The Affordable Alternative To Pricey Kerrygold Butter

When it's time to buy a stick of butter, there are many brands to choose from. But Kerrygold, the popular Irish dairy product, is often considered the best store-bought butter brand, noted for both its rich fatty texture and delicious flavor. Really, the only downside is its steep price; just two sticks of Kerrygold goes for as much as $4.96 Walmart. So for a better-priced alternative, look out for Plugrà Premium European Style Salted Butter, which comes out to $3.12 for the same size package at Walmart.

Not only will this dairy product save you a few dollars per trip, but many consumers even report a preference for this product. "I switched from Kerry to Plugrà. I like it a lot more," notes one Reddit user. A Walmart reviewer also praises its culinary applications. "Without a doubt, this is the best butter for baking and cooking. It's creamy, sweet, and never separates," they wrote.

Crafted with 82% butterfat – the same as unsalted Kerrygold butter – this product offers a rich composition, boasting a higher fat content characteristic of European-style butters. Yet despite what the name suggests, Plugrà is actually an American product owned by Dairy Farmers of America. Produced to replicate butters from Europe, this refrigerator staple offers similar dairy decadence without the import and transportation costs.

With an affordable block of Plugrà in hand, there are many ways to utilize this butter in your kitchen. Applications can be as simple as butter on toast. "There's a nice creaminess, there's not much salt going on there," wrote a Youtube reviewer regarding the item, noting Plugrà's flavor is milder than Kerrygold. For diners who don't want an overly bold-flavored butter, the brand yields a balanced bite. 

However, reviewers say that the American brand really holds its own is in baking recipes.Whether using butter for the best homemade pie crust, biscuits, or an enriched bread, Plugrà delivers the perfect creaminess. "Plugrà is great to use in butter cookies because you get to take the [lusciousness] of the butter and it's not hidden by other things like chocolate chips," notes a Facebook user. Especially since baking applications often call for large butter quantities — a pie crust employs 8 ounces in one go, for example –- you'll optimize Plugrà's cost without compromising on quality. So employ a stick or two the next time you decide to bake a sweet treat at home, and you'll quickly see what the hype is all about.