Is the Butter Candle Worth Trying?

Blaine Moats

As it turns out, serving bread and butter can be the opposite of basic. In fact, the appetizer staple could turn into your charcuterie board’s centerpiece, thanks to an innovative presentation hack making rounds on TikTok for the second year in a row.

Creators on TikTok have taken this warm, comforting snack and made it something special: a candle made out of butter and placed in the center of a delightfully-doughy loaf of bread. And it’s no shock that home chefs everywhere are rediscovering (and falling in love with) this recipe hack as temperatures drop—the dish practically begs to be served around a toasty fireplace.

TikTok user @erin_dittmer is one of many creators who have posted how-to videos featuring the infamous butter candle, and her recent video quickly racked up over 10 million views and 600,000 likes in just over a week. Plus, #buttercandle has gained nearly 59 million views and counting. While some have shared concerns about the trend, others can’t get enough.

“I could just see myself laying in bed with my butter candle on a loaf of bread,” one said. “I don’t think that candle could keep up.” Another user chimed in with a next-level suggestion: “This but a big cookie and a chocolate candle ...”

But an overwhelming number of commenters also expressed doubt, aka: Won’t wax melt off of the candle’s wick and into the bread? Luckily, you can find a few food-safe wick options on the market, often coated with hemp or beeswax.

As long as you stick with one of these choices, read the wick’s label, and avoid the wick itself while eating, the butter candle is completely safe to dig into. Beware of wood, cotton, or metal wicks (which are common types).

So now that you know you can consume the butter candle