Recommended Free Tools
For U.S. shoppers, the latest official outlook does not point to a broad dairy-price spike in 2026—but it is not a butter-specific holiday forecast. USDA’s September outlook projected average retail dairy prices to rise just 0.1% for the year, with a forecast interval from a 0.6% decline to a 0.8% increase. The latest butter-specific figure available was a U.S. city average of $4.021 per pound of stick butter in August 2026. Neither figure predicts what a particular store will charge for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Are butter prices going up?
There is no evidence in the latest available figures of a sharp, broad-based rise in U.S. dairy prices. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) forecast the average retail price of dairy products to increase 0.1% in 2026. Its forecast interval runs from -0.6% to +0.8%, so the central estimate is nearly flat and the range allows for either a small decrease or increase. This is a calendar-year forecast for dairy as a category, not a prediction for butter alone or for holiday weeks. USDA ERS’s September 25, 2026 Food Price Outlook incorporates August price data.
For the latest butter-specific retail measure, the U.S. city average for stick butter was $4.021 per pound in August 2026, up from $3.922 in July. That is a monthly observed average—not a forecast, a sale price, or a guarantee of what shoppers will pay locally. The series is based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data and distributed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The FRED stick-butter price series listed August as its latest observation on its September 11 update.
What the latest figures measure
The numbers can look like mixed signals because they measure different things over different time periods. The butter series is a monthly average price for one item. The dairy figure is a category-level price index and annual forecast. They are not interchangeable, and neither tells you the price at a particular supermarket.
#1 Best Overall
- Capacity: The plastic butter dish with lid is suitable for Eastern and Western butter
- One Press to Open/Close Secure Latching Buckles: The latching buckle design securely fastens the lid to the base, creating a better sealed environment and ensuring the butter won’t fall out. It can be locked and unlocked with one hand, making it easier to operate. It protects your butter from your cats, dust, bugs and anything else that might taint your butter
- Sealing Ring to Keep Butter Fresh: The built-in sealing ring ensures a perfect fit between the base and the transparent lid, completely isolating the air to maintain the freshness of the butter
- Easy to Scoop Up and Scrape: The clear butter holder features side ramps that wipe off excess butter and rest the knife. The ramps at both ends help you easily scoop up butter. When you slide the knife along the ramp, the top edge acts as a scraper to remove the remaining butter and clean the knife
- Dishwasher Safe & Microwave Safe: This butter container is dishwasher safe and easy to clean. Microwave safe, remove the lid before heating
| Figure | What it measures | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| $4.021 per pound in August 2026 | U.S. city average retail price for stick butter; BLS data distributed by FRED. It was $3.922 in July. | A November or December price, a local shelf price, or a sale price. |
| Retail dairy prices 0.3% lower year over year in August 2026 | USDA ERS’s comparison for the broader dairy category. ERS also reported a 0.3% increase from July to August. | The year-over-year change for butter alone. |
| 2026 dairy forecast: +0.1%; interval -0.6% to +0.8% | USDA ERS’s forecast of the average price change for dairy products across calendar-year 2026 versus 2025. | A guaranteed change for each month, product, region, brand, or holiday promotion. |
ERS explains that its Food Price Outlook forecasts annual price changes using statistical models fitted to recent data. The annual figure compares the average across all months of one year with the average across all months of the previous year; it does not mean every month will move by that percentage. USDA ERS’s methodology page describes the forecast approach and its CPI and PPI inputs.
Will butter cost more for Thanksgiving or Christmas?
The available evidence does not establish a specific November or December 2026 retail price for butter, nor does it estimate holiday promotions. The August butter average and the annual dairy forecast are not precise enough to support a prediction that butter will be more—or less—expensive during holiday baking season.
Rank #2
- GLASS LID KEEPS CLEAN - The butter keeper fits all common butter sizes and the butter doesn’t touch the glass lid. The butter tray is very space saving and also fits on refrigerator door shelf.
- AIRTIGHT LID - Butter stays fresh due to the tight lid. Therefore you can store the covered butter dish also on the countertop and enjoy your soft butter.
- EASY TO CLEAN - The borosilicate glass lid is dishwasher safe and the bamboo plate of the butter stick holder is easy to wash with a damp cloth. Measurements of the KIVY glass butter dish with lid for countertop: L 7.2 | W 3.5 | H 2.5 in.
- BUTTER STAYS IN PLACE - Cutting butter is very easy because the butter does not slip and sticks to the wooden plate of the butter container.
- FSC CERTIFIED BAMBOO - Unlike traditional butter dishes, our modern butter holder with lid is completely plastic free. The small butter dish is made of high quality borosilicate glass and sustainable bamboo wood, which originates from an FSC certified forestry.
