If you’re like me, you might be apprehensive about the foods you buy at the grocery store. After all, packaged goods that sit on shelves for months (even those in the refrigerated section) are often chock full of preservatives, dyes, and other unnatural substances. God forbid you dare turn over the package and read the ingredients label. Yeah, I can’t pronounce half that stuff either. With that in mind, I’m always trying out new recipes to make staples in the comfort of my own home. And today, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I am going to teach you how to make your own butter at home. My homemade butter recipe uses only simple kitchen tools you probably already own – no butter churn needed. 

It’s just a fact that homemade butter tastes better… and with one simple ingredient and a stand mixer, you can make butter at home. So let’s learn how to make it together!

Why Should You Make Your Own Butter?

When it comes to food, I’m picky – I have no problem admitting it. And you should be, too! There are numerous additives and fillers in many of today’s processed foods, so my mentality is “the fresher, the better.” In all of my recipes, I stand by this motto. 

What is fresher than butter made with delicious, organic heavy cream in your own kitchen? That’s easy: Nothing. 

Now, it might sound crazy… but I swear that homemade butter tastes better than the grocery store kind. Don’t believe me? I guess you’ll have to try it for yourself. 

The other big benefit is that you can control the level of saltiness. At the grocery store, your only options are salted butter or unsalted butter. But when you make homemade butter, the salt content is 100% in your hands. You can adjust my recipe to account for your personal tastes. 

The best news? You can use homemade butter just like you would store-bought butter. Whether you’re using it for baking cupcakes, griddling up some buttermilk pancakes, or spreading on a piece of toast, you will enjoy the fresh, smooth flavor of your very own butter recipe. 

Learn How to Make Easy Homemade Butter

Basically, butter is heavy whipping cream that has been whipped way beyond its usual level. Think of homemade whipped cream… and then just keep on beating the cream. After a little while, magic will happen. The heavy cream will break down into solid butter and liquid buttermilk. 

Once the butter solids and the buttermilk are separated, you will want to rinse the butter in cold water until the water runs clear – of course, you can save the buttermilk in a different container! The more buttermilk you wash out of the butter, the longer your butter will last . Of course, you will want to store your butter in the fridge. 

Now, as a final step, you can add in salt – or other seasonings – to your butter. Sometimes, I like to add herbs like thyme, rosemary, or even roasted garlic to my homemade butter. This is just another benefit of making your own delicious butter at home. 

Ways to Make Homemade Butter From Heavy Cream

There are a few different popular strategies you can use as you attempt fresh butter from cream. The main difference? The kitchen tools you use. I have tried them all to save you some time experimenting, so I will break down each method in a little more detail. 

Method #1: Use a Stand Mixer

This is my personal favorite method, and if you have a stand mixer, I would absolutely suggest making your butter this way. It will be the fastest and most purest form of homemade butter you are going to get, with almost complete separation of the butter and buttermilk. 

While some recipes suggest you use the whisk attachment, I have found that the flat beater actually works better in terms of speeding up the process. Here’s what you will do:

• First, add 2 cups of cream (16 oz) to your mixer. 
• Best on medium until the cream starts to thicken (usually about one minute), then turn the speed up to medium-high. After about 2 minutes, you will see the cream begin to roughen up. After 4 or 5 minutes, the cream separates. When you see this happening, make sure to drape a dish towel over the mixer – if you don’t, you might get splashed by the butter milk. 
• Once the butter and buttermilk are separated, you will stop the mixer, remove the compound butter, and rinse it with cold water. Then, you can add salt to the butter as you see fit. 

Method #2: Use a Blender

Don’t have a stand mixer? A blender will also do the trick. You will follow the same process as you would have if you used a stand mixer or KitchenAid mixer, but it will take slightly longer. 

Additionally, blenders typically have a more difficult time fully separating the buttermilk out. The result? You will likely end up with softer, creamier butter – similar to if you bought a “whipped” butter spread from the grocery store. 

Method #3: Make Butter in a Mason Jar

For butter purists who want to try things the traditional way, making homemade butter in a mason jar can be a fun way to throw things back a little. You can easily make it by following these quick and simple steps: 

• Pour cream into a mason jar, filling the jar about halfway. 
• Shake, shake, and shake some more! Seriously… this is going to take at least 20 minutes of enthusiastic shaking the cream. 
• First, the cream will grow thicker and then turn into whipped cream. You might not hear much going on in the jar, but that’s okay. 
• Keep on shaking until your whipped cream breaks, yielding clearly separated butter solids and buttermilk. 
• After that, you know the drill: Run the mixture through a strainer to separate the solids and liquids, and rinse the solids with cold water. You did it! You made butter by hand!

Try Making Butter at Home Today!

When it comes to at-home recipes, I like to keep things simple. That’s why I compiled this guide to making homemade butter – so that you can enjoy delicious, preservative-free butter with your family. 

Trust me on this one… it tastes SO much better. And it’s better for you! Whether you make a cup of butter or just a few tablespoons, you’re sure to enjoy this family-friendly activity as you learn how to make butter together. 

Want to take things up a notch? You can even add some homemade bread to the equation. There’s absolutely nothing better than that pairing. (But don’t worry – store-bought bread will still allow your freshly made butter to shine). 

I hope you enjoyed these DIY butter recipes! With these recipe cards on hand, you’ll be able to make butter in as little as five minutes in the comfort of your own home. 

Looking for more simple, wholesome recipes? Don’t hesitate to check out my other blogs, where I help you put your family’s health first.