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Wondering how to make butter at home? Spoiler alert: You don't need a butter churn!
In the introduction to her cookbook, The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making, Alana Chernila confesses that, before she learned how, she always wished she was the kind of person who made homemade butter. Once she learned, it was easy, but it always seemed like such a daunting task.
That sentiment really touched me because I, too, love making things from scratch. Like Chernila, I’m always looking for ways to increase my kitchen economy and stretch my grocery budget. But, the busyness of life always gets in the way of projects like this. I mean, who actually has the time to patiently churn butter each week? So I was intrigued by her simple, two-ingredient recipe for how to make butter, and I just had to give it a try.
Butter-Making Methods
There are a few different methods when it comes to making butter: to get the fat molecules to separate from the liquid, you’ll need to agitate the cream using a stand mixer, a high-powered blender or a Mason jar. A blender is hard to clean, and you have to shake a Mason jar by hand for 5 to 10 minutes, so I was stoked that The Homemade Pantry‘s recipe uses a stand mixer. It’s easy to clean and even easier to use!
This recipe makes about 1/2 pound of butter. That’s 16 tablespoons or two traditional sticks.
Ingredients
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Initial thoughts
I love that this recipe requires just two ingredients! But, when shopping for heavy cream, I couldn’t help but notice that a pound of value butter cost just 99 cents, or I could upgrade to Kerrygold for $5. Since a pint of heavy cream ran me just under $4 and made only half a pound, making butter at home isn’t exactly as economical as buying store-bought butter. I wondered if it would really taste that much better than the stuff at the store.
Getting started
Following the directions in The Homemade Pantry, I started by combining the cream and salt in my stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Here are more great KitchenAid attachments.
Chernila recommends covering the bowl with a dish towel to prevent splattering (which, turned out to be fantastic advice!). Then, I turned on the mixer, starting on speed 1 and gradually increasing it up to 8.
She recommends peeking under the towel every 20 seconds or so to see how things are progressing, which is how I know that cream definitely splashed around. After about 3 minutes, the cream started to stiffen and had the look of whipped cream topping. I let the machine continue to run and, two minutes later, I heard a loud “sploosh.” The cream had broken, separating into solid fat and liquid buttermilk. I was well on my way to homemade butter!
Rinsing and squeezing
I poured off as much buttermilk as I could, reserving it in a jar in the refrigerator to use in one of these tasty recipes. I collected the butter into a large ball. It seems weird, but the next step is to rinse the butter with water, squeezing it to release as much buttermilk as possible. Any excess buttermilk can cause the butter to sour, so you want to make sure to get it all out! As a bonus, your hands get nice and moisturized as you go.
Following the directions, I placed the bowl in the sink and rinsed the butter under cold water. After rinsing, I discarded the water in the bowl, squeezing and gently kneading the ball a few times. I repeated this process about six times until the water ran clear and the butter didn’t release any liquid when I squeezed it. All in all, it took about five minutes.
Then, I simply patted it dry with a paper towel and placed it in my butter crock. Or, you can roll it into a stick and wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper. If you did a good job at squeezing out the excess buttermilk, your homemade butter is good for five days at room temperature on the counter, a week in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.
The results
Would I spend this amount of time and effort to make butter for baking cookies and cakes? Probably not; it’s neither economical nor an effective use of time, and I’m not sure if I could taste the difference in a baked good anyway.
But, for serving with hot toast or homemade biscuits, I would absolutely do this again! The homemade butter was richer and creamier than the stuff from the store, and I loved its slightly grassy flavor and bright yellow color.
A friend gave me this recipe several years ago, and I think it's the best cornbread recipe I've tried. I love to serve the melt-in-your mouth homemade cornbread hot from the oven with butter and syrup. It gets rave reviews on holidays and at potluck dinners. —Nicole Callen, Auburn, California
It may take some time to make this rich, buttery treat, but it's well worth the effort! The blend of coconut, pecans and macadamia nuts is irresistible. —Kari Kelley, Plains, Montana
My take on the classic cookie is inspired by a bakery in California called Hungry Bear. It's big, thick and chewy—truly the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. —Irene Yeh, Mequon, Wisconsin
For a change of pace, you can substitute fresh or frozen peach slices for the pineapple in this old-fashioned recipe. —Bernardine Melton, Paola, Kansas
My cinnamon rolls have been known to vanish quickly. Once I dropped off a dozen rolls for my brothers, and they emptied the pan in 10 minutes. —Regina Farmwald, West Farmington, Ohio
I live in Missouri, but many family recipes come from New Zealand where I was born. My parents moved there when I was a year old, so I have a "Down Under" heritage. These special-occasion cookies bring back warm memories of my childhood, and I'm going to make sure they're passed on to the next generation in my family…no matter where they live! —Allen Swenson, Camdenton, Missouri
For a dazzling summer dessert, you can’t beat juicy strawberries and fresh whipped cream over homemade shortcake. My father added even more indulgence to this recipe by buttering the shortcake. This is the best strawberry shortcake recipe. —Shirley Joan Helfenbein, Lapeer, Michigan.
