From mashed potatoes to cornbread: Why butter is a holiday staple

Nearly two-thirds of Americans said they’ll be “doomed” if they run out of butter during their holiday baking and cooking this year.  

That’s according to a recent survey of 2,000 Americans who celebrate the winter holidays, which found that 63% feel they’ll be done for if they run out of one vital ingredient while cooking during the holidays — butter.  

The survey took a deep dive into all things butter-related for National Butter Day on Nov. 17, and leading up to the whirlwind of cooking during the holiday season. And with its many uses for sweet and savory dishes alike, the survey proved that butter really is a holiday kitchen superhero. 

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of SpartanNash (https://www.spartannash.com), the results revealed that Americans spread more than just cheer during the holidays, they’re spreading butter — and lots of it. 

In fact, the average household uses five sticks of butter for their baking and cooking during each winter holiday, compared to the two sticks of butter the average household uses per week.  

Looking at the holiday dishes where respondents dubbed butter to be most critical, mashed potatoes (79%) and dinner rolls (77%) naturally topped the list, and were followed by corn (72%), cornbread (62%), sweet potatoes (52%) and stuffing (34%).  

Nearly three-quarters of Americans (72%) are so much in love with butter that they cited it as one of their favorite ingredients and condiments, and 61% said they “literally cannot live without butter.” 

“Butter makes everything better, and this holiday season, shoppers are adding butter to their carts to incorporate into all of their favorite dishes,” said SpartanNash senior vice president and chief marketing officer Erin Storm. “And for all you holiday hosts spreading joy out there, now we know the real holiday cooking hero is butter. Don’t get caught without it!” 

This love affair with butter shows in a big way during the holiday cooking marathon. Fifty-eight percent of respondents revealed that they’ve gone to the grocery store or sent someone for them solely to buy butter during holiday seasons past.  

This may be because there just isn’t anything that can make a dish really pop like the real thing. In the survey, most people (57%) said they try to avoid substituting butter for an alternate ingredient if they can help it when cooking and baking.  

When asked what they’d do if they were making a holiday recipe that called for butter and they didn’t have any on hand, most respondents said they would go to the grocery store to buy some (70%), with baby boomers being the most likely to do this (76%).  

Some would phone a friend or family member to bring them some (33%), and many said they’d order it from a grocery delivery service (24%), with Gen Z being most likely to go this route (33%).   

Only a few would rather use a substitute ingredient (15%) instead of butter.  

No matter what ingredients they’re in desperate need of, butter emergency or otherwise, Americans said they make an average of three last-minute grocery runs during the typical holiday season to pick up must-have ingredients.  

And based on the survey findings, it comes as no surprise that eight in 10 respondents (80%) labeled butter as one of their baking and cooking “secret ingredients,” with Gen Z (84%) being most likely to say this.  

Feeling quite confident in their butter knowledge and affinity, many people in the survey (57%) labeled themselves as “experts” about what’s considered “good butter” and what’s not.  

“Butter is trending this holiday season – from traditional to flavored – and our stores will have what you’re looking for, including our new Fresh & Finest custom flavored butters,” Storm continued. “No matter what you’re making this holiday season, butter makes it better.” 

In honor of National Butter Day, the survey also settled some hot debates when it comes to butter etiquette.  

The results revealed that the refrigerator is the proper place to keep the butter dish (68%) and only 27% of people keep their butter dish on the counter or table.  

Also proving what many feel to be true, the majority of respondents (61%) went so far as to say that leaving breadcrumbs in the butter dish should be considered a “crime.”