My Homemade Butter takes only 2 ingredients and minutes to make—fresh, creamy, rich, and perfect for baking, cooking, or spreading anytime.
- 3 cups (24 fl oz/720 ml) heavy cream (high fat content)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (2½ fl oz/75 ml) ice water
-
In the bowl of your food processor pour the cold cream and whip on high speed until it separates. After around 2 ½ minutes you will see it start to over whip and really thicken. Keep going. After around 4 minutes it should be fully separated. You can see yellow buttery solids and cloudy liquid at this point. (You can also do this using a handheld or stand mixer).
-
Once it separates, pour in your ice-cold water. This helps the butter fully separate from the liquid (buttermilk) and you will see even more buttermilk appear.
-
Place a sieve over a medium bowl and pour in the contents of the bowl. The liquid that remains is buttermilk. Save it in the fridge and use it in your baking or to marinate meat.
-
Squeeze the butter solids in your hands to make sure there is NO more buttermilk in there. You want to remove it all otherwise your butter will be wet. Also, you can squeeze it in a clean tea towel or a cheesecloth.
-
Stir in the salt or any flavors (if using) to your soft butter.
-
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 6 weeks and use it in your baking, savory dishes, or even on toast.
Watch the Recipe Video!
- Use High-Fat Cream: The richer the cream, the creamier and more flavorful your butter. Look for cream with at least 36% fat.
- Keep Everything Cold: Chilled cream and ice water help the butter separate faster and give a cleaner texture.
- Choose Your Device: Butter can be made in a food processor (fastest for large batches), stand mixer (medium-high speed with whisk), hand mixer (works for small batches in a deep bowl), blender (small amounts, use short bursts), or even by shaking cream in a mason jar.
- Don’t Rush the Whipping: Stop only when the butter solids have fully separated from the buttermilk; over-whipping slightly is okay.
- Save the Buttermilk: It’s a bonus ingredient packed with nutrients—perfect for pancakes, cakes, biscuits, marinades, or even drinks.
- Rinse the Butter Well: Removing all buttermilk prevents your butter from becoming too soft or spoiling quickly.
- Customize Your Butter: Add herbs, spices, citrus zest, or flavored salts to create your own specialty butter.
- Freeze in Portions: Extra butter can be shaped or portioned and frozen for up to 3 months, ready for baking or spreading.
- Use Clean Tools: Any leftover moisture or residue can affect texture—use clean bowls, spoons, or cheesecloth when squeezing and shaping.