Homemade Butter

I’m convinced there’s nothing better than a warm slice of sourdough slathered in fresh, homemade butter. It’s rich, creamy, and packed with essential fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K — basically a superfood in disguise.

To my surprise, making butter from scratch is actually really easy. All you need is some heavy cream, a pinch of salt, and a little bit of time. That’s it!

The best part? You can dress it up however you like. Add a little honey and brown sugar for a sweet, dreamy spread perfect for toast or bagels. Or try mixing in garlic and fresh herbs to create a savory compound butter that takes steak, roasted veggies, or even just plain bread to the next level.

The possibilities are endless — and I’ll show you exactly how I made mine.

What you need:

There are a few ways to make butter, but I find using a stand mixer is the easiest. Don’t worry if you don’t have one—you can absolutely use a hand mixer or blender instead!

• Stand mixer, hand mixer, or blender
• bowl
• ice
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Salt
• mesh strainer
• Storage container

Instructions

How to Make Homemade Butter

1. Measure & Mix:
   Pour 2 cups of heavy cream into a stand mixer or blender. Start mixing on medium speed.
2. Watch It Whip:
   After 2–5 minutes, the cream will begin to look like whipped cream. If it takes a little longer, no worries—it’s totally normal!
   At this point, I like to drape a clean towel over the mixer to prevent splatters.
3. Curdle Stage:
   Keep mixing. Soon, the texture will shift to a thick, curdled appearance—this means you’re almost there!
4. Separation:
   Just a minute or two later, the magic happens: the butter solids will separate from the buttermilk.
5. Strain & Save:
   Turn off your mixer and scrape the butter off the whisk. Pour the mixture through a strainer to separate the buttermilk into another container. Be sure to collect any remaining butter bits.
   Pro tip: Save the buttermilk—it’s perfect for homemade pancakes or biscuits!
6. Rinse & Squeeze:
   Form the butter into a ball and place it in a bowl of ice water. Knead and press it gently to squeeze out any leftover buttermilk.
   Rinse and repeat a few times, refreshing the ice water as needed, until the water runs clear.
7. Final Touch:
   Once the butter is clean and free of buttermilk, it’s ready to use! Mix in a pinch of salt if you like, then store it in an airtight container.

Stages of Butter

And that’s it—you just made your own butter from scratch! It’s simple, satisfying, and honestly kind of magical to watch cream transform right before your eyes. Whether you spread it on warm toast, mix it into recipes, or gift it to a friend, homemade butter is something special. Once you try it, you might never go back to store-bought!

Happy butter making! 🧈✨