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A close-up of three slices of butter on a white speckled plate, with a sprig of fresh thyme placed on the butter. The setting is on a wooden surface.
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5 from 2 votes

Homemade Butter

Homemade butter is richer, creamier, and miles better than store-bought. It’s nostalgic, rewarding, and yes—you’ll get bonus buttermilk for pancakes 🥞. Make it once and you’ll never go back.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: condiment
Cuisine: international
Keyword: homemade butter
Servings: 6 servings
Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream 35% milk fat
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Set up your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set the ice water aside.
  • Add the heavy whipping cream to the bowl of the stand mixer and turn on the mixer. Starting the mixer on low speed and gradually work up to a high speed, as the cream begins to thicken and splash less.
    A metal mixing bowl containing a small amount of thick white cream sits on a light marble surface.
  • Whisk until the cream forms a solid mass of butter and clings to the whisk. This could take anywhere from 7-10 minutes.
    A close-up of a metal mixing bowl and whisk attachment with yellow butter and white liquid, likely separated during mixing.
  • Note: if the whipping cream starts to splatter, you can use a splatter guard or wrap around it with saran wrap.
  • You will see the liquid separate from the butter; this is called buttermilk. Reserve the buttermilk for baking, cooking, or enjoying as a refreshing drink.
    A metal strainer holding fresh yellow butter sits over a stainless steel bowl containing liquid buttermilk on a light marble surface.
  • Transfer the butter from the whisk to the bowl of ice water. Next, knead the butter a few times—just like bread dough—with your hands while the butter is submerged in the ice water. This is called "washing" the butter.
    A ball of smooth dough sits in the center of a large, empty stainless steel mixing bowl on a light marble surface.
  • Remove the butter from the ice water, add salt, if desired, and shape into a log or whatever shape you like. Store tightly wrapped in parchment paper or in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    A log of yellow dough wrapped in plastic wrap sits on an oval ceramic plate with a brown rim, placed on a light marble surface.

Video

Notes

  • Serving size: One pint of heavy cream makes 6–8 oz of butter. Nutrition is based on a 1 oz serving.
  • Storage tips: Keep butter tightly wrapped or in a sealed container. Unsalted lasts ~5 days; salted lasts ~2 weeks. Discard if it smells sour or shows mold.
  • Clarified butter: To make ghee, slowly cook the butter over medium heat until the milk solids separate and settle.
  • Customize it: Add herbs, edible flowers, roasted garlic, berries, or honey for your own flavor spin 💐🧄🍓🍯.
  • Cold cream is key: It whips faster and separates more cleanly into butter and buttermilk 🧈.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 75mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1159IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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