How to Make Homemade Butter (5 Different Methods)

Sharing is caring!

Jump to Recipe

Making homemade butter is much easier than most people realize, and there are several different methods you can use depending on what tools you already have in your kitchen. Whether you use a food processor, stand mixer, hand mixer, mason jar, or even try an old-fashioned churn, each method takes you through the same simple process of turning cream into smooth, fresh butter.

This guide walks you through all five methods step-by-step so you can choose the one that fits your style, your equipment, and the amount of time you have. Once you learn how quick and rewarding it is to make your own butter at home, you may never go back to store-bought again.

**This post contains affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn a small commission by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated websites.

Why Make Your Own Homemade Butter?

There are many reasons to try making your own butter at home. It’s a great way to use up cups of heavy cream, especially if you have raw milk and skim the cream from the top. You can change the flavor, add salt, or even turn it into compound butter. It also helps you understand food science a little better, like how fat molecules react when cream breaks during mixing.

The best part is that there are several different methods you can use. A hand mixer, the bowl of your stand mixer, a whisk attachment, or even a mason jar all work, though some take longer. The food processor is the easy way, and it brings the cream through different stages quickly, all the way from the whipped cream stage to true buttermilk separating out.

Ingredients You Need for Homemade Butter

• 1 quart of heavy cream (you can also use heavy whipping cream)
• Salt (optional, about 1/4 teaspoon per 1/2 cup of butter)

That’s it! As long as you have enough cream, you’re ready.

How to Make Homemade Butter in a Food Processor

Add the Cream

Pour cream into the food processor fitted with the metal blade. The plastic dough blade will not work. You need the sharp metal blade to agitate the fat molecules enough for separation.

Begin Processing

Process the cream in 30-second bursts. If your machine has a dough button, that setting works great. If not, use high or medium-high speed. After about six rounds, you’ll reach the whipped cream stage.

Keep Going Until the Cream Breaks

Around the 10–12th burst, the buttermilk separates. You’ll see it forming into clumps of butter inside, with excess liquid splashing around the sides of the bowl. That’s the moment the whole process changes from cream to butter.

Strain the Buttermilk

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large bowl. Save the remaining buttermilk for later use. It’s not cultured buttermilk like what you buy at the grocery store, but this homemade buttermilk still works for a lot of recipes or baking projects.

Rinse the Butter

Rinse the fresh butter under cold water or cold running water. You can also submerge it in ice water. Press the butter with your hands or a spoon to remove residual buttermilk.

**Keep rinsing until the water runs clear. This extra step prevents the butter from going bad too quickly.

Salt the Butter (Optional)

If you like salted butter, add salt now. Use about 1/4 teaspoon per 1/2 cup of butter. This entire recipe yields around 1 pound of butter, or roughly the same as four sticks of butter.

How to Make Homemade Butter in a Stand Mixer

If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make your own butter using the bowl of your stand mixer. This method takes a little bit longer, but it’s still an easy way to make fresh homemade butter at home. Using a stand mixer is also helpful if you want to make a larger batch or you already keep your mixer on the counter.

Add the Cream to the Mixer Bowl

Pour cream into the bowl of your stand mixer.

Attach the Whisk Attachment

Use the whisk attachment for this method. Start the mixer on medium speed to avoid splashing. As it thickens, you can increase to a medium-high speed.

Watch the Different Stages

First, the cream will thicken and reach the whipped cream stage with stiff peaks. Keep going. After a little bit more mixing, the cream breaks and the buttermilk separates.

Strain Out the Buttermilk

Once the buttermilk separates, stop the mixer. Pour everything through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Save the remaining buttermilk for later use.

Rinse the Butter Thoroughly

Move the butter to a clean large mixing bowl. Rinse it under cold running water or ice water, pressing gently to remove excess buttermilk. Keep rinsing until the water is completely clear. This extra step helps your butter last longer in the fridge.

Salt Your Butter (Optional)

If you want salted butter, add salt now. You can adjust the salt to your taste. If you want unsalted butter, just leave it plain.

Store the Butter

Shape the butter into a ball of butter, a stick of butter, or press it into a butter dish or butter bell. Wrap it in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or place it in a container with a tight-fitting lid or airtight container. If you remove all the residual buttermilk, the butter will stay fresh for several weeks.

How to Make Homemade Butter in a Hand Mixer

A hand mixer is another easy way to make your own homemade butter. This method gives you great control but takes a little longer than a food processor or stand mixer.

Prepare the Cream

Pour cream into a large bowl or a large mixing bowl.

Mix on Medium Speed

Use the whisk attachment of your hand mixer and start on medium speed. As the cream thickens, increase the speed slowly.

Move Past the Whipped Cream Stage

Like the other methods, the cream will first reach stiff peaks. Then the cream breaks, and you’ll begin to see the buttermilk separate. Once the buttermilk separates fully, you’re ready for the next step.

