the air as it warms under the cup.
4. Pour out and discard the hot water (carefully). Immediately place it over the stick of butter.

Some Sticking Points

The process isn’t a total silver bullet. Unlike a microwave which heats butter fast over the course of 30 seconds or so—depending on the size of the butter—this process takes more than a few minutes. First, you have to heat up the water to a boil, then you have to allow the hot water to sit in the vessel for enough time that the material absorbs the heat, and then you must also wait while the butter softens, too.

All in all, I found the amount of time it takes completely worth it—much of it is active, anyhow, and a few minutes of wait time gives me an opportunity to accomplish other prep, like pulling out ingredients and measuring dry ingredients, like flour. I’d rather wait 10 minutes for butter to soften than 4 whole hours—or more—any day! 

Tips and Tricks

• Speed the process along by cutting the stick of butter in half crosswise, and continuing with the steps as directed.
• Try the same method with softening cream cheese. If the package is larger, simply proceed with the same process, and make sure the vessel you use, such as a heat safe mixing bowl, accommodates the size of the package.