Raise your hand if you’ve tried the viral feta pasta, pancake cereal, Dalgona coffee, or the salmon rice bowl. Me too. Welcome to the world of TikTok food trends.

More often than not, they’re hits rather than misses and make delicious sense rather than making you retch (looking at you, Snickles). Enter butter boards. Thousands upon thousands of results for this 2022 trend are cropping up on everyone’s FYP lately.

Crispy shallot butter boards, carnivore butter boards, mixed herb butter boards…the possibilities are endless.

Delve even deeper into the TikTok rabbit hole we all know and love and you’ll discover variations like pasta boards (trying too hard), ice cream boards (too messy), buttercream boards (I’m listening), body butter boards (definitely not), and the “lazy girl” butter board, which includes Texas Roadhouse rolls and cinnamon butter dumped on a cutting board (if this isn’t secret single behavior, I don’t know what is).

Chances are, you’re most likely going to see at least one of these colorful, mouthwatering boards this holiday season. But how can we make butter boards even more impressive at that holiday party? Before we dive in, let’s start with the basics. 

What is a butter board?

For those who haven’t heard of this trend yet, you’re either going to be disgusted or delighted. Think charcuterie boards but instead of meats and cheeses as the main characters, it’s really creamy, salty, good-quality butter instead.

A butter board is simply a recipe of about a stick and a half of softened butter, spread prettily using the back of a spoon onto a marble or wooden board and topped with various herbs, spices, vegetables, mix-ins, and toppings, and served with crusty bread or crackers.

Some even feature fancy compound butter instead of plain as the base. But let’s elevate it even more. Try one of these alternative combinations and watch the board do a disappearing act at your next party. 

Butter board alternatives 

Ricotta board 

• Base: good quality, whole milk ricotta
• Toppings: sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and basil
• Drizzle/sprinkle: pesto and pine nuts
• Serve with: toasted Italian bread seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper

PB&J board

• Base: almond, cashew, peanut, sun butter, or a combination
• Toppings: fresh sliced berries such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries 
• Drizzle/sprinkle: honey, molasses, or maple syrup an cinnamon 
• Serve with: whole wheat bread chunks, pretzel chips, or banana chips

Everything-but-the-bagel board

• Base: cream cheese (flavored or plain)
• Toppings: smoked salmon, capers, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion
• Drizzle/sprinkle: everything-but-the-bagel seasoning, edible flowers, such as nasturtiums or marigolds, and dill 
• Serve with: Plain potato chips, bagel chips, or quartered, toasted bagels

Mascarpone board

• Base: mascarpone cheese
• Toppings: fresh sliced figs and proscuitto
• Drizzle/sprinkle: fig jam, hot honey, olive oil, and rosemary
• Serve with: crostini, breadsticks, or Trade Joe’s Fig & Olive Crisps

Yogurt board

• Base: alternating dollops of yogurt and applesauce
• Toppings: granola, toasted walnuts, or toasted pecans
• Drizzle/sprinkle: cinnamon, honey, and freeze-dried apples
• Serve with: cinnamon pita chips or apple slices 

Guacamole board

• Base: mashed avocado or pre-made guacamole
• Toppings: crumbled chorizo and pickled red onion   
• Drizzle/sprinkle: chopped cilantro, lime juice, and queso fresco
• Serve with: tortilla chips or tostones

Vegan butter board

• Base: Miyoko’s or other vegan butter
• Toppings: roasted garlic
• Drizzle/sprinkle: lemon zest, chili oil, fresh thyme, and flaky salt
• Serve with: warmed crusty bread 

Cannoli board

• Base: mascarpone mixed with ricotta cheese and confectioner’s sugar
• Toppings: mini chocolate chips and strawberries
• Drizzle/sprinkle: cocoa powder or crushed pistachios
• Serve with: amaretto cookies, pizzelle cookies, or cannoli chips

Labneh board

• Base: labne or plain Greek yogurt
• Toppings: chopped cucumber, black olives, and bell peppers 
• Drizzle/sprinkle: za’atar or sumac, chopped mint, and lemon wedges
• Serve with: toasted pita triangles

Goat cheese board

• Base: softened goat cheese
• Toppings: chopped dried apricots and toasted pistachios
• Drizzle/sprinkle: edible flowers and hot honey
• Serve with: toasted sourdough