How To Make Butter In A Blender

Whether you’re trying to save some money or you just ran out of butter, making your own butter at home is easy to do! All you need is a blender and some heavy cream.

Here’s what you should do…

homemade butter inside blender
homemade butter inside blender

What is Homemade Butter Made Of?

Homemade butter is a delicious and versatile ingredient that can be used in all sorts of recipes.

While store-bought butter is made from cream that has been processed and pasteurized, homemade butter is made from raw cream that has been churned.

In a traditional sense of butter making, this cream is first allowed to sit at room temperature until it forms a thick layer of clabber on the top.

The clabber is then skimmed off, and the cream is placed in a churn. The cream is churned until it transforms into butter, at which point it is strained and salt is added to taste.

Homemade butter has a richer flavor than store-bought butter, and it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Additionally, because it is made from raw cream, it contains more nutrients than store-bought butter.

Is it Cheaper to Make Your Own Butter?

Making your own butter is definitely cheaper if you have a good source of milk. Store-bought butter can be quite expensive, especially if you buy the high-quality brands. With just a few ingredients and some patience, you can easily make your own butter at home.

The amount of time it takes to make butter will depend on the method you use, but it is generally a fairly quick and easy process. While store-bought butter is certainly convenient, making your own butter can be cheaper in the long run, particularly if you have access to a good source of milk.

Is Homemade Butter Better Than Store Bought Butter?

Whole store bought butter may not be the healthiest option, homemade butter can actually be quite nutritious. Butter is made by separating cream from milk, a process that leaves behind many of the impurities found in milk.

As a result, homemade butter is richer in vitamins and minerals than store bought options. In addition, homemade butter is lower in saturated fat and calories, making it a healthier choice for those watching their waistline.

How Many Gallons of Milk Does it Take to Make a Pound of Butter?

It takes about 12 gallons of milk to make 1 pound of butter.

This is because butter is about 80% fat and milk is only about 3.5% fat. To make 1 pound of butter, you would need to extract about 2 cups of butterfat from 12 gallons of milk. This process can be done in a few different ways, but the most common method involves heating the milk and then cooling it so that the butterfat separates from the liquid.

Once the butterfat has been separated, it is churned until it reaches the desired consistency. The final product is then typically flavored with salt before being packaged and sold.

Can I Use a Hand Mixer to Make Butter?

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to make butter but don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer instead. It will take a bit more elbow grease, but it is definitely possible.

Start by placing your butter in a large bowl and letting it come to room temperature. This will make it easier to cream. Then, add salt and any other desired flavorings. Turn on your hand mixer and start beating the butter until it becomes light and fluffy. This process will take several minutes.

Once the butter has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a clean container and refrigerate until ready to use.

That said, while you CAN make butter with a hand mixer, I highly recommend using a blender instead. It’s way easier!

How Do You Make Butter With a Blender?

When I first learned how to make butter, it was using the old “shake cream in a mason jar” technique. It worked. But it took FOR-EV-ER.

Thank goodness for modern conveniences!

Cue the everyday blender.

Okay you hard core off-gridders, hand crank blenders will work too.

But seriously, this method is a hundred times easier, and quicker than shaking it in a jar. Here’s how simple it is…

Pour the fresh cream into a blender. This is the cream that has been skimmed off of fresh cow’s milk. I don’t know if store bought cream would do the same thing, I don’t think so…

I like to let the cream sit out at room temp for a while to knock off the chill. It seems to turn quicker this way. Room-temperature cream churns and solidifies up a bit better than cold cream.

If there are large chunks in the cream, you can strain them off with some cheesecloth.

Set the blender to a medium speed and press start. Slower speeds will work, it just takes a little more time. Any agitation will cause the butter to form eventually.

After a few minutes, you will see the cream turning frothy, like watery buttermilk That means it’s almost done. Blend a little longer at high speed until you see the butter floating as a solid on top of the remaining liquids.

