Last Updated on August 21, 2026 by Sabrina Currie
Looking for a fun and easy way to use your garden herbs and chive flowers? Surprise your friends and family with this super easy and delicious chive blossom and herb butter board with edible flowers! Done in just 10 minutes, it can be customized to taste, made ahead of time, and pairs well with tender radishes and other garden veggies along with some crusty bread. (Vegetarian and Gluten-Free)
Why You'll Love this recipe
Seen at summer weddings, trendy restaurants and cozy backyard dinner parties, butter boards are gorgeous and a fun way to personalize your table or event. They are also a great way to feed a crowd during happy hour.
This chive blossom butter recipe elevates a simple butter board into a work of art and it turns a simple meal into an unforgettable experience. It also makes a great companion to an early summer garden vegetable platter or charcuterie board loaded with your favorite saucisson, prosciutto, grapes and crusty bread. An easy, make-ahead appetizer. (Got basil? Check out this yummy steak crostini or to use up parsley, try my parsley pesto!)
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Recipe Ingredients
To make this easy chive butter board, you only need a handful of simple ingredients.
- Butter - Buy the good butter because it's the star and let it come to room temperature to soften. Cultured European-style or grass-fed butter adds incredible richness and depth of flavor. Choose unsalted butter so you can season it liberally with a lovely flaky sea salt or your favorite flavored salt. It also gives you control over your amount of salt intake.
- Chive Flowers + Chives - Snip fresh flower heads from your chives. Submerge them in cold water and gently rinse to remove any little bugs, remove and pat dry. Reserve a few whole ones for garnishing. Separate the delicate chive blossom petals by pinching the base of the flower just above the spot where the blossoms attach to remove them easily. Snip a handful of chives that don't have a blossom attached for seasoning. The chives that hold a flower will be too hard and woody. Rinse, pat dry and slice them as fine as you can.
- More Herbs - While you can keep it simple with just chives, bringing in other herbs adds more complexity. I've used a French-inspired combination of fresh parsley, mint, thyme, and rosemary. Chive and dill is a great combination with the lemon, or try cilantro, mint and basil for a Southeast Asian flavor. Fennel, tarragon and chervil bring licorice notes. Basil is tasty but use whole baby leaves or add it at the last minute as cut basil can brown quickly. Just be sure to use fresh soft herbs, not papery dried herbs.
- Lemon Zest + Seasoning - Freshly grated lemon zest, a liberal sprinkle of crunchy sea salt and a sprinkling of fresh cracked black pepper balance the rich creaminess.
- Optional Edible Flowers - Go out in your herb garden or to the Farmer's market to gather blossoms and flowers from nasturtiums, herbs, squash blossoms, dandelions or calendulas bring vibrant pops of red, yellow and orange. Violas, bachelor's buttons, and borage bring the blues and purples. Here's where you can get really creative! Match it to your color scheme or lean into pinks and purples for a bridal shower, the sky's the limit!
- Optional Finishing Oil or Honey - A light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, lemon infused olive oil, or honey over the finished board adds a gorgeous sheen and another layer of flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions + Variations
This chive blossom butter board is endlessly adaptable. Customize it to your dietary preference or whatever is currently thriving in your garden.
- Dairy-Free + Vegan Option - Swap the dairy butter for a high-quality, cultured plant-based butter block that holds its structure well when whipped.
- Garlic Chives - You can swap the regular chives for garlic chives if you like. It will give a lovely, garlicky flavor and garlic chive blossoms are white so you can use them for a light and bright color scheme. Read more about the difference between garlic chives and regular chives here.
- Honey Drizzle - A drizzle of wildflower honey is a classic topping for this. If drizzling with honey, add a sprinkle of hot chili flakes to the board first for a hot honey take.
- Cheese + Butter Hybrid - For a lighter, tangier base, blend softened butter 50/50 with softened goat cheese, cream cheese or whipped ricotta. Season as per the recipe.
- Garlic + Onion - Fold in a bulb of mashed, sweet roasted garlic cloves and a tablespoon of finely diced shallots for extra savory richness.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a fun recipe that is only limited by your imagination! Have fun choosing your combination of herbs and flowers and decorating the butter board.
Step 1. Soften the butter to room temperature and whip it a little with your spoon or for a lighter texture, use an electric mixer. I've kept mine simple but you can whip in half of the chopped herbs at this point if you like.
Step 2. Spoon the whipped butter onto a serving board using the back of a spoon to create swoops and swirls that will hold the herbs, flowers and seasoning.
Step 3. Grate the zest of a lemon lightly over the top, then sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and ground pepper.
