.png)
It’s that time of year again when we start to whip up all our homemade gifts for the season and share our favorite homemade Gifts to Give with you. One of my favorite things about Spoon Butter ( also known as butcher block butter or cutting board cream) is that it’s a gift almost every person you know can use - from the family chef to your favorite handyman—any wooden utensil or tool from butcher blocks and cutting boards, wood bowls, and chopsticks to knife and hammer handles and, of course, wooden spoons can benefit from a spoon butter treatment.
The beauty of this DIY is its simplicity. With just two ingredients and a straightforward process, almost anyone can create their own spoon butter. And if you’re on my gift list, remember to act surprised when you unwrap a jar of this on Christmas morning!
Affiliate Disclosure
This post may contain affiliate links, which are special links that track the purchases made by the readers. If you decide to make a purchase using our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This is a way for us to earn a small income to support our work while providing you with valuable information.
Why Use Spoon Butter?
Spoon butter is a great thing to keep around the house for a multitude of reasons. Once applied, it moisturizes and protects wooden surfaces such as cutting boards, butcher blocks, knife and tool handles, salad bowls, and, of course, spoons and spatulas. The wooden parts of your daily utensils are repeatedly subjected to excess moisture, which can cause them to dry out and split. Spoon butter conditions the wood by adding a protective layer to repel water. Here are some benefits of using spoon butter:
Prevent cracking: Spoon butter helps protect wooden surfaces from splitting and cracking.
Repels water: The oil in spoon butter penetrates the wood, filling its pores and preventing water from getting in. The beeswax acts as a barrier on the surface.
Maintains condition: Regular applications of spoon butter can keep wooden tools looking newer, longer.
Adds shine: The beeswax in spoon butter gives wooden surfaces a lovely gleam.
Why DIY When You Can Buy??
With a plethora of commercial spoon butter and butcher block creams available, you might wonder, why DIY when you can buy? However, most commercial products contain a blend of wax and mineral oil, a by-product of the petroleum industry. By making your own, you can steer clear of potentially toxic ingredients and ensure that only the best, natural ingredients touch your family's food.
Selecting The Right Wax
When selecting beeswax for this project, you’ll want to find one that is natural, organic, and, most of all, food-grade. You can purchase it in pellets, one-ounce bars, and larger-sized molded shapes as well. This is the one we like to use.
Choosing The Best Oil
For this project, you want to use a neutral vegetable oil that’s liquid at room temperature and relatively odorless. Some good options to look for are sunflower seed oil, grape seed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, walnut oil, and fractionated coconut oil.
How to Make Wooden Spoon Butter
This simple homemade spoon butter uses just two ingredients: beeswax and oil. You want a 1:3 ratio of beeswax to oil (for example, 3 tbls of oil to 1 tbls of beeswax.)
The Ingredients:
1 cup of your preferred oil (sunflower seed, grape seed, soybean, safflower, walnut or coconut)
⅓ cup of Beeswax Pastilles (These ones are organic and affordable)
The Supplies:
Glass jar or measuring cup
Small pan
Wood skewers or spoon for stirring
Small jars or tins for bottling
The Method:
Add your oil and beeswax to a glass jar or measuring cup.
Add one inch of water to the bottom of your saucepan and place your cup or jar with ingredients in the water.
Over low heat, heat the oil/beeswax mixture until the wax has melted fully and you have what looks like perfectly clear oil.
Remove the oil from the heat and allow it to cool for just a few minutes before pouring it into your jar(s) for storage.
Allow them to cool completely before sealing and labeling. You can download our free printable labels here to print on sticker paper or card stock.
How to Use Spoon Butter
To use the spoon butter, just take a little swipe with your fingers, a rag, or a bit of paper towel and coat your utensil or handle well before massaging the butter into the wood. Leave the treated utensil to soak in the oil for a minimum of 1 hour or up to overnight before giving them a gentle buff with a lint-free rag.
Happy Gifting
These adorable jars of spoon butter are sure to bring a smile to any recipient this holiday season. If you decide to try this project, we’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below. Be sure to explore the other fantastic gifting projects in our Gifts to Give series, and stay tuned for more exciting projects this season! Until next time,
