Learn how to make homemade butter from cream easily using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or mason jar.
You may think that making butter is a difficult process requiring a butter churn and an arm work out.
But it is actually super easy to make homemade butter from cream. (Unless you choose the jar method, more on that below.)
Once you try this easy homemade butter recipe you may never want to go back to store-bought!
How to make homemade butter
There are 2 different methods that you can use to make butter at home:
- stand mixer method: Add the cream to a bowl of a stand mixer and let the stand mixer do all the work. You can also use a hand mixer and a mixing bowl.
- mason jar method: Shake cream in a jar until it separates into buttermilk and butter. This method requires about 15 minutes of vigorous shaking so be prepared for a serious arm workout.
Ingredients
Which ever method you choose, the ingredients are the same:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ – 1 tsp salt (optional, for salted butter)
Step-by-step instructions
Although I recommend using a mixer to make butter, I will include the instructions for making mason jar butter below as well, since it is a fun and educational activity to do with children.
To make butter using a mixer
Churn butter: Pour cream in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or into a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer. Turn mixer on low speed. Gradually increase the speed as the cream thickens.
Before turning it on to medium-high speed, I highly recommend placing a kitchen towel (or a splash guard if you have one) over the mixer to prevent splatter because things are about to get messy as the milk fat separates from the buttermilk.
Continue to mix at medium-high speed until the butter has separated from the buttermilk.
After a few minutes, whipped cream will form. Then after about 5 minutes, the butterfat will separate from the buttermilk. The butter will begin to stick to the whisk of your stand mixer and the buttermilk will
Strain: Use a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to strain the buttermilk off the butter. Reserve the buttermilk to use in other recipes (such as homemade buttermilk biscuits), if desired.
Wash butter: Transfer the butter to a bowl and add about ½ a cup of ice-cold water. Using a spatula or your (clean) hands, press/squeeze the butter to remove any remaining buttermilk. Drain the water. Refill and repeat until the water remains clear. This should take between 3-5 changes of water.
Squeeze the butter in a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel to remove any remaining moisture.
Add salt (optional): If you would like to make salted butter, add ¼ tsp salt and knead it into the butter. Taste and then add more butter if desired.
Enjoy your butter on homemade buttermilk biscuits, fresh strawberry scones, or simply on your morning toast. So delicious!
How to make butter in a mason jar
- Fill a mason jar halfway with heavy cream, close the lid tightly, and shake shake shake until the butter separates from the buttermilk and forms a solid mass. This can take 10-20 mins.
- Follow the instructions above to wash and salt the butter.
Although I haven’t tried it myself, this handy device claims to make butter in just a few minutes with the jar method.
Storage
Store your homemade butter in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped in parchment or wax paper. You can even shape it into sticks using a silicone butter mold.
You can also save your buttermilk in an airtight container in the refrigerator to use in recipes such as buttermilk pancakes, coffee cake muffins, or maple walnut coffee cake.
Recipe FAQ
Homemade butter will last at least a week when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The exact amount of time it will last depends on the age of the cream and how well the butter has been drained of buttermilk.
Yes! Homemade butter can be frozen for up to 6 months. To freeze your butter wrap it in wax paper and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy.
This homemade butter recipe will yield between ½ cup (1 stick) and 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter. You will also get about 1 cup of buttermilk.
Homemade Butter
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- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste, optional
- 2-3 cups ice-cold water, for rinsing
Instructions
Using a mixer
- Pour cream in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or into a mixing bowl if using a hand mixer. Turn mixer on low speed. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high as the cream thickens. I highly recommend placing a kitchen towel (or a splash guard if you have one) over the mixer to prevent splatter. Continue to mix until the butter has separated from the buttermilk.
- Using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the buttermilk into a bowl and reserve for later, if desired. Transfer butter into a bowl and add about ½ a cup of ice-cold water. Using a spatula or your (clean) hands, press/squeeze the butter to remove buttermilk. Drain the water. Refill and repeat until the water remains clear. This should take between 3-5 changes of water. Squeeze the butter in a cheesecloth or kitchen towel again to remove any remaining moisture.
- If you want to make salted butter, add salt to taste and knead into the butter.
- Store your homemade butter in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped in parchment or wax paper. You can also save your buttermilk in an airtight container in the refrigerator to use in recipes.
Using a mason jar
- Churn butter – Fill a mason jar halfway with heavy cream and close the lid tightly. Shake shake shake until the butter separates from the buttermilk and forms a solid mass. This can take 10-20 mins.
- Follow the instructions above to strain, wash, salt, and store the butter.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by a third party and intended to serve as an estimate only. The accuracy of nutritional information is not guaranteed.
Making this today. It is cheaper for cream than butter right now where I live. Thanks for the easy recipe!
I made this as a child. We had a cow and I helped make the butter with memories. I could not wait for the cream to form. Thanks for the finishing touches.
Hi! I am trying out this recipe today and I have found that the butter looks like cottage cheese and after 1/2 hr of whisking, the butter has started to stick together.
What should I do at this point?
Mary
Hi Mary! Are you using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or hand mixer? 30 minutes is longer than it typically takes but the good news is that it sounds like your butter is finally separating from the buttermilk. Time to move to step 3 of the recipe to drain/rise your butter.
I am having the same issue, I am using a stand mixer and have been mixing for over half hour and the butter never formed to my whisk. It is like cottage cheese and I used my hands to pull it out and form into a ball, however it is very soft. what do I need to do differently? whisk longer? have on a higher speed?
thanks,
Taylor
Turning the mixer up to the highest speed may have helped make the process quicker but since you were able to form the butter into a ball it sounds as though it has separated from the buttermilk. Now you just need to rise & drain the remaining buttermilk. As you squeeze out the remaining moisture the butter will be less soft.
It helps a lot for the cream to be room temperature before you churn it. It cuts down the time it takes for it to turn to butter.
What does it mean if the butter that has formed and separated from the buttermilk is too soft for me to squeeze it and just goes through my fingers?
You can use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the butter, then proceed to washing the butter.
I use this recipe all the time with a hand churner and absolutely love it. It is so good, I’m going to try to make cinnamon butter tonight.
it was amazing and easy…it was cool when i heard the buttermilk in the mixed i looked and walla butter! its amazing thank you! 😊
I bought a New Mixer just so I could try to make butter, I was so excited. I got everything out and set up, my new stand mixer and all. Then after about 35 minutes all I got was a few lumps, so I got ticked off poured it all down the kitchen sink, cleaned things up then went in and watched a movie. I doubt that mixer will ever get used again. Gary
I am sorry that you didn’t have success with your first go at making butter. I want to help troubleshoot what could have gone wrong. What kind of cream were you using? Did you use a whisk attachment with your mixer?
Takes about 5 mins in my mixer if that, it’s so formed I just pick it up off the whisk attachment and roll into wax paper no need for trying to squeeze out the buttermilk it’s all in the bowl
Great!!!
Sometimes I will mix with garlic or herbs if wanting an herb or garlic butter
Otherwise just plain butter and hardens very quickly