How to Make Homemade Butter

Learn how to make butter the old fashioned way using simple kitchen tools, no butter churn required. Includes brief butter history.

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT15M

Total time: PT20M

Rating

4.82 stars (74 reviews)

how to make homemade butter

Pour a pint of heavy cream or whipping cream into your device or into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. If using a machine, turn on low speed, then raise to medium speed. If you're using a jar, start shaking (you'll need some serious elbow grease if doing it by hand). First, the cream will turn into whipped cream with soft, then stiff peaks. Keep going until the cream breaks. If you’re shaking the cream by hand, you’ll hear a sloshing, then you’ll begin to feel something more solid hit the sides of the jar. If you’re using a stand mixer, you’ll see the butter clinging to the beater. This usually takes anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes -- by hand may take longer. In this process, you are separating the butterfat from the liquid. 
Once the butter has solidified, pour off the buttermilk and save it for baking (or drink it!). Scoop the butter into a bowl. Rinse the butter by pouring ice water over it and pressing the remaining buttermilk out with a small spatula or a spoon. Pour off the water and repeat the process. Keep rinsing and squishing the butter with the ice water until the water runs clear. Then add some salt if you like and work that through the butter.
There you have it-- old-fashioned butter, no churn required! Spread on toast, corn on the cob, a baked potato, or whatever you like and enjoy!

Sarah bacon on 2022-10-08 (5 stars):
Work really well and tastes amazing. But omg took forever in the electric mixer id hate to do this in a jar.
Katie on 2022-07-19 (5 stars):
I had some left over double cream which I didn’t want to throw out. Hey presto - 10 minutes later. Home made butter by hand. Fab!
king on 2021-11-06 (5 stars):
Awesome recipe and directions. I honestly didn't know making butter was so simple and easy! I tried it for the first time and I has fairly happy with my butter. Straining the buttermilk was the hardest for me, but its not that bad. Thank you for sharing!
Afia on 2021-06-04 (5 stars):
Hi I tried your recipe with double cream Beautiful butter and delicious butter milk Many thanks for such a nice recipe ❤️