I Used This Simple $25 Kit to Make That TikTok-Famous Butter Candle, and I’ll Never Entertain Without It

I’m not one to be immediately convinced that I have to try a TikTok trend, but I have to admit, butter candles intrigued me the first time one crossed my For You page. You might’ve seen one of the several videos that went viral over the holidays — but a quick browse through the comments will tell you that not every user was on board like I was. Alongside all of the users praising how cool @feelgoodfoodie’s butter candle was — the post has hundreds of thousands of likes — a number of them questioned whether a butter candle’s wick was a health hazard.

That, along with the fact that some creators have been documenting their mixed results, was enough to put me off of trying it myself. I’m by no means a DIY expert. However, Uncommon Goods is offering a $25, food-safe kit that completely takes the guesswork out of the butter candle trend, and I’m already planning on bringing it out the next time I have guests over for dinner. Heck, I’ll even make a butter candle on a normal weeknight to spruce up my meals — it’s that easy to use.

DIY Edible Butter Candle Kit

Uncommon Goods

$25

What is the DIY Edible Butter Candle Kit?

In this nifty kit, Uncommon Goods gives you all of the tools you need to create a picture-perfect (and delicious) butter candle. Instead of ordering the pieces one by one or accidentally using a wick that’ll make your butter toxic, the brand has you covered all in one go. (Although, you will have to run to the store for some butter.) It includes a seven-ounce glass jar, silicone molds in the shape of a heart (!), a flower, and a ridged circle that looks like a baking cup. Most importantly, you’ll also receive four feet of organic hemp wick, which is coated in natural beeswax. The included candlewick sticks will ensure the wick is positioned correctly, and you can even spice up your plain butter with the garlic, basil, and cacao packets.

Why I Love the DIY Edible Butter Candle Kit

After loading up on unsalted butter — for the molds, you need two to four tablespoons and for the glass jar, you need 11 — and grabbing a loaf of bread at Trader Joe’s, I was ready to get started. The instructions are simple enough: Melting the right amount of butter in a bowl, mixing it until it had an even consistency, and dumping it into the mold only took a couple of minutes. First, I decided to go the plain and simple route with the heart-shaped one. I poured it so that it was about a centimeter away from the top, and twisted two two-inch-long sections of wick together. A word to the wise: Don’t make the mistake I did and accidentally place the wick off-center, because the butter won’t melt as evenly after you light it. (Still, it wasn’t the end of the world.)

I decided to go all in and fill every mold at once. The instructions varied slightly when it came to adding seasoning — instead of totally liquefying the butter, it says to just soften it. Why? I’m not really sure. I decided to be a rule follower and stirred an eyeballed amount of garlic and basil into softened butter, but as you might expect, squishing it into the mold resulted in a more lumpy candle. It looked nice enough — I probably could have grabbed a knife and smoothed it more. Next time, I will probably just go ahead and melt it all the way, but I digress. After all of the butter was poured and the wicks were put in place, I popped them all into the freezer and they were ready to burn just an hour later. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily they came out of the silicone molds and how crisp the shapes turned out. (Well, when it came to the entirely liquid ones, at least.)

Now, the most important part: lighting and eating my creations. When I ignited the wick, the twisted strands unraveled slightly (which is nothing to worry about) and some slight crackling noises started up (also, nothing to worry about.) The butter really started to melt around five minutes in — that’s when it starts to pool near the flame and even melt from the bottom. I found waiting the latter to be the best method for dipping my bread – I didn’t want to get too close to the flame, of course. It was so much fun to watch it break down over the next 20 minutes, especially when it came to the heart-shaped one. (It looked like a broken heart!) However, even though it was less visually appealing, my lumpy, flower-shaped garlic candle was by far the tastiest.

All in all, I was impressed by Uncommon Goods’ kit. You really can’t beat the convenience for the price. The vibes it creates really are unmatched. Whether you add it to a charcuterie board while entertaining or use it to zhuzh up your weekly dinner, it’s certainly worth the $25. Sure, trends come and go, but I’ll probably be making butter candles for years.

Buy: DIY Edible Butter Candle Kit, $25