Easy Homemade Butter Recipe

If you’ve never churned your own butter, prepare for a tiny kitchen miracle. This is just heavy cream, a little salt, and a few minutes of mixing until it flips from whipped cream to sunshiney, spreadable gold. It tastes cleaner and richer than store-bought, and you get fresh buttermilk as a bonus for pancakes. The whole thing takes, what, 10 minutes? Maybe 12 if your toddler needs a snack mid-churn. Absolutely worth it.

My husband calls this “fancy butter” and then proceeds to slather half a stick on warm toast like a cartoon character. Our little family basically built Saturday mornings around it—me in slippers, mixer humming, someone hollering “first taste!” while a biscuit disappears in the background. It’s become one of those cozy rituals that make the house smell like… I don’t know, home.

How to Make It

Grab cold heavy whipping cream—about 2 cups—and let it sit out for 10 minutes so it’s cool, not fridge-icy. Cooler than room temp churns fast but doesn’t melt on you. If you’ve got a stand mixer, throw the cream in with the whisk and cover the top with a clean towel unless you enjoy dairy confetti on your cabinets (learned the hard way). Start medium, then go high.

You’ll hit whipped cream first, gorgeous and fluffy. Keep going. It’ll look grainy, then suddenly clump and splash—boom, the butter fats separate and buttermilk puddles in the bottom. It’ll smell like fresh cream. Drain off that liquid (save it for pancakes, promise). Now “wash” the butter: pour in very cold water, knead it with a spatula or your hands, drain; repeat till the water runs mostly clear. This keeps it from going funky too fast.

Work in a pinch of salt—taste, add more; I like 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon for this amount. Press out extra water (squeeze with a spatula against the bowl). Shape it into a little log or pack it in a ramekin. If you’re feeling spicy: swirl in honey, herbs, lemon zest, whatever makes your toast sing.

No mixer? Pour the cream in a mason jar about halfway, screw on the lid, and shake like you’re trying to win a prize. It takes 6–10 minutes and a brief arm workout. Switch arms. Hydrate. Keep shaking. Butter will happen.

✔Ingredient Notes

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– Heavy whipping cream (2 cups): More fat = better butter. Pasteurized churns fastest; ultra-pasteurized still works, just needs a couple extra minutes. Let it be cool, not ice-cold.
– Kosher or sea salt (to taste): Don’t skip unless you truly want sweet cream butter. Salt wakes it up and helps it keep a smidge longer.
– Ice water (for washing): Keeps the butter firm while you knead out buttermilk. I once skipped this and my butter went tangy in two days—don’t be me.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Let 2 cups heavy cream sit 10 minutes to take off the chill.
2. Whip on medium-high (towel over mixer) until whipped cream forms, then keep going until it “breaks” into butter and buttermilk.
3. Strain and reserve the buttermilk.
4. Wash butter with very cold water, kneading and draining until water runs mostly clear.
5. Press out excess liquid, then season with 1/4–1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste) and mix in any add-ins.
6. Shape, chill 15–30 minutes, and serve.

What to Serve It With

– Hot biscuits, sourdough toast, English muffins.
– Pancakes or waffles (use the saved buttermilk in the batter).
– Corn on the cob, roasted carrots, steamed green beans—instant upgrade.
– Fresh pasta toss (butter + parm + black pepper = dinner).
– Warm cookies with a swipe of salted sweet cream butter… chaotic, but incredible.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Cover the mixer with a towel unless you like polka-dot walls.
– Don’t skip washing; leftover buttermilk makes butter spoil fast.
– Salt last. It’s easier to add than to fix an over-salted block.
– If it’s taking forever, your cream might be too cold or ultra-pasteurized—give it time or let it warm a touch.
– Save the buttermilk! It’s liquid gold for pancakes, scones, or brining chicken.

✔Storage Tips

Pop the butter in an airtight container. In the fridge, it’s happiest 1–2 weeks (washed butter lasts on the longer side). For longer storage, freeze up to 3 months; I like patting it into small logs and wrapping well so I can grab a piece for a quick pasta night. Cold butter is firmer but delicious—let it sit 10 minutes if you want that perfect spread-on-toast moment. Breakfast butter at 6 a.m.? Zero judgment here.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Honey butter: Stir in 1–2 tablespoons honey. Maple works too—just a bit stickier.
– Herb-garlic: Soft butter + minced parsley/chives + micro-grated garlic + lemon zest. Good on steak, better on everything.
– Smoked salt: Tiny pinch makes it taste like you grilled your toast.
– Cultured butter: Stir 1 tablespoon plain yogurt into the cream, rest 12 hours at cool room temp, then churn—tangy, fancy, worth it.
– No mixer: Mason jar method totally works; start a podcast and shake.
– Dairy swaps: Coconut cream won’t make “butter” like this. If you need dairy-free, try a vegan butter recipe instead—different process, different magic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Homemade Butter Recipe

Fresh, creamy homemade butter in minutes using just heavy cream and a mixer. Perfect for spreading, baking, and sauces—plus you get tangy buttermilk as a bonus.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 2 cups ice water for washing the butter
• ▢ 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt optional

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Chill the mixing bowl and beaters for 10 minutes to help the butter separate faster. Keep the cream cold.
• Pour the cream into the bowl and beat on medium-high until it becomes whipped cream, then continue until it breaks and yellow butter solids separate from the liquid buttermilk, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, reserving the buttermilk for baking.
• Transfer the butter solids to a bowl. Add ice water and knead with a spatula or clean hands to wash out remaining buttermilk. Drain and repeat with fresh ice water until the water runs mostly clear.
• Squeeze out as much water as possible. Mix in salt if using. Shape into a log or press into a container.
• Refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 3 months. For best texture, let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Flavor variations: blend in 1.0 tablespoon honey for honey butter, 1.0 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs for herb butter, or 0.25 teaspoon garlic powder for garlic butter. Yield is about 0.75 cup butter from 2.0 cups cream (about 12 tablespoons). Using a food processor works too; process until it separates, then wash as directed.