Homemade Butter
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
25 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
32 servings
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Calories
101 kcal
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Course
Condiments
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Cuisine
American
Homemade Butter
Description
This Homemade Butter recipe involves whipping heavy cream with a mixer until stiff peaks form and then continuing until the fats and buttermilk separate. The butter clumps onto the whisk attachment while the buttermilk remains as a liquid. After separation, the buttermilk is drained through a mesh sieve, and the butter is rinsed with ice water to remove residual buttermilk, improving its shelf life. Salt can be added during whipping to create salted butter. The consistency is rich and creamy, with a fresh flavor distinct from commercial varieties merely packaged. Using high-quality heavy whipping cream is essential as it directly affects the butter’s flavor and texture.
The buttermilk separated can be saved for cooking or baking. Properly rinsed and packed butter can be refrigerated and used like store-bought butter for spreading or cooking. This technique bypasses preservatives and additives found in commercial butter, offering a homemade quality product with a satisfying process for home cooks.
The recipe yields approximately 1 pound of butter, equivalent to four standard sticks, providing a good quantity for use or storage. It highlights the traditional dairy process of turning cream into butter through mechanical agitation.
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp salt optional (if you want salted butter, sea salt
- water ice
Instructions
Prepare
- Get out a stand mixer and fit it with the whisk attachment. Alternately, you can use a large mixing bowl and a hand mixer (with a whisk attachment if you have one).
- The heavy cream will expand as it's whipped, so make sure the bowl you're using can accommodate that.
Whip heavy cream
- Add the heavy cream to the bowl of the stand mixer (or mixing bowl to use with a hand mixer), and whisk on MED speed for about 10 minutes (the exact time may vary).
- Once you start to see stiff peaks (here's a good guide if you're not sure what you're looking for: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/soft-peaks-stiff-peaks/), you can add the salt (if you're using it).
- Keep whisking on MED speed. What you're looking for is for the butter and buttermilk to separate in the bowl. The butter will stick to the whisk, and the buttermilk will be the liquid in the bowl.
- While you're waiting for that to happen; get out a smaller mixing bowl and set a mesh sieve over the top of it. Get out another bowl and fill it with cold water and ice cubes.
Strain
- Carefully pour the contents of the stand mixer bowl over the mesh sieve or strainer, so the butter stays in the sieve and the buttermilk strains into the bowl underneath.
Squeeze
- Pick up the butter and try to squeeze the remaining liquid out.
- Dip the butter into the bowl with the ice water, then squeeze again to remove excess liquid.
Store
- Place the butter onto a piece of parchment or wax paper and form it into a log or a cube/rectangle (similar in shape to when you buy a box of 4 sticks of butter from the store).
- Wrap the paper around the butter, and tie the ends with kitchen twine or any string/bread ties you have around. I like to go one extra step and add the wrapped butter to a resealable plastic bag as well.
- Alternately, you can slice the butter into 4 equally sized sticks and wrap each stick individually.
Chill/store
- Place the wrapped butter in the refrigerator, so it can firm up a bit more.
- Butter should stay fresh for up to 3 weeks, or it can be frozen for up to 9 months.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 1 pound (4 sticks) of butter, approximating 32 tablespoons of butter total.
- Use only heavy whipping cream for best results; substitutions are not suitable.
- After whipping, rinse butter under ice water to remove residual buttermilk and extend shelf life.
- Salt can be added optionally to taste during the whipping process if salted butter is desired.
- The leftover buttermilk can be saved and used in recipes that call for buttermilk.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 32servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 101 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 101kcal | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 1g | 0% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.5g | 3% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 34mg | 11% |
| Sodium | 153mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 28mg | 1% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 437IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 20mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.03mg | 0% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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