There’s something really satisfying about making your own butter. It takes just one ingredient, about 15 minutes, and the result is fresh, creamy butter that tastes nothing like what you buy at the store. If you’ve never tried it, learning how to make homemade butter in a stand mixer is surprisingly easy.
If you like making things homemade try out my Copycat DD Vanilla Chai recipe
Why Make Your Own Butter
Store-bought butter is fine, but homemade butter is something else entirely. It’s fresher, richer, and you know exactly what’s in it. Plus, once you know how to do it, you’ll never feel stuck without butter again. Have heavy cream? You’ve got butter.
It’s also one of those simple homestead skills that feels a little like magic the first time you see it come together.
What you Need
- Heavy whipping cream (full fat – this is important)
- A pinch of salt (optional but recommended)
- Your stand mixer or hand mixer with attachment
- A bowl of very cold water
- A clean container for storing
Thats it, One ingredient!
How to Make Butter in a Stand Mixer
Step 1: Let your cream come to room temperature.
Take your heavy cream out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start. Room temperature cream churns into butter much faster and evenly than cold cream.
Step 2: Pour the cream into your stand mixer bowl.
Add the 2 cups of heavy cream to the bowl and attach the whisk. You’ll want to have your splash attachment over the top initially. Trust me on this one, things can get quite messy when the butter breaks.
Step 3: Start Mixing
Turn your mixer on medium-high. This can be speed setting 7-8 on some, or the second setting on a KitchenAid).
Here is what will begin to happen:
Minute 1-3: The cream will start to thicken. This is the stage in which it starts to become whipping cream. It will begin to look fluffy and white.
Minute 4-6: It will get thick and start to look grainy. Keep going – you are almost there.
Minute 7-10: Suddenly it will separate. You’ll hear a sloshing sound and see a pale yellow solid pulling away from a white liquid. (The liquid is buttermilk – Save it!) You can use this for pancakes, biscuits, or cornbread.
The moment you see the butter clump and separate, stop the mixer.
Step 4: Drain the buttermilk
Pour the buttermilk off into a separate jar or container and set it aside. Don’t throw it away.
Step 5: Wash the butter
This step is important so, don’t skip it. Any left over buttermilk in the butter will make it go rancid much faster.
Pour your cold water into the bowl with the butter. I like to do this part by hand or with a wooden spoon. You want to kneed your butter into the cold water. Repeat this 2-3 times until the water runs mostly clear. Once it is mostly clear pour out the water and kneed it until the remainder of the water is out of the butter.
Step 6: Salt and Store
If you want salted butter, now is the time. Add a pinch of salt and mix briefly to combine.
Scoop your butter into a container or wrap it in parchment paper. It’ll keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, or in the freezer for 3 months.
How to Make Homemade Butter in a Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Have about a gallon of very cold water chilling in the fridge. Or have very cold water ready to use.
- Let your cream come to room temperature about 30 minutes before you start.
- Pour the cream into your stand mixer and use your splash guard or a towel to prevent splashing.
- Start mixing on medium-high with the whisk attachment. It will start to become grainy after about 5 minutes.
- Continue to mix past the grainy stage until it starts to come together. You will notice that it has completely separated from the buttermilk. This happens rather quickly, so make sure you watch closely.
- Stop your mixer and drain the buttermilk into a container for later use.
- Take the solids and press into a ball
- Using very cold water, put your butter ball into the water and knead it to release the rest of the buttermilk. You can use a wooden spoon to do this if you don't want to touch the butter.
- Drain the cloudy water, add fresh water and knead it again. You will repeat this process until the water is mostly clear and all the remaining buttermilk has been worked out of it.
- Once all the buttermilk has been removed you can now salt to taste. Knead your salt into the butter until it is well combine.
- Transfer the butter into a container for storing or shape it into a brick and wrap it in parchment paper.
- Store salted butter in the fridge for about two weeks, One week if you made unsalted, and up to three months in the freezer.
Tips to Use Your Homemade Butter
Use the best cream you can find. The better the cream the better the butter. You can try to buy from a local far. Grass-fed cows will give you a richer, more golden butter.
Don’t rush the washing step. It is tempting to skip it, but washing the butter really makes all the difference.
Save your buttermilk. It is wonderful in baked goods.
Having the cream room temperature matters. Cold cream takes longer to churn. If your kitchen is warm, 20-30 minutes out of the fridge should be plenty.
How to Use Your Homemade Butter
The obvious answer is: on everything! But, here are a few favorites:
- Spread on fresh homemade bread while it is still warm
- Use it to saute veggies – the flavor is so much better than store-bought
- Make a herb butter mix
- Bake with it – your cookies and pies will taste so fresh!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream?
Heavy cream works best because of its higher fat content. Regular whipping cream will work but may take longer and yields slightly less butter.
How long does homemade butter last?
Washed and salted butter will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Unsalted butter is a bit more perishable, so use it within a week. Both freeze beautifully for up to 3 months
Why is my butter white instead of yellow?
The color of butter comes from what the cows eat. Grass-fed cows produce more golden butter. If your cream is from grain-fed cows, your butter will be paler, but still just as good!
What to do with buttermilk?
Use it just like you would store bought buttermilk. You can use it in pancakes, biscuits, muffins, or salad dressing.
Give it a try
Making butter at home is one of those small things that reconnect you to where your food comes from. It’s simple, it’s satisfying, and once you do it, you’ll want to make it again and again.
If you try this, let me know in the comments. I would love to know how it turned out and what you used it on!
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