You May Want To Make A Butter Candle For The Holidays

As Christmas draws ever closer, we're reminded of the wonderfully nostalgic aromas and scents that put us in that warm holiday spirit. Those classic holiday candles always make any home feel like a scene from a cheesy Christmas movie, don't they? Frasier fir, peppermint, hot chocolate, fresh-baked cookies, and of course, butter. Wait, back up a second — butter?

Butter as a scent may sound unconventional, especially when compared to the traditional scents of Christmas. But butter has been used in candles many times before, like  H-E-B's Tortilla Butter candles (described by Narcity Houston as making one's house smell like a movie theater that just popped up some fresh popcorn). And Texas Roadhouse sells a candle based on that cinnamon-honey butter you get with your yeast rolls (via Texas Roadhouse's shop). But you've probably never heard about butter being used to make a candle before.

According to Parade, butter candles are exactly what they sound like — an actual candle, wick and all, made entirely out of a stick of butter. Like most trends involving food, this newest innovation in the field of candlemaking comes courtesy of TikTok. But what exactly is its appeal and how do even make one?

The first thing you probably think about when you hear "butter candle" is: "How could a stick of butter be a good candle? It would melt everywhere and make a mess." While you're not wrong about a stick of butter ordinally not being a useful material to make a candle with, a butter candle is supposed to melt.

One TikTok user, @sooziethefoodie, details how to make a butter candle in a brief 24-second video. First, unwrap your stick of butter (it appears that the butter should be somewhat soft, so letting it sit out for a bit is recommended) and then wrap it in a sheet of plastic wrap. Using your hands or rolling pin, flatten the butter until it resembles a flat, almost circular shape. Lay a candle wick across the center of the "butter patty" and, using the plastic wrap, carefully roll the butter into a cylinder shape. Smooth the butter candle out and then light the wick on top as you would an ordinary candle, serving alongside a plate of crusty bread. As the butter melts, you dab it up with the bread. Genius.

Spoon University, via its own TikTok, made a butter candle, albeit skipping the plastic wrap method altogether. Instead, this method is using a paper cup to act as a "mold" for melted butter to form a small, round candle. The end result of warm softened butter as an edible candle is still the same.