Molasses Butter for Rolls, Tea Buns, Scones & Pancakes

Molasses Butter is the perfect spread on hot rolls, tea buns or pancakes.  

Molasses.  The underrated sweetener and table syrup.  As a child molasses was an indispensable pantry item that was used all the time in baked goods and was on the table as a spread for bread and pancakes.  In some households it was even used as a sweetener for tea, a throwback to the years when sugar was not readily available to the general public. 

I've never put much thought into molasses.  It's just one of those things I keep on hand for baking, making baked beans or spreading on an occasional slice of bread and of course we like it on Newfoundland Toutons.  And that was about it until last week when I was flicking through Facebook or Twitter and saw a photo of a plate of food.  On that plate there was a hot roll spread with molasses butter.  Well, that piqued my interest and I did a little research via Google and was amazed that Molasses Butter is just butter and molasses mixed together and it seems to be a "thing".  How have I not heard about this before?  How have I not invented this myself?  Ha!

There are a few recipes out there for Molasses Butter many of them using ratios of 1 or 2 tablespoons of molasses to 1 cup of butter.  But I tried that ratio and that wasn't worth the effort of making it as the flavour was so mild I hardly knew there was any molasses in the butter.  So I kept adding more molasses until I had the flavour I was looking for.  I actually like quite a bit of molasses in the butter and have used a ratio of 1 part molasses to 2 parts butter.  You, of course, may adjust the molasses to your own particular taste to make it as subtle or bold as you wish.

Use Molasses Butter on breads and rolls instead of plain butter, jam or honey.  It's great on pancakes as well, as you will see in the pictures below.  And it seems to me a little Molasses Butter would be delicious served with cooked sweet potatoes or orange varieties of winter squash.

Printable recipe at end of post.

Molasses Butter

• 1 cup room temperature butter
• ¼-½ cup fancy molasses, more or less to taste (not black strap or cooking molasses)
• Pinch salt, optional

How to make it:
In a tall narrow bowl, whip the butter until it is light and fluffy.  Slowly add the molasses while continuing to beat.  I like lots of molasses so I use the full ½ cup. A pinch of salt can be added if you'd like a salted Molasses Butter.  

Store the butter covered in a cool place.  If you refrigerate, remove about 10 minutes before spreading but it will be fine cold from the fridge if you are using it on hot pancakes or buns.

Makes about 2 cups.

In a tall narrow bowl, whip the butter until it is light and fluffy.  Slowly add the molasses while continuing to beat.

 Use fancy molasses to make Molasses Butter.

Molasses Butter is delicious on pancakes.

I spread the Molasses Butter over the hot pancakes.  They were so good.

Store left over butter in a covered container in a cool place or refrigerator.  If refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before using.

Molasses Butter. Quick and easy.  Delicious and sweet. 

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