8 Clever Ways To Reuse Butter Wrappers

Thrifty and Fabulous

Embracing sustainability often comes with the added benefit of saving money — and I bet you wouldn't have thought of the humble butter wrapper as a prime candidate for this. With everything being so expensive nowadays, be sure not to waste any part of your butter. From using them to grease pans and baking dishes, you can reduce the need for extra butter or cooking sprays. They can also be used to wrap homemade dough or cheese to help keep things fresh while cutting down on cling film use.

So, the next time you're about to toss these slick sheets in the trash, think again. By reusing them, you're not just helping minimize waste, you can also cut back on expenses and save on other kitchen staples. Here are eight clever ways to reuse butter sheets.

Greasing a cake pan with butter — lucentius/istockphoto

1. Greasing Cake Pans and Skillets

Slick with residual goodness, butter wrappers are gold mines for small greasing tasks. From prepping a cake pan to ensuring a grilled cheese doesn't stick to the skillet, these wrappers can be a frugal cook's best friend. By reusing them, you're also keeping more money in your pocket while actively reducing your environmental footprint — one buttery swipe at a time.

Honey isolated on white background. — Olesia Bekh/istockphoto

2. Prepping Measuring Cups for Sticky Ingredients

You can also make use of butter wrappers by rubbing the inside of measuring cups before using them for sticky ingredients like honey or syrup. The butter residue reduces friction — allowing these sticky substances to slide right out without leaving a sticky mess and saving you the hassle of scraping and cleaning them.

Slicing carrots — mihailomilovanovic/istockphoto

3. Lubricating Knives for Easier Slicing

Swiping a butter wrapper along the blade of a knife can make slicing through foods such as raw potatoes, avocados, and cheese smoother. This nifty trick prevents sticking to help you achieve cleaner cuts — and can help make your food prepping process faster and less frustrating.

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Woman hands kneading dough in the kitchen — seb_ra/istockphoto

4. Storing Dough

If you're making dough in advance, you can use a butter wrapper to cover it before popping it in the fridge. The thin layer of butter will prevent the dough from drying out and can help keep it moist and fresh until you're ready to use it.

5. Separating Burger Patties or Cookies

Place used butter wrappers between burger patties, chicken filets, or cookies before freezing them to keep them from sticking together. Be sure to slide a wrapper between each item before packing them into freezer bags. This way you can easily remove one at a time without having to thaw the entire batch.

Wooden door with hinge — drpnncpp/istockphoto

6. Quieting Squeaky Door Hinges

A butter wrapper can be used to apply a light coating of butter to a squeaky door hinge or cabinet. It's a quick fix that can silence the noise and save your sanity — plus, it also saves you a trip to the garage in search of those little bottles of WD-40.

Set of stainless pots and pan with glass lids on the white wooden background — Bet_Noire/istockphoto

7. Shining Stainless Steel Appliances

After you've used the majority of butter from the wrapper, use the slight residue to buff and shine stainless steel appliances like pots and pans before wiping them off with a paper towel. This will help give your appliances a light shine and coat — all the while reducing the need for additional cleaning products and harsh detergents.

8. Corn on the Cob Prep

For an easy application of butter to corn on the cob, a butter wrapper can work as your new best friend. Wrap the corn with the wrapper and twist it around for an even coating. This hack is cleaner than using a knife, minimizes waste, and spreads the butter more evenly than if you were to apply it directly.