Store butter almost always contains additives — natural flavors, coloring, sometimes stabilizers. Making your own requires one ingredient: good heavy cream. A food processor or blender takes about 15–20 minutes. A KitchenAid mixer runs a bit longer. A hand mixer or immersion blender also work fine.
The byproduct is real buttermilk — thinner and tangier than the cultured carton version, and better for pancakes, bread, and salad dressing. Don't throw it away.
Want roasted garlic butter? Select it below — the garlic goes in the oven first so it's ready by the time you finish churning. Garlic has natural antimicrobial properties that help preserve the butter, extending refrigerator life to about 2 weeks.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp fine sea salt (added after separation, not before)
- For roasted garlic butter: 1 whole head of garlic + 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Pour cold cream into a food processor, blender, stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a deep bowl for an immersion blender. Do not add salt yet — salt before separation can interfere with churning.
- Beat or blend on medium-high. The cream will pass through whipped cream, then turn grainy and yellow — the fat is beginning to clump. Food processor or blender: 15–20 minutes. KitchenAid mixer: slightly longer. Hand mixer or immersion blender: similar to food processor.
- Once the butter has fully separated — fat clumped together, liquid sloshing freely — pour off the buttermilk and save it for pancakes, biscuits, or bread. It keeps refrigerated for 1–2 weeks.
- With the butter still in the processor or bowl, add 1 tsp fine sea salt. Pulse or mix briefly until fully incorporated.
- Transfer the salted butter to a bowl of ice water. Knead under the water, changing it until it runs completely clear. This removes residual buttermilk and is what extends shelf life.
- Roll into a log in wax paper or parchment, or pack into a glass container with a lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks — or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Start with the garlic: slice the top off a whole head to expose the cloves, drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, wrap tightly in foil. Roast at 400°F (200°C) for 40–45 minutes until the cloves are golden, soft, and caramelized. Set aside to cool completely — about 30 minutes. The garlic can be roasted hours or even a day ahead.
- While the garlic cools, pour cold cream into a food processor, blender, stand mixer, or deep bowl for an immersion blender. Do not add salt yet.
- Beat or blend on medium-high. The cream will pass through whipped cream, then turn grainy and yellow — the fat is beginning to clump. Food processor or blender: 15–20 minutes. KitchenAid mixer: slightly longer.
- Once the butter has fully separated — fat clumped, liquid sloshing freely — pour off the buttermilk and save it for pancakes or bread.
- With the butter still in the processor or bowl, add 1 tsp fine sea salt. Squeeze the cooled roasted garlic cloves directly in — press each clove from the base and they slide out as a paste. Pulse or blend until smooth and fully combined.
- Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Knead until the water runs clear. Garlic's natural antimicrobial properties (allicin) help preserve the butter beyond plain butter's shelf life — exact time depends on your fridge temperature and how thoroughly you rinsed.
- Roll into a log in wax paper or parchment, or pack into a glass container with a lid. Label with the date and refrigerate. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Pour cold cream into a food processor, blender, stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a deep bowl for an immersion blender. Do not add salt yet.
- Beat or blend on medium-high. The cream will pass through whipped cream, then turn grainy and yellow — the fat is beginning to clump. Food processor or blender: 15–20 minutes. KitchenAid mixer: slightly longer.
- Once the butter has fully separated — fat clumped, liquid sloshing freely — pour off the buttermilk and save it for pancakes or bread.
- With the butter still in the processor or bowl, add 1 tsp fine sea salt. Pulse or mix briefly to incorporate.
- Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Knead until the water runs clear. This removes residual buttermilk and extends shelf life.
- Peel 2–3 raw garlic cloves. Mash them into a paste with the flat of a knife and a pinch of salt, or press through a garlic press. Fold the paste into the finished butter and mix until evenly distributed. Raw garlic is more pungent than roasted — start with 2 cloves and taste.
- Roll into a log in wax paper or parchment, or pack into a glass container with a lid. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks — raw garlic's active allicin helps preserve the butter.
Tips
Tip 1
Rinse until the water runs completely clear — any remaining buttermilk turns butter rancid within days.
Tip 2
Fresh garlic option: skip roasting and mash 2–3 raw garlic cloves into the salted butter. More pungent than roasted. Raw garlic contains more active allicin than roasted, so the antimicrobial effect is at least as strong — refrigerator life is similar to roasted garlic butter.
Tip 3
For cultured butter: let the cream sit at room temperature for 12–24 hours before churning. The slight fermentation gives a European-style tang.
What you'll need
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