USDA’s Dairy Market News offers a more frequent view of wholesale conditions, including regional spot prices, production, sales, inventories, and market tone for butter with 80% butterfat. Its reports describe U.S. dollar prices per pound FOB and are generally released weekly. Wholesale prices can help explain market conditions, but they are not grocery checkout prices or estimates of holiday discounts. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Dairy Market News describes its reporting.
What milk supply can—and cannot—tell shoppers
USDA ERS’s September 18, 2026 dairy outlook raised its milk production forecasts to 237.2 billion pounds for 2026 and 238.6 billion pounds for 2027, citing expectations for more cows and improved milk yields. It also forecast a 2026 all-milk price of $19.90 per hundredweight and $19.80 for 2027. Those all-milk prices are farm-level market measures, not consumer butter prices. USDA’s dairy market outlook provides the production and price forecasts.
Rank #3
- Soft & Spreadable: This ain't your Grandma's Butter Dish. But it could be. Keep butter ready to spread on toast, biscuits, waffles, pancakes and more
- Store in Style: Protects from residues and keeps butter fresh for longer. Designed with an inner ridge to secure the lid and keep butter from slipping and sliding
- Countertop Convenience: The top handle makes it easy to lift the lid, and the squared design allows you to rest the lid on it's side while you smother those biscuits in melty, golden goodness
- Durable Ceramic: Classic, sturdy, and holds one standard stick. Pop into the microwave to soften butter and right into the dishwasher for easy cleanup
- Product has been carefully packaged in a custom polyfoam mold to ensure it arrives in great condition
Higher expected milk production is relevant supply context, but it does not guarantee cheaper butter at the store. Milk is processed into different products, and butter prices also depend on butter production, domestic and export demand, inventories, wholesale prices, retail margins, and promotions. The cited outlook does not quantify how those factors will affect holiday retail butter prices.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you buy butter ahead of holiday baking?
There is no supported forecast-based reason to rush or wait: the available data do not show whether holiday butter prices or promotions will be better later. If you want to plan, compare the per-pound prices at stores you use and consider your own storage space and baking schedule. The national August average is a reference point, not a target price for your area.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Holds 2 Sticks of Butter - This butter dish with lid measures 6.5"L x 4" W x 3 "H, making it perfect for holding 2 sticks of East Coast or West Coast butter. The heavy ceramic base ensures that the butter dish won't easily slide around during use. You don't have to worry about the butter touching the top of the lid.
- Long-lasting and Healthy Ceramic: The ceramic base is fired at high temperatures and the screen-printed lettering won't easily peel off during dishwasher use or daily use. Ceramic material has natural cooling properties and is better suited for storing butter than other materials.
- Natural Acacia Lid: The real acacia wood lid is sturdier and more durable than bamboo, and is resistant to staining and warping over time. Its elegant color and texture can enhance the look of any kitchen or dining table. Each lid is unique due to the natural variability in wood appearance and coloring.
- Elevate Your Kitchen Decor: The smooth ceramic combined with the dark acacia wood lid makes this butter dish a perfect complement to any modern or country-style kitchen, allowing you to enhance your country-style decor with this authentic butter dish. This retro-style butter dish will never go out of style.
- Perfect Gift for Butter Lovers: Our retro butter dish is the perfect gift for anyone who loves butter. Surprise your family and friends on special occasions like weddings, birthdays, housewarming or Christmas. Everyone will love the charming and rustic feel it brings.
Rank #4
- BUTTER YOUR DAY: Getting a butter dish that lets you spruce up your morning toast is nothing less than buying happiness! This white butter dish not only adds a touch of elegance to your dining table but also stores the butter stick at that perfect room temperature, so you don’t have to wait to spread some goodness on the toast.
- NO MESS DESIGN: This butter holder comes with raised rounded edges and a small knob on top that gives you enough room to keep the butter and lift it without any mess. The rounded-edge ridge keeps the butter stick from sliding around while cutting. The holder of this butter dish measures 7.3" x 3.5", while the lid measures 6.5" x 2.5" x 2.5".
- PREMIUM QUALITY PORCELAIN: This elegantly designed butter stick holder, made of high-quality porcelain, adds durability and sturdiness. It is microwave, oven, and freezer safe, making the butter tray fit for hot and cold temperatures. It can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher or with a soft cloth.
- MORE THAN JUST A BUTTER DISH: If you like to experiment with your morning toast toppings, then this dish is what you need; use it to hold a standard size cream cheese or margarine. This porcelain butter dish makes a great gift for friends, family, brunch mates, or colleagues who like to butter every meal.
- HASSLE-FREE, ZULAY GUARANTEE: We love and take pride in our butter container and back it with a lifetime warranty. If there are any issues, just contact us, and we will make it right. Because everything’s better with butter!
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
