Making Butter Is Easier Than You Think

The idea of making your own butter from scratch might initially seem like a bit of Little House on the Prairie kitchen cosplay, but it is actually a simple and useful skill. Homemade butter tastes fresher than store-bought and is a wonderful way to make all sorts of flavored compound butters. Making your own butter is a lovely extra touch for a dinner party or holiday meal, and makes a great gift to offer a host, especially if you have been assigned to bring the bread to a dinner or other gathering.  

Frequently asked questions

What is butter made of?

Basic butter really only has one ingredient: cream. To make your own, start with a heavy whipping cream with the highest butterfat content you can find; something between 36% and 40% works particularly well. 

How do you make butter?

If you want to go all-in on those Little House fantasies, you can make butter using a small hand crank butter churn. Or, turn butter-making into a fun project with your kids; just put the cream in a large jar with a tight lid and let them take turns shaking the jar until a lump of butter magically appears.

You can make butter with a hand mixer or in your food processor, but the resulting butter will have a bit of buttermilk emulsified in it, so will have a soft texture. The easiest and fastest way to make homemade butter is in a stand mixer — see below for more details. 

What do you do with buttermilk?

You can save the buttermilk to use in the kitchen, but since it is not a cultured buttermilk like what you would buy at the store, use it to make buttermilk dressing or a dipping sauce instead of biscuits or pancakes. 

How do you make compound butter?

Fresh compound butters can be made with herbs, spices, aromatics, and citrus rinds. Make a savory butter by adding grated citrus zest, minced shallot or chives, roasted garlic paste, or chopped fresh herbs. Or, set yourself up for breakfast and brunch by stirring in jam, preserves, honey, or molasses to make a sweet butter. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Use fresh butter — plain or seasoned with spices and herbs — in ways that highlights its tangy flavor and the work you put into making it. We don’t recommend baking with homemade butter, since the level of butterfat and water can vary significantly from batch to batch. We love tossing it with pasta, roasted vegetables, atop a piece of fish, chicken, or other meat. Or, savor it as a spread on bread, other baked goods, or on anything that can use a special touch.

Make ahead

Store your fresh butter packed into an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag or container to freeze for up to three months.