Making butter at home might sound like something from the past, but it’s surprisingly simple, satisfying, and quick. With just one ingredient—heavy cream—you can create rich, creamy, homemade butter in under 15 minutes.
Whether you want to add a rustic touch to your kitchen routine or just try something new, learning how to make butter by hand or with a mixer is a useful (and tasty) skill.
In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to make butter, step-by-step, with tips, variations, and helpful notes for perfect results.
Why Make Butter at Home?
Making butter at home gives you full control over the flavor, texture, and quality of your final product. Store-bought butter often contains added preservatives or salt, but when you make it yourself, you choose exactly what goes into it.
You can make salted or unsalted butter, add herbs or spices for flavored butter, or even churn your butter from organic or grass-fed cream for the freshest taste.
Homemade butter also tends to have a richer flavor and softer texture, especially when it’s fresh. It’s perfect for spreading on toast, baking, or using as a creamy finishing touch for vegetables and steaks.
Beyond the result, the process itself is enjoyable and surprisingly easy.
Plus, it’s a great way to connect with traditional food-making methods, whether you use a mixer, blender, jar, or your hands.
Step-by-Step Process
1. Gather Ingredients and Tools
You only need one ingredient to make basic butter:
- Heavy cream (also labeled as whipping cream; make sure it’s not ultra-pasteurized)
Optional ingredients:
- Salt (for flavor)
- Fresh herbs, honey, garlic, or spices (for flavored butter)
Tools you’ll need:
- Electric mixer (stand or hand mixer), or a food processor, blender, or mason jar
- Spatula
- Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- Mixing bowl
- Cold water
- Small airtight container (for storage)
2. Pour Cream into the Mixing Bowl
Start by pouring cold heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. If using a stand mixer or hand mixer, use the whisk or paddle attachment.
The amount of cream you use will determine how much butter you make. For reference, 1 cup of heavy cream yields about 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of buttermilk.
Make sure not to overfill the bowl—cream will splash and expand during mixing.
3. Start Whipping the Cream
Turn on the mixer at medium speed and begin whipping the cream. At first, it will become thick like whipped cream. Then it will start to stiffen and separate.
After about 5–8 minutes of mixing, the cream will look curdled.
Soon after that, you’ll notice the butterfat clumping together and separating from the liquid. This liquid is traditional buttermilk, which can be saved and used for pancakes, biscuits, or baking.
As soon as the butter clumps completely, reduce the speed to low to avoid splattering.
4. Strain and Press the Butter
Once the butter has fully separated, pour the contents of the bowl into a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth over another bowl to catch the buttermilk.
Squeeze or press the butter gently to remove as much liquid as possible. You want to eliminate the buttermilk because it can make the butter spoil faster if left inside.
Using a spatula or clean hands, press and knead the butter in the strainer or bowl to squeeze out the remaining liquid.
At this point, your butter will begin to feel solid and spreadable.
5. Rinse the Butter with Cold Water
Rinse your butter under cold water to remove any last traces of buttermilk. Do this by placing the butter in a bowl and pouring cold water over it.
Gently knead and press the butter with a spatula or spoon. Change the water and repeat until the water runs clear.
This step is essential for freshness—removing buttermilk helps the butter last longer in the fridge.
6. Add Salt or Flavorings (Optional)
Now that your butter is ready, you can mix in salt if you like. For lightly salted butter, use about 1/4 teaspoon of salt per 1/2 cup of butter.
You can also get creative and mix in minced garlic, herbs, lemon zest, or honey for flavored butters. Stir the flavorings in evenly using a spatula or spoon.
7. Store the Butter
Transfer your homemade butter to a small airtight container or butter dish. You can refrigerate it for up to 1–2 weeks, or freeze it for longer storage.
If frozen, be sure to label it with the date and flavor (if you added any).
Homemade butter is soft, spreadable, and rich—perfect for toast, muffins, sautéing vegetables, or adding to mashed potatoes.
Types of Butter Textures: Choose Your Style
| Butter Type | How to Achieve It |
|---|---|
| Soft & Spreadable | Use fresh cream and add a little milk or oil after churning to soften the texture. |
| Salted Butter | Add salt after rinsing—start with ¼ tsp per ½ cup butter and adjust to taste. |
| Flavored Butter | Mix in herbs, garlic, honey, lemon zest, or cinnamon sugar after the butter is rinsed. |
| Whipped Butter | After rinsing, whip the butter with a little water or milk for a fluffy texture. |
Conclusion
Making butter at home is a simple process that requires just one ingredient and a little bit of patience.
Within minutes, you can transform heavy cream into rich, creamy butter that tastes better than anything from the store.
Along the way, you’ll get fresh buttermilk as a bonus—perfect for your next pancake breakfast.