Who is choosing butter for pancakes?

Cooks controlling the salt in pancakes

If you are adding butter to batter or a pan but want to season the finished pancakes separately, start by comparing unsalted blocks. Lurpak lists 0.01g salt per 100g for its Unsalted Butter.

Households buying for cooking and serving

A block and a fridge-ready spread do different jobs. Anchor recommends its regular block butter for cooking, while its Spreadable is a butter-and-rapeseed-oil blend for spreading.

Shoppers checking milk ingredients and saturates

Unsalted does not mean milk-free or lower in saturated fat. Check the ingredient list and per-100g nutrition panel for the particular product you plan to serve.

What should you check before buying?

Decide whether the butter is going into the batter, onto the pan or onto finished pancakes, then compare the relevant pack labels.

Priority What to check Your needs
Salt and seasoning Compare salt per 100g and check whether salt appears in the ingredients. Lurpak lists 0.01g salt per 100g for its Unsalted Butter; Anchor lists 1.7g per 100g for its Original Block Butter. I want the butter to add little salt to pancake batter, or I would rather season the finished pancakes myself.
Cooking or spreading Check whether you are buying a block or a spreadable blend. Anchor Spreadable contains 54% butter, 33% rapeseed oil and water; Anchor recommends its regular Original Block Butter for cooking. For batter or pan use, I am shopping for a cooking butter. If I mainly want something to spread on finished pancakes straight from the fridge, a spreadable blend serves that different purpose.
Milk and saturates Read the milk allergen information and compare saturates per 100g. Lurpak Unsalted lists milk-derived ingredients and 53g saturates per 100g. Someone eating the pancakes needs the milk ingredients checked, or I am comparing saturated-fat figures between products.
Storage and dates Follow the pack’s storage instructions and distinguish its use-by date from its best-before date. GOV.UK says use-by concerns safety and best-before concerns quality. I may keep the butter after Pancake Day, so I want to know how its pack says to store it after opening.

Common buying mistakes

  • Assuming unsalted means milk-free or lower in fat

    Unsalted describes the salt, not the allergen or fat content. Lurpak Unsalted lists milk-derived ingredients, 82g fat and 53g saturates per 100g.

    Check the ingredients and per-100g nutrition panel of the butter you will use, particularly when cooking for someone who needs to avoid milk.

  • Choosing a spreadable blend for a cooking job

    Anchor Spreadable contains butter, rapeseed oil and water, so it is not the same product as Anchor’s block butter. Anchor recommends its regular Original Block Butter for cooking.

    If the butter is mainly for batter or pan use, compare blocks first. Consider a spreadable blend when spreading on finished pancakes is the main job.

  • Discarding the storage instructions with the wrapper

    GOV.UK distinguishes use-by dates, which concern safety, from best-before dates, which concern quality. The pack may also give instructions for storage after opening.

    Keep the instructions available while you use the butter and follow the stated storage conditions.

Butter brands to compare

These brand examples illustrate the differences between unsalted blocks, salted blocks and a spreadable blend; check the current pack for the product you buy.

Lurpak

Lurpak’s Unsalted Butter is a block-butter reference when salt per 100g matters.

  • Lurpak lists butter and milk-based lactic culture as ingredients, with 0.01g salt per 100g.
  • The same product lists 82g fat and 53g saturates per 100g; unsalted does not mean milk-free or lower-fat.

Anchor

Anchor offers block butter and a separate spreadable blend, making the intended use worth checking.

  • Anchor lists butter and salt for its Original Block Butter and recommends regular block butter for cooking instead of its Spreadable.
  • Anchor Spreadable contains 54% butter, 33% rapeseed oil and water; do not treat its composition as interchangeable with a block.

Kerrygold

Kerrygold describes its 200g Unsalted Butter as an option for baking and cooking.

  • Its unsalted format fits a choice to season pancake batter or finished pancakes separately.
  • If salt or saturates are deciding factors, compare the figures on the current pack before choosing between products.

A Joybuy option for pan cooking

This Joybuy option is ghee for pan cooking, rather than one of the block-butter or spreadable formats compared above.

Laila Pure Butter Ghee 500g

Laila Pure Butter Ghee 500g

For cooking pancakes in a pan, this 500g ghee is a different format from block butter. Check its current pack for salt, milk ingredients and saturates if those affect your choice; do not assume it can be substituted for block butter in batter.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Can I serve spreadable butter with Pancake Day pancakes?

Yes, a spreadable blend is an option for spreading on finished pancakes. It is not compositionally the same as block butter: Anchor Spreadable contains butter, rapeseed oil and water, and Anchor recommends its regular block butter for cooking.

Does unsalted butter contain milk?

It can: unsalted refers to salt, not dairy. Lurpak Unsalted lists milk-derived ingredients, and the Food Standards Agency identifies milk as a common ingredient in butter. Check the particular pack’s allergen information before serving it to someone who needs to avoid milk.

How do I check butter’s saturated-fat content?

Compare the saturates figure per 100g on the products’ nutrition panels. Lurpak Unsalted lists 53g saturates per 100g; the NHS identifies more than 5g per 100g as high on its saturated-fat labelling scale.

How should I check and store butter after purchase?

Follow the instructions on its pack. GOV.UK explains that a use-by date concerns safety, while a best-before date concerns quality; where packaging instructs you to refrigerate after opening, it says to keep the food at 5°C or below.