Three-Ingredient Dill and Caper Butter Recipe

Compound butters are simply butter blended with flavorful ingredients like fresh herbs, chiles, capers, anchovies, mustard, lemon, garlic or shallots. They’re an effortless way to add depth to everyday meals with very little work.

This three-ingredient dill caper butter is one of my favorite compound-butter combinations. It’s delicious spread on a rye crispbread topped with sliced hard-boiled egg and more dill for a quick, savory breakfast or snack. It’s also excellent stirred into cooked vegetables or grains, or dolloped over roasted salmon or grilled steak.

Simple, versatile and bright—the possibilities for this dill caper butter are endless.

Rounds of Dill Caper Butter on a square plate next to a dill sprig.

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe is incredibly simple yet transforms ordinary dishes into something richer and more complex. The butter provides a smooth, creamy base while dill gives a fresh, anise-like note and capers add bright, tangy saltiness. Together they create layered flavor without fuss.

What Makes this Recipe Nordic/Scandinavian?

Butter, fresh dill and capers are familiar ingredients in Nordic and Scandinavian cooking. The combination—clean, herbaceous and slightly briny—echoes flavors commonly used in that culinary tradition, especially with fish and open-faced sandwiches.

The Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Dill Caper Butter.

Only three ingredients are needed:

Unsalted butter (room temperature)
Capers packed in brine (rinsed, drained and chopped)
Fresh dill, chopped

Because capers are salty, choose unsalted butter so you can control the final seasoning.

How to Make This Recipe

Set the butter out to come to room temperature so it’s easy to mix. If you’re short on time, soften it briefly in the microwave in short bursts at low power.
Combine the softened butter, chopped capers and chopped dill in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork until evenly distributed.
Use the butter right away, or place it on plastic wrap and roll into a cylinder about 1¼ inches in diameter. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Slice rounds as needed.

Butter, dill and capers together in a bowl with a fork.

Dill Caper Butter being stirred with a fork in a bowl.

Overhead view of crispbread spread with dill caper butter and topped with hard-boiled egg and sprigs of dill.

Expert Tips

Soften the butter completely before mixing. Cold butter resists blending and makes it hard to incorporate the capers and dill evenly.
Store in a log for convenience. Wrapping the compound butter into a tight cylinder makes it simple to slice rounds for topping foods and keeps it fresh in the fridge or freezer.
No extra salt needed—capers bring plenty of briny flavor. Taste before seasoning and add salt only if necessary.
Experiment with variations: try shallot and parsley, rosemary and roasted garlic, or horseradish and chive. Compound butters are a great way to test new flavor combinations.

Green beans in a bowl with a spoon next to dill sprigs and a napkin.

FAQs

What is a compound butter?

Compound butter is butter blended with herbs, aromatics or other flavorful ingredients. It’s a simple way to add concentrated flavor to bread, vegetables, fish or grilled meats.

Where can I use compound butter?

Spread it on bread or crackers, toss it with steamed vegetables, stir into cooked grains, dollop onto roasted fish or steak, or tuck it under poultry skin before roasting.

How do I store compound butter in the refrigerator?

Wrap the butter in plastic wrap in a cylinder and refrigerate for up to five days. Slice off rounds as needed.

Can I freeze compound butter?

Yes. Wrapped tightly, compound butter freezes well for at least three months. Slice portions from frozen as you need them and return the remainder to the freezer.

Crispbread topped with dill caper butter and slices of hard-boiled egg and dill sprigs.

Related Recipes

If you enjoy dill and Scandinavian flavors, try these other recipes for more inspiration:

Warm Barley Salad with Fresh Garden Herbs
Creamy Egg Salad with Dill and Capers
Lemon Cucumber Salad with Dill
Warm Mustard Dill Sauce (Perfect for Salmon or Chicken)

Give this easy three-ingredient flavor booster a try soon—you’ll find it elevates simple meals with minimal effort.

Recipe

Dill Caper Butter

An easy, zesty compound butter made with chopped fresh dill and capers. Perfect for spreading on crispbread or dressing up simply cooked vegetables and meats.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 4 (about 1/4 cup)

Calories: 101 kcal per serving

Author: Kristi

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon small capers (packed in brine), rinsed, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together until evenly combined.
Use immediately or shape into a cylinder on plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Slice off rounds as needed.

Notes

Make sure the butter is fully softened so the herbs and capers incorporate easily.
Because capers are salty, additional salt is usually unnecessary.
Wrap and chill in a log for easy slicing. Frozen logs are handy to keep on hand for quick meals.
Try variations such as shallot & parsley, rosemary & roasted garlic, or horseradish & chive.

Nutrition (per serving)

If you make this recipe, feel free to share a photo and tag @TrueNorthKitchen on social media so I can see how you enjoyed it.