Make Uniquely Flavorful Compound Butter With Everything Bagel Seasoning

We dare you to name a better spice blend than everything bagel seasoning. Teeming with big and bold flavor, the seasoning instantly elevates anything that it's added to, including a rich and creamy stick of butter. Naturally, since butter (much like the one-of-a-kind spice blend) can make anything taste better, joining the two ingredients together is a no-brainer — and what better way to do that than by crafting a flavorful compound butter?

A colorful and fragrant combination of garlic powder, onion flakes, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning is defined by its intensely savory quality. Yet, beyond all that umami, the blend also has delicate notes of sweetness and spice from the allium, toasted nuttiness from its variety of seeds, and even a pleasant saltiness. Layered with nuance, the seasoning can work to seriously revamp mild and nearly neutral-tasting butter, all the while the butter acts as a blank canvas to showcase the seasoning to its fullest.

Despite that, you could take a do-it-yourself approach and make your own butter and everything bagel blend, working with store-bought ingredients simplifies the process. Just be sure to opt for fresh (preferably, unsalted) butter and a seasoning that's bursting with flavor. Then, making the compound butter is only a matter of mixing the spice blend into softened, whipped butter. We advise using a tablespoon of seasoning — two for more texture — for every stick of butter used. Finally, you can reshape the butter, letting it rest in the fridge until it's firm.

Given the complexity of everything bagel butter, it makes a great match for any dishes that might lack depth. Likewise, it can impart extra decadence to recipes and better round out a dish's natural savory or umami flavors. 

There are two ways that you can use the everything bagel seasoning compound butter: either as an ingredient to cook with or as an ingredient to garnish a dish. For example, the butter can be the base ingredient in a savory shortbread recipe. Similarly, it can also be used to craft a pan sauce or baste anything from fried eggs to a roast turkey. Alternatively, a pat of the flavorful compound butter can be a stunning final touch on top of a grilled steak, baked potato, or corn on the cob. Everything (but the) bagel butter can also be a welcome addition when slathered on a warm biscuit, baguette, or breakfast sandwich. You can even melt the uniquely flavored butter over just-popped popcorn! At the end of the day, everything bagel compound butter can replace regular butter in almost any savory recipe imaginable — the question is, how will you use it?