Spoon the butter out into a separate bowl:

scooping butter from blender
scooping butter from blender

Next you’ll need to rinse the butter of all remaining milk. I like to use cold water from the fridge for this. No, the butter won’t melt when it gets wet. Just don’t use hot water.

rinsing butter in cold water
rinsing butter in cold water

Pour cold water into the bowl, and use a spoon or your fingers to squish the butter around. The water will get cloudy. This is the milk being rinsed from the butter.

Pour the cloudy water out and add fresh cold water to the butter. Squish it around more until the water is cloudy again. The point of doing this is to wash out all remaining milk from the butter. If any milk is left in the butter, it will spoil pretty much overnight. Your butter will taste like the worst soured milk you’ve ever smelled. Believe me. I know.

You may have to rinse and repeat seven or eight times, but continue this process until the water stays clear. Then you’ll know it has been rinsed well enough. If you are unsure if the water is absolutely clear, do it one more time. The tiniest bit of milk left in your butter will ruin it.

homemade butter finished
homemade butter finished

Drain the water out well, and put your beautiful fresh butter into a covered glass jar or a butter crock. The butter solids will turn into…well, compact solids! You’ll have fresh butter ready to go in no time.

If you’ve never tried fresh butter, it’s good. It tastes like… well… butter! If your butter tastes bad, you didn’t get it rinsed well enough.

You can add salt to it if you like. I don’t. It gets hard in the fridge, so don’t expect it to be spreadable. I prefer to store my butter at room temperature in an airtight container.

And that’s that! Butter in a blender.

How Long Does It Take to Make Butter in Blender?

While the exact time required to make butter will vary depending on the type of blender and the amount of cream being used, it typically only takes a few minutes to produce a batch of homemade butter.

As such, using a blender is an ideal way to quickly create fresh butter without any fuss or mess.

Do You Have to Pasteurize Milk Before Making Butter?

People have been making butter for centuries, and the process is relatively simple. Basically, all you need is milk and a way to separate the cream from the rest of the liquid. Once the cream has been collected, it can be beaten until it forms a solid mass.

However, some people believe that pasteurizing milk before making butter is essential for safety. Pasteurization is a process of heating milk to a high temperature in order to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present.

While this does make the milk safer to drink, some people say that it also destroys important enzymes and diminishes the flavor.

When it comes to making butter, though, pasteurization is not strictly necessary. The high fat content of cream makes it difficult for bacteria to grow, and the churning process also helps to reduce any potential risks. As long as you start with clean milk and use clean equipment, you should be able to make delicious butter without pasteurizing the milk first.

Can You Make Other Recipes in a Blender With Raw Milk?

Raw milk is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of recipes. While it is often used to make butter, it can also be used to make other dairy products such as cheese and yogurt in your blender as well.

In addition, raw milk can be used in baking recipes such as breads and cakes.

The key to using raw milk in recipes is to heat it slowly and carefully so that it does not curdle. When heated properly, raw milk will produce a rich, creamy texture that will enhance the flavor of any dish.

What Are Some Recipes to Use Up Your Homemade Butter?

One classic way to use up extra butter is to make homemade biscuits. This Southern staple is simple to make and only requires a few ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, and of course, butter.

Just mix the dry ingredients together, cut in the butter until it resembles crumbs, and add enough milk to form a soft dough. Then simply drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.

Another delicious way to use up extra butter is in a savory garlic bread. Simply mix together softened butter, garlic, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Spread the mixture on a loaf of crusty bread and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Is It Worth it To Churn Your Own Butter?

For many people, the answer to this question is a resounding yes. Let’s recap the reasons why.

Unlike store-bought butter, which can be packed with preservatives and other additives, homemade butter is all-natural and contains no artificial ingredients. In addition, churning your own butter is a great way to save money.

A pound of butter typically costs around $4, but you can make the same amount at home for less than half the price.

Finally, there’s the satisfaction that comes from knowing you’ve made something from scratch. There’s nothing like spreading freshly churned butter on a warm piece of bread or using it to bake a delicious batch of cookies.

If you’re looking for a fun and rewarding kitchen project, churning your own butter is definitely worth it.

