Homemade Butter

Last updated on May 13th, 2022

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
• 2-3 cups ice-cold water
• 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.

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 stick to the whisk of your stand mixer (as shown below).

Wash butter: Transfer the 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 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!

To make butter in a mason jar

1. 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.
2. 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