I found this buttercake recipe in an old cookbook I bought at a garage sale and couldn’t wait to try it. I knew it had been someone’s favorite because of the well-worn page. —Joan Gertz, Palmetto, Florida
Chocolate, hazelnuts and the tangy taste of buttermilk —these delicious scones are easy to make, come together fast, and taste so good with your morning coffee. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Back where I grew up in Wisconsin, people have been baking this German treat for generations. We love it for breakfast or as a special dessert. It's no fuss to fix and impressive to serve. —Virginia Arndt, Sequim, Washington
These dinner rolls, slightly sweet and so very flaky, were my mother’s recipe. They are simple to prepare because kneading skills are not required and the dough is easy to handle. My grandchildren have renamed them Grandma’s Croissants! —Bernice Smith, Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota
If you need to learn how to make chocolate cake from scratch, this easy homemade chocolate cake recipe is a perfect place to start. It appeared on a can of Hershey's cocoa way back in 1943. I tried it, my boys liked it, and I've been making it ever since. —Betty Follas, Morgan Hill, California
This is one of those old-fashioned Southern desserts that makes everyone feel good. The easy-as-pie berry sauce gives it color and a tantalizing tang. —April Heaton, Branson, Missouri
Cooling lemon and aromatic rosemary make these butter cookies stand out at the holidays. I use them to punch up the cookie trays for potlucks or as gifts.—Elizabeth Hokanson, Arborg, Manitoba
My grandma made a version of this for me when I was a little girl—and fresh apples from a tree in her backyard added an extra-special touch. I’ve adapted her recipe because I love the combination of apple, pecans and caramel. —Emily Hobbs, Springfield, Missouri
These buttery little rounds add beautiful color to a platter of treats. Fill the thumbprint in the center with any fruit preserves you like. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
These delightful scones are perfect on a cold winter day with a steaming hot cup of coffee. They also make a wonderful hostess gift arranged in a basket. —Judy Wilson, Sun City West, Arizona
My husband's grandmother made a variety of cookies every year for her grandkids at Christmastime. She would box them up and give each child his or her own box. This crisp, orange flavored cookie is one of my favorites from her collection.—Heather McKillip, Aurora, Illinois
Our family enjoys my stollen so much they say it's just too good to be served only as a holiday sweet bread. I created these buttery, less-sweet dinner rolls so we can satisfy our stollen cravings anytime. —Mindy White, Nashville, Tennessee
If you want a dessert that will take the cake at a St. Patrick's Day celebration, look no further! The rich chocolate cake is incredibly moist and has a nice malt flavor that's perfectly complemented by the Irish cream frosting. —Jennifer Wayland, Morris Plains, New Jersey
My husband and I came to Canada from Holland over 40 years ago This traditional Dutch recipe is a family favorite and has frequently gone along with me to potluck suppers and other get-togethers. —Elizabeth Peters, Martintown, Ontario
These wonderfully moist morsels are too tempting to resist. They melt right in your mouth. Rather than sprinkling the chocolate tips with nuts, you can roll them in red and green jimmies or leave them plain. —Charolette Westfall, Houston, Texas
I love the excellent texture of this easy coffee cake recipe. Always a crowd-pleaser, its pleasing vanilla flavor enriched by sour cream may remind you of breakfast at Grandma's! Make it the night before a holiday to save time in the morning. —Eleanor Harris, Cape Coral, Florida
You can add many different flavors to butter cookies to make them your own. Try an alternate type of citrus zest, or add an alternate liquid to change things up. —Sara Lark, Raton, New Mexico
My mother made this pie so often, she could do it with her eyes closed! We picked the berries ourselves, and the apples came from the trees in our orchard. I can still taste the delicious combination of fruits encased in Mother's flaky pie crust. —Fran Stanfield, Wilmington , Ohio
Homemade bread can be time-consuming, difficult and tricky to make. But this fun-to-eat monkey bread, baked in a fluted tube pan, is easy and almost foolproof. If I'm serving it for breakfast, I add some cinnamon and drizzle it with icing. —Pat Stevens, Granbury, Texas
Our family wanted to share our love of ganache-filled cupcakes, so we made them into cookies. Even better: we bake the cookies in muffin cups, fill with ganache, and get the best of both worlds! —Adela Srinivasan, Parker, Colorado
A sweet, crispy topping highlights these tender muffins that are filled with two favorite spring foods, rhubarb and strawberries. They're perfect for a brunch or a grab-and-go breakfast. —Audrey Stallsmith, Hadley, Pennsylvania
This buckle won a contest at my daughter’s college. They shipped us four lobsters, but the real prize was seeing the smile on our daughter's face. —Dianne van der Veen, Plymouth, Massachusetts
My family always asks for this love-me-tender lemon pound cake. Sometimes, I shake things up and make cupcakes with the batter. So awesome for brunch! —Lola Baxter, Winnebago, Minnesota
Make a one-handed grab for this tender cake studded with toffee bits. Victory is extra sweet with a treat this good. — Nicolette Burnett, Green Bay, Wisconsin
This simple and tender cake has been celebrated in my family for years. Dressed up with tinted frosting and confetti, it becomes pure party fun. — Karen Berner, New Canaan, Connecticut
Cheese and sage go well with apples, so why not put them all in scones? These mini ones make a fall brunch, tailgate or party even more fun. —Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
This recipe makes a lot of terrific cookies! It's great for Christmas when all the kids and grandkids visit. They can help decorate the cookies-not to mention help eat them! —Paula Pelis, Rocky Point, New York
Brimming with fresh cherries and topped with a crunchy streusel, this tempting tart is a great way to end dinner on a sweet note. It's elegant, tastes delicious, and is so easy to make. —Marion Lee, Mount Hope, Ontario
My savory walnut bread filled with bacon bits and blue cheese dressing is complemented by the sweetness of honey-flavored butter. Cut yourself a thick slice, slather on the butter and enjoy!—Pam Ivbuls, Omaha, Nebraska
After years of working in professional kitchens, Lindsay traded her knives in for the pen. While she spends most of her time writing these days, she still exercises her culinary muscles on the regular, taking any opportunity to turn local, seasonal ingredients into beautiful meals for her family.