24 thoughts on “How To Make Butter In A Blender”

  1. I see someone has mentioned this already, my version is a bit different. Take one cup butter and place in mixing bowl. Turn on mixer(or use hand beaters) and whip it, add 1/2 cup oil ( canola/ olive etc…) and 1/2 cup water.
    This makes the perfect spread! In the winter I leave it on the counter and it’s soft like margarine. Summer I put it in the fridge- where it still says somewhat soft. SAVES money as you add 1/2 cup water=free and healthier with the addition of oil!

    Reply
  2. I discovered making butter a few years back in a similar fashion. I learned with heavy whipping cream and my kitchen-aid. Unfortunately the milk from the farms is WAY expensive out where I live (N. TX) even though I live in the rural country.

    The “buttermilk” that separates from the butter itself, we use in coffee instead of commercial creamer…it is so sweet and yummy!!

    I normally get a small bowl (about a cup size) and line it with plastic wrap, mush as much butter as I can in there, then pull it out and wrap it to store in the freezer or fridge. If I plan far enough in advance, I’ll let it sit at room temperature while I prepare my meal so it will be spreadable, although sometimes I’ll just cut it into “pats” and put them on a plate for everyone to use.

    Thank so much for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Thank you so much. I am working on a plan to go Off-Grid and wanting to learn all I can. I’m disabled so any little cheats like the blender is very helpful. I do want to keep using electrical devices to a low usage but my hands go numb doing normal chores now so it is necessary for me but really want to make my own butter like I did as a child and teach my nearly grown children to do the same if the want to.

    Reply
  4. I buy raw milk, and there is usually 3-4 inches of cream on top. What’s a good way of separating it (besides buying a separator?) I tried putting the milk in a lemonade jar (with a spout at the bottom), letting it sit and separate completely, then take milk from the spout, leaving the cream. But it didn’t work very well.

    Reply
  5. Way cool! I made butter last year using a hand mixer but this looks like it would be faster. I can’t imagine shaking it in a mason jar. Did you have a bigger bicep afterward? 🙂

    Reply
  6. The buttermilk you buy at the store (and the one usually called for in recipes)is a cultured product, like yogurt. That’s where the “sour” comes from. It’s not the same thing as the buttermilk leftover from making butter. A lot of recipes that call for buttermilk are relying on the lactic acid in cultured buttermilk to interact with baking soda for leavening. The liquid left over from making butter, while it can certainly be used in cooking, probably should not be used in these recipes. No acid=no bubbles.

    Reply
  7. I am so glad you mentioned rinsing the butter. A lot of people don’t, and it is so important.

    We make ours in the kitchen aid, and it does freeze well also.

    We have a nearby dairy that sells their products to the store. However, we learned if we go to the dairy, we can buy cream in a larger container (which we have to provide) and a much cheaper cost than what is on the store shelf, even though it came from them.

    Also, save the milk that came off the butter–it basically is skim milk. I use it for cooking.

    The rinse water I also save and put in the animals water bowls. Gives them a few extra calories during the winter months, and is good for their coats as well.

    Reply
  8. Hello!

    Butter blended with an equal amount of oil, makes for a soft spread. Blend butter with olive oil or unrefined canola and add a dash of sea salt. Keep refrigerated and it spreads easily.

    Reply
  9. I have not had access to fresh cream, so, each Thanksgiving and Christmas, we purchase cream from the store. We have used the Mason jar method as well as my hand-held mixer. They both work. Now, since this is just for the day, we have not rinsed the milk out as we should, but it is tasty and delicious and does not last longer than the meals themselves.

    Thanks, Kendra, for all the “Down on the homestead” advice you give. You help city girls like me, find a way to get back to how things used to be and how to make being more self-sufficient work while living in the suburbs.

    Reply
    • Mona,

      Oh wonderful! Thanks for letting me know! Though… that stuff is EXPENSIVE lately! I was looking at a pint of it the other day for a recipe and it was over $3!! You can get a whole gallon of milk for that much!! I don’t know if it’s worth it to try making butter from storebought cream… though I haven’t priced butter in a while either.

      Reply

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