Strain and Rinse

Strain the butter with a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Save the buttermilk for later use. Rinse the butter under cold water and press out all excess buttermilk.

Salt and Store

Salt the butter if you wish, then store it in a butter dish, airtight container, or wrapped in parchment paper.

How to Make Homemade Butter in a Mason Jar

If you want to try something fun, or if you don’t have any kitchen appliances, the mason jar method works with just your hands and a little bit of shaking. This is a great activity for kids or for anyone who wants to try the old-fashioned method.

Fill the Jar

Pour cream into a mason jar, filling it only halfway. This gives the cream enough room to move around.

Shake the Jar

Secure the lid tightly. Shake the jar for several minutes. You’ll notice the cream turn into whipped cream, then start to sound watery as the buttermilk separates.

Keep Shaking Until Butter Forms

After enough shaking, you’ll see a solid lump of fresh butter and excess liquid. This shows the butter fats have clumped together.

Strain and Rinse

Strain through a fine mesh sieve, saving the buttermilk. Rinse the butter under cold water until the water runs clear.

Salt and Store

Add salt if you like, then store the butter however you prefer.

How to Make Homemade Butter with a Butter Churn

Using a butter churn is the most traditional way to make homemade butter, and it gives you a hands-on look at how people made butter for generations. While it takes more time and effort than modern appliances, many people enjoy the steady rhythm of churning and the simple steps that slowly transform cream into smooth, fresh butter. This method works with enough cream to fill your churn about halfway.

Fill the Churn with Cream

Pour cream into the butter churn, filling it halfway so there is room for the cream to move.

Begin Churning

Start moving the dasher or crank at a steady pace. You don’t need to churn fast. A smooth, consistent motion is what eventually breaks the fat molecules apart. As the cream thickens, the resistance will increase. This is the same process you see in quicker methods, just slowed down.

Watch the Cream Change Stages

After a while, the cream thickens and becomes similar to whipped cream. Keep churning. The cream will eventually reach the point where the cream breaks, and the buttermilk separates from the butter fats. You’ll hear and feel the change when the buttermilk begins splashing inside the churn. This shows you’re very close.

Remove the Butter and Buttermilk

Once the buttermilk separates fully, stop churning. Open the churn and use a spoon or strainer to remove the solid butter. Pour out the buttermilk and save it for later use. Even though this buttermilk is not cultured, it still works well in many recipes.

Rinse the Butter Thoroughly

Place the butter in a large bowl and rinse it with cold water or ice water. Press the butter gently to release excess liquid. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear. Removing as much liquid as possible helps your butter last a longer.

Salt and Store

Mix in salt if you want salted butter. Shape the butter into a ball, pat, or stick. Store it in a butter dish, wrapped in parchment paper, or in an airtight container. With proper rinsing, your butter will stay fresh for days on the counter or much longer in the fridge.

Comparing All the Different Methods

There are several different ways to make butter at home, and each one has pros and cons. Here’s a simple breakdown to help you choose the method that fits your kitchen:

Food Processor

• Fastest method
• Brings cream through different stages quickly
• Easy cleanup
• Great for large batches
• Works well with a quart of cream or more

Stand Mixer

• Great if you don’t have a food processor
• Lets you watch the whole process
• Good for large amounts of cream
• Slightly slower than a food processor

Hand Mixer

• Good control
• Works with smaller amounts of cream
• Takes longer than a stand mixer

Mason Jar

• No special equipment
• Fun extra step for kids
• Slower than all other methods
• Best for small amounts — usually a cup of heavy cream at a time

Old-Fashioned Butter Churn

• Not necessary today but still works
• Slowest method
• Takes a long time and lots of effort
• Great for teaching food science or trying the traditional process

Which Method Is Best?

If you want the easy way with the fastest results, the food processor wins. If you like to see the whole process and already have a stand mixer on your counter, that method works great too. A hand mixer is perfect if you’re making a smaller batch, and the mason jar is a fun option when you want to experience real butter making with no machines at all.

Storing Your Fresh Homemade Butter

There are many different ways to store your fresh butter:

• Wrap it in parchment paper
• Press it into a butter dish
• Store it in a baby food jar
• Store it in a butter bell
• Keep it in an airtight container or one with a tight-fitting lid
• Shape it into a cup of butter or a stick of butter and wrap in plastic wrap

You can leave it at room temperature for short periods, but for long time storage, refrigerate it. If you remove every little bit of excess buttermilk, the butter will stay fresh longer.

Conclusion

Making your own butter at home is one of the simplest kitchen projects you can try, and the results are always worth it. Whether you use a food processor, a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or even a mason jar, the whole process gives you fresh butter with a delicious flavor you just can’t get from the grocery store.

It’s a great way to understand food science, try different methods, and create something truly homemade with just a little bit of effort. And the best part is that once you’ve made your first batch, you’ll feel confident doing it again and again.

Sharing is caring!