Skyr Butter

Skyr Butter. You heard me right! Half skyr, half butter, fully delicious. It’s a melty, soft spread that tastes like butter meets cream cheese. If cream cheese could melt into your bagel, Skyr Butter is what it would taste like. And believe me, even if that sounds a bit foreign to you, it is goooood.

I recently went on a trip to Iceland with Icelandic Provisions, and at the restaurant in the famous Blue Lagoon, they had skyr butter on their menu, and I knew I had to recreate it. Theirs felt much more butter than skyr, but I wanted to make my version a proper half-and-half. This is because skyr is packed with protein but also gives a delicious texture and tang to butter, and it’s something I didn’t want to lose! You could try this recipe with yogurt, but I vote you go for skry first. Maybe it’ll get you as hooked on this Icelandic food as I am!

What is skyr?

I love this question! Skyr is such a staple in my cooking these days, and for good reason. Once I tried skyr, I never went back.

Skyr is an Icelandic ingredient that has been made for almost one thousand years. It’s rich and full of protien and probiotics, similar to greek yogurt. But what sets skyr apart from your run-of-the-mill greek yogurt is the amount of milk used to make it. According to Icelandic Provisions, “it takes nearly four cups of milk to make one cup of skyr,” resulting in a thick, creamy product that’s unique and delicious.

It’s fantastic on its own with a little honey and granola, but skyr’s uses go way beyond that. I tend to use skyr in sauces, spreads and dips to make them extra creamy with a hit of tartness. Plus, skyr helps thicken things up a bit, making dips and spreads all the more addicting. I also suggest adding skyr to your morning oatmeal or chia pudding! Skyr makes everything better.

I use skyr in baking a lot, too. It’s the perfect ingredient to keep cakes, muffins and breads moist when they come out of the oven. For example, in my recent zucchini muffin recipe, the skyr and the zucchini work in tandem to keep the muffins soft, fluffy and moist.

How to make Skyr Butter

This recipe is truly as simple as it sounds. All it requires is a hand or stand mixer and a bit of patience!

To start, add the softened butter to a bowl or stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to beat until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Make sure that the butter is soft enough that you can easily spread it with a knife (about room temp). If the butter is too cold, the skyr will not combine with it.

Next, add the skyr in with the butter and beat on medium speed. It will look separated at first, but continue to beat until both ingredients combine and turn into a “whipped” consistency, about 2-3 minutes.

When the Skyr Butter is whipped, sprinkle in the flaky salt and use as you like!

Try it on a toast or a bagel to start, but this spread would pair perfectly with anything that needs a creamy element. Use it in charcuterie boards, rich sauces or desserts, but really, get creative with it! This spread is so versatile.

Skyr butter can be stored in the fridge for as long as your butter keeps (1-2 weeks, typically) and will remain perfectly spreadable, even when cold.

And that’s everything for this Skyr Butter!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.