In the introduction to her cookbook, The Homemade Pantry, Alana Chernila confesses that, before she learned how, she always wished she was the kind of person who made homemade butter. It seemed like such a daunting task.
That sentiment really touched me because I, too, love making pantry staples from scratch. Like Alana, I’m always looking for ways to stretch my grocery budget. I was intrigued by her simple, two-ingredient recipe for how to make butter, so I had to give it a try—and I’m not the only one. Plenty of TikTok creators like @thecornerplot have been making homemade butter, too.
https://www.tiktok.com/@thecornerplot/video/7220329257476672773?_r=1&_t=8bZqsYCFrSA
In the recipe that this creator uses, she creates homemade butter with a Kilner butter churn. You can also use this homemade butter to build a butter board.
3 Ways to Make Butter from Scratch
There are a few other 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!
Find the best stand mixer for this task (and plenty of other recipes).
Recipe for Homemade Butter
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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
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.
Directions
Step 1: Combine the cream and salt
I followed the directions in The Homemade Pantry. I started by combining the cream and salt in my stand mixer, fitted with the whisk KitchenAid attachment.
The author 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.
I peeked under the towel every 20 seconds or so to see how things looked. After about 3 minutes, the cream started to stiffen and had the look of whipped cream. 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 on my way to homemade butter!
Step 2: Pour off the buttermilk
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. Then I collected the butter into a large ball.
Step 3: Rinse the butter
It seems weird, but the next step is to rinse the butter with ice 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.
I placed the bowl in the sink and rinsed the butter under cold ice 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.
Step 4: Pat dry
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.
Is Making Homemade Butter Worth It?
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. 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. It tasted good with the pinch of salt I added at the beginning, but turning it into a flavored butter really took things to the next level. Next, learn how to cream butter and sugar the right way.
Recipes That Are Better with Butter
Buttery 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
With only a few ingredients, these butter shortbread cookies are so simple to prepare. Use these as an excuse to buy the
good butter! —Pattie Prescott, Manchester, New Hampshire
Go to Recipe
Double Nut BaklavaIt 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
Skillet Pineapple Upside-Down CakeFor a change of pace, you can substitute fresh or frozen peach slices for the pineapple in this old-fashioned recipe. —Bernardine Melton, Paola, Kansas
Gooey Butter CookiesAs a native of St. Louis, I wanted to make a cookie version of the famous
gooey butter cake. And although many gooey butter cake recipes use a cake mix, these cookies are made from scratch. —Julia TenHoeve, Richmond, Virginia
Can't-Eat-Just-One Cinnamon RollsMy 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
Holland Butter CookiesMy great-grandmother's Holland butter cookies have been passed down in my family from generation to generation. This recipe uses only five ingredients that are usually already in the house. For different holidays, I swap the almonds for cherries, walnuts or ginger. —Tineke De Rosa, Blairstown, New Jersey
Kentucky Butter CakeLook no further than Kentucky butter cake for a fluffy, buttery cake with an excellent crumb and a vanilla-almond butter sauce that permeates every bite.
Mimosa Butter CookiesYou 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
Hazelnut Chocolate Chip SconesChocolate, hazelnuts and the tangy taste of buttermilk —these delicious scones are easy to make. They come together fast. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Raspberry Custard KuchenBack 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
Swedish Butter CookiesIt's impossible to eat just one of these Swedish cookies. Naturally, they're a favorite with my Swedish husband and children—but anyone with a sweet tooth will appreciate this treat. My recipe is "well-traveled" among our friends and neighbors. —Sue Soderland, Elgin, Illinois
Flaky Butterhorn RollsThe recipe for these dinner rolls, slightly sweet and so very flaky, was my mother’s. 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
Classic Chocolate CakeIf 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
Lemon & Rosemary Butter CookiesCooling 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
Caramel-Apple Skillet BuckleMy grandma used to bake a version of this for me when I was a little girl. She would make it using fresh apples from her tree in the backyard. I've adapted her recipe because I love the combination of apples, pecans and caramel. —Emily Hobbs, Springfield, Missouri
Bake-Sale Lemon BarsThe recipe for these tangy lemon bars comes from my cousin, who is famous for cooking up farm feasts. —Mildred Keller, Rockford, Illinois
Thumbprint CookiesButtery and not-too-sweet thumbprint cookies filled with fruit preserves make for a refreshing little bite any time of day.
Butter Pecan CakeThis irresistible butter pecan cake features multiple layers, plenty of toasted buttery pecan crunch and a thick layer of buttercream frosting. In a word, it's delicious. Serve with a scoop of vanilla or maple ice cream to complement this decadent southern dessert.
Pumpkin Scones with Berry ButterThese 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
Stollen Butter RollsMy family members enjoy my stollen so much and say it’s just too good to be served only on holidays. I created this buttery, less-sweet dinner roll version. —Mindy White, Nashville, Tennessee
Malted Chocolate & Stout Layer CakeIf 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
Dutch Apple CakeMy husband and I came to Canada from Holland more than 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
Italian Butter CookiesButtery soft with a sweet chocolate tip, these Italian butter cookies are a surefire way to impress your guests. Make them ahead of time (they freeze exceptionally well), or fresh in just a few hours; either way, you'll have a simple yet tasty treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Coffee Cake RecipeOur coffee cake recipe turns coffee-o-clock into a true treat!
Blackberry Apple PieMy 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
Buttery Bubble BreadHomemade 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
Buttery Ganache Cookie CupsOur 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
Strawberry-Rhubarb MuffinsStrawberry-rhubarb muffins might just be our favorite baked treat to celebrate the sweet-tart flavors of the late spring and summer harvest.
Butter MeltawaysBeech Grove, Indiana field editor Sue Call suggests, "Add variety to this recipe by substituting lemon flavoring for the vanilla plus a teaspoon of lemon peel."
Down East Blueberry BuckleThis buckle won a contest at my daughter’s college. The prize was four lobsters, but the real reward was the smile on our daughter’s face. —Dianne van der Veen, Plymouth, Massachusetts
Buttery Potato Chip CookiesPotato chip cookies got their start in the spud-proud region of Idaho and the western U.S. This recipe makes plenty of crisp cookies and will keep people guessing about the secret ingredient. —Rachel Roberts, Lemoore, California
Apple CrostataThis apple crostata recipe has firm apple slices covered with cinnamon sugar and a drizzle of caramel topping, resting in a simple dough circle. This is a terrific dessert to make when you don't want to bother with shaping and blind-baking a pie crust.
Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf RecipeSatisfy your coffee shop treat cravings with this copycat Starbucks lemon loaf cake recipe.
Buttery Almond Cookies"My husband loves these cookies," says Elaine Anderson of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. "They have an old-fashioned flavor that goes well with a cup of tea. Plus they're simple to put together."
Cherry-Almond Streusel TartBrimming 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