Butter Flights Are the Rich, Spreadable Trend Taking Over Snack Boards

Snack flights made a major impact on the foodie scene in 2025. You might have seen flights of dressed-up tomatoes, loaded potatoes, or even caviar. Now, it’s time for butter flights to have a turn in the spotlight. 

If you’re wondering exactly how a butter flight works, we’re here to fill you in. Here are all the types of butter flavors you can make at home, plus how to decorate flights if you're serving them at upcoming gatherings.

What Is a Butter Flight, Exactly?

Much like other themed snack boards, a butter flight is all about playing around with different flavors of butter. Pair them with your favorite crackers, crusty sourdough bread, or sweet pastries for a beautiful snack flight you’ll want to make again and again.

A true snack flight includes at least four different flavor combinations centered around the same snack. The butter infusions you choose are up to you, but for the most variety, include both sweet and savory butters. 

Buttering Up Your Flight

To start, you might want to include a basic salted butter—it’ll be your baseline for the different flavors. Consider opting for a high-quality European-style butter so the flavor is rich and delicious on its own. You can also sprinkle some sea salt on top if you want to make it look (and taste) even more flavorful. For other butter options on your flight, read below.

Savory Butters

A savory butter is an absolute must for your snacking tray. A classic that you can easily make on your own is garlic herb butter, where you’ll blend your favorite fresh herbs together with finely-chopped garlic. Tomato butter is another viral favorite; the acidity from the tomatoes adds lots of bright flavor to your favorite butter.

To elevate your tray, truffle butter is a rich, mouthwatering option. If you can get your hands on some truffle shavings, it’ll make your butter flavor-packed. Otherwise, use truffle oil to enhance the truffle flavor. 

Spicy Butters

Add some heat to the mix with a spicy compound butter. These butters are often swirled with bright colors and spices. Use your favorite butter brand and mix in spicy add-ins yourself to control the level of heat.

Bright orange gochujang butter is a fun butter to add to your flight; just remember, a little goes a long way! Chili oil, chili paste, and finely chopped chilies are another simple way to enhance the texture and flavor. Balance out the heat by adding a tinge of maple syrup—or double up on the spices by topping your butter with paprika or chipotle.

Sweet Butters

Last but not least, your butter flight needs a touch of sweetness. Honey butter or maple butter are classics that go well with everything from biscuits to pastries.

Vanilla compound butter is a lightly sweet, flavorful option; add color by mixing in your favorite jams. Fruit butters, such as apple-pear butter, are another fun option; you can also incorporate citrus zest for a brighter flavor. 

Decorating Your Flight

While these compound butter ideas are mouthwatering on their own, arranging the tray is all part of the fun of a butter flight. Consider slicing your butter into thick pads, so they’re easy to reach from all sides of the tray. You can also press your butter into molds for bonus presentation points. 

Edible flowers look beautiful when scattered on top of your favorite butters—spicy nasturtium will add an extra kick to your hot butters, while pansies or lavender are good choices for sweet butter pads. Add a sprinkle of brown sugar or a drizzle of honey onto your gourmet dessert butters. A dash of Himalayan salt, cracked pepper, or fresh herbs will dress up your savory butters in a snap.

Lastly, altering the texture of your butter is a good way to change up your flight. Try using whipped butter for a light, airy texture, or serve a bowl of brown butter sauce for dipping your breads. You might even want to include an adorable butter candle in your butter flight.