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Bright yellow homemade butter in a white butter crock. Butter is higher than the rim of the crock. The crock is sitting on a tree stump. Green grass in the background.

Homemade Butter

Making homemade butter is super simple. It requires only one ingredient (two if you prefer your butter salted) and minimal kitchenware. It is quick to make, no matter which method you choose. It is rich, creamy, packed full of fat-soluble vitamins, and extra tasty when made from scratch.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 cups raw cream
  • salt (optional)

Equipment

  • SEE BELOW

Method
 

  1. Pour raw cream into equipment corresponding to desired method. See below for 9 methods.
  2. Agitate cream until it separates into homemade butter and buttermilk.
  3. Using a strainer, separate the butter from the buttermilk.
  4. Separate any remaining milk from the homemade butter by either squeezing the butter with your hands or pressing the butter against the side of a bowl. Rinse with cool water.
  5. Add salt to taste if desired.
  6. Store in the refrigerator or a butter crock.

Notes

9 Methods to Make Homemade Butter:
  1. Mason Jar Method
  2. Blender Method
  3. Immersion Blender Method
  4. Hand Mixer Method
  5. Stand Mixer Method
  6. Food Processor Method
  7. Manual Butter Churner
  8. Electric Butter Churner
  9. Hand-turned Stoneware Churn
  • You can buy raw cream from a local dairy farm, or you can skim the cream from the top of your raw milk. For 1 gallon of raw milk, I usually get about 2-3 cups of cream.
  • Always use cream at room temperature, even if making sweet cream butter and not cultured butter. Room temperature cream makes butter a lot quicker than cold cream.
  • Cream that is closer to one week old will also turn into butter quicker than cream that is only one day old.
  • Your cream will go through a few stages before turning into butter. It will froth and thicken, turn to whipped cream, and then eventually separate into butter and buttermilk.
  • Wrap a towel around the splash guard on your stand mixer. Even with the splash guard, it will still splatter!
  • Make sure you get ALL of the milk you possibly can get out of the homemade butter when squeezing and rinsing. Any leftover milk will make the butter go bad quicker than if it is free of milk.
  • Refrigeration or a butter crock are best ways to store homemade butter. Even with my caution to squeeze and rinse all the milk away, it is nearly impossible to get it all. I’d rather refrigerate my homemade butter and make sure it lasts as long as possible vs. sitting on the counter and turning sour unintentionally. A butter crock will also work since the water acts as a seal.
  • Save your buttermilk! It is so handy for many different recipes.
  • Homemade butter can be enjoyed plain, salted, or with any combination of herbs you like!
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