Easy Homemade Butter

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at a simple, old-fashioned kitchen project, learning how to make homemade butter is one of the most satisfying things you’ll ever do. Even better? You only need one ingredient: heavy cream. That’s right—no additives, no stabilizers, no fuss. Just pure, creamy, golden butter made right in your own kitchen. Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or a curious beginner, this recipe is as easy as it gets.

You can customize the texture, add herbs or flavors, and even choose your favorite method depending on the tools you have at home. Below, I’ll walk you through how to make butter using a mixer (my favorite way!), plus a few other fun variations that work just as well. I’ll also share delicious ways you can use your fresh homemade butter.

What You Need

• Heavy cream (also called heavy whipping cream) — that’s it!
  Make sure it’s cold and preferably high-fat for the best results.

How to Make Butter Using a Stand Mixer (My Method)

This is the easiest and fastest method if you have a stand mixer, though a hand mixer works too.

1. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of your mixer.
2. Start mixing on medium speed. After a few minutes, you’ll see it turn into whipped cream.
3. Keep going. Soon, the whipped cream will deflate and separate into butter solids and buttermilk.
4. Once the butter clumps together, turn off the mixer and pour off the buttermilk (save it for baking!).
5. Rinse the butter under cold water while pressing it gently with a spatula to remove any remaining buttermilk.
6. Shape, sprinkle with salt if desired, and enjoy.

This method gives you beautiful, soft butter in under 10 minutes with minimal effort.

Other Ways to Make Homemade Butter

1. Mason Jar Method

1. Fill a mason jar halfway with heavy cream.
2. Close it tightly and shake, shake, shake!
3. After a few minutes, it’ll become whipped cream, then thickened cream, and eventually butter.
4. Drain off the buttermilk and rinse the butter under cold water.

2. Food Processor Method

Quick, efficient, and great for larger batches.

1. Add heavy cream to your food processor.
2. Blend until the fat separates from the buttermilk.
3. Pour off liquid, rinse, and shape.

This method keeps everything neatly contained and gives you smooth, creamy butter every time.

3. Traditional Hand-Whisk Method

This is the most labor-intensive, but if you want to feel very connected to the process, it works!

Whisk heavy cream vigorously until it passes the whipped cream stage and separates. This one is more of a workout—but worth it.

Ways to Use Your Homemade Butter

Once you have your fresh, silky butter ready, the possibilities are endless. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:

1. Make Compound Butters

Mix in flavors to create buttery spreads for every occasion:

• Garlic & herb
• Honey butter
• Cinnamon sugar
• Lemon zest & parsley
• Chive & black pepper

These are perfect on bread, steaks, roasted vegetables, or warm rolls.

2. Use It in Baking

Homemade butter adds incredible richness to:

• Muffins
• Cookies
• Biscuits
• Pie crusts
• Scones

The flavor difference is noticeable and delicious.

3. Spread It on Fresh, Warm Bread

Nothing beats fresh butter on a crusty baguette or thick slice of sourdough. Simple and perfect.

4. Melt It Over Vegetables or Pasta

A spoonful of homemade butter turns everyday veggies into something special.

Making homemade butter is simple, budget-friendly, and so much fun. Whether you use a stand mixer, shake a jar, or blend it in your food processor, you’ll end up with pure, creamy butter that tastes better than anything store-bought. Give it a try—you’ll never look at heavy cream the same way again!