Step 4. Chop the soft green herbs and separate flower petals or tear large flowers. Scatter and sprinkle the herbs and beautiful purple chive blossoms around.
Step 5. Garnish with any other blossoms, petals or soft whole herbs. Drizzle with olive oil or honey if using and serve with fresh bread, radishes, crackers or other dippable sides.
Expert Tips For Leftovers
This leftover butter will last for up to a week in an airtight container stored in the fridge. BUT...leftovers also freeze really well!
- Mix and scrape the remaining butter and herbs onto a square of parchment or wax paper.
- Spread it into a thick line, then roll it tightly into a compact log shape. Twist the ends to keep it closed, then wrap well with plastic wrap.
- Place the wrapped log of butter inside a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Alternatively, portion the butter into silicone ice cube trays for perfectly portioned pats of butter. Once frozen, place cubes in a zip-top bag in the freezer.
- Thaw while still wrapped, at room temperature for 4-6 hours (only 30-60 minutes for butter frozen as cubes) and then use on bread, as a compound butter on steak or on cooked vegetables.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can whip the butter and spread it onto your board up to 24 hours in advance. Cover the board gently with plastic wrap so you don't crush your waves and swirls, and store it in the refrigerator. Remove it 45 to 60 minutes before serving so the butter comes back to a soft, spreadable room temperature, then scatter your fresh chive blossoms, edible flowers, and finishing oil right before serving so they stay crisp and vibrant.
To keep serving clean of bread crumbs and avoid double-dipping, set out small butter knives, wooden spreaders, or mini spoons next to the board. Guests can scoop a portion of butter onto their own plates rather than dipping bread directly into the board.
Marble, slate, ceramic, or glass platters are ideal because they are completely non-porous and easy to sanitize. If you prefer the rustic look of a wooden board, make sure it is food-safe and well-sealed with mineral oil or beeswax board cream. Also smell your wood board first, to ensure it doesn't have any residual odors on it that could transfer to the butter. To clean a wooden board after, scrape off excess butter with a bench scraper or spatula, wash with warm soapy water (never submerge or put wood in the dishwasher), and dry immediately.
No, you need to be sure you are using edible flowers. Choosing blossoms from herbs, fruit or vegetables is a great way to be sure they are edible. Also, try to choose soft flowers so they blend in with the butter and are pleasant in your mouth.
Pin It For Later
Save this chive blossom and herb butter board recipe to Pinterest for next time or share it with your friends on Facebook!
more ways to use chive flowers
During chive season, don't let the chive flower heads go to waste! To save seeds for gifting or growing more next year, pick the purple flowers when they are wide open and starting to wilt or dry. Place the dried head on a tray or open container and let them fully dry. This can take up to a week but the exact time will depend on how dry the flowers are when you pick them. Once they feel dry to the touch, shake them or rub gently between your hands over the dish or tray and their little black seeds will fall out. Store them in a dark, cool and dry place until you're ready to plant them.
Try making chive blossom vinegar (sometimes called chive flower vinegar). Simply submerge clean chive blossoms in a mason jar filled with white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar and let it steep in a dark place for two weeks. Strain well after 2 weeks, cover with its lid and store in a dark cupboard. It yields a gorgeous magenta vinegar with a subtle garlic-onion tang and is a super easy way to preserve their flavor for winter. For gifting, decant into swing top glass bottles and add a pretty label.
More Herb Recipes + Info
- Easy Lemon Dill Aioli With Garlic + How To Make It
- The Difference Between Garlic Chives vs Onion Chives
- The Best Herbs To Substitute For Parsley In Recipes
- Lavender vs Rosemary For Growing and Cooking
If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.
Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.
Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Chive Blossom & Herb Butter Board With Edible Flowers
Ingredients
- 1 lb unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ c chive blossoms
- 2 tablespoon chives
- 2 tablespoon parsley
- 2 tsp mint
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- Additional edible flowers for garnish see notes above for edible flower suggestions
Instructions
- Soften the butter to room temperature by leaving it on the counter for a few hours or microwaving it in short, 15-second bursts in a microwave safe bowl, until it's soft but not melting. Whip it a little with your spoon or for a lighter texture, use an electric mixer. Leave it plain or stir in half of the chopped herbs at this point if you like.
- Spoon the whipped butter onto your serving board using the back of a spoon to create swoops and swirls that will hold the herbs, flowers and seasoning.
- Grate the zest of the lemon evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and ground pepper.
- Finely chop the soft green herbs and separate flower petals or tear large flowers. Scatter and sprinkle the herbs and torn chive blossoms around.
- Garnish with any other blossoms, petals or soft whole herbs. Drizzle with olive oil or honey if using and serve with fresh sliced bread, radishes, crackers or other dippable sides.
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