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–+ servings
Two slices of bread with homemade butter on a white plate, accompanied by a butter dish and a black butter knife.

Homemade Butter Recipe

Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Here's everything you need to know about making homemade butter the old-fashioned way. It's a surprisingly simple skill to learn and tastes so much better than store-bought. You'll be looking for excuses to spread this creamy butter on everything!

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Pour the cream into a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat the cream at medium-high speed until it becomes thick whipping cream.
    2 cups whipping cream
    Image for recipe instruction, A black stand mixer is whipping a light, creamy homemade butter in a metal bowl on a marble surface. The attachment is lifted, revealing the rich texture clinging to the whisk.
  • Reduce the speed to medium-low and continue to beat the cream until it separates and the butter sticks to the beaters. You may want to cover the bowl during this step to prevent splatters.
    image for recipe instruction. An electric mixer with a whisk attachment is shown on a stand mixer, containing creamy, yellow homemade butter in a metal bowl. The butter clings to the whisk, indicating the process of mixing or whipping ingredients.
  • Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and carefully pour the liquid through it.
    image for recipe instruction. A mesh strainer brimming with homemade butter curds rests over a glass bowl, capturing the liquid whey beneath, all set on a pristine white marble countertop.
  • Put the butter into a clean bowl and pour COLD water over the top. Use your hands or a spatula to knead the butter to clean any remaining buttermilk. Drain the water and repeat this process until the water is clear.
    image for recipe instruction. A mixing bowl containing curdled milk with a black spatula, ready to be transformed into smooth homemade butter.
  • If you're using salt, put the butter onto a plate and sprinkle the salt over the top then mix it into the butter.
    ½ teaspoon sea salt
    image for recipe instruction. Mixing salt into homemade butter on a white plate that has a black silicone spatula resting on top.
  • Store the butter either wrapped in waxed paper or in a jar in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.
    image for recipe instruction. A wrapped block of butter, marked Homemade Butter in black marker, sits on a white marble surface.

Notes

Can I make homemade butter last longer?
The key to making longer-lasting homemade butter is to rinse it well under cold water—the cream spoils, not the fat. But the cream also makes the butter taste amazing, so you'll need to decide what is most important to you: flavor or storage.
Serving: 1 tablespoon, Calories: 102kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 101mg, Potassium: 3mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 355IU, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 1mg