How to make butter from heavy cream with food processor

Published on Aug 05, 2020 By

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Learn how to make butter at home with this easy method! It’s so quick and easy and results in the creamiest homemade butter perfect for cooking and spreading.

How to make butter from heavy cream with food processor

In just 15 minutes you can make your own butter! Yes, you read that right! You don’t need any fancy equipment or spend hours churning by hand and you only need one ingredient!

This homemade butter is great to use in so many recipes like Mahi Mahi with Roasted Pepper Butter Sauce or all of your favorite baked goods.

Ingredients

  • Cream: You can use cream from raw milk or heavy cream.
  • Salt: Optional if you want to make salted, otherwise you can skip this.
How to make butter from heavy cream with food processor

How to make homemade butter

If you are wondering how to make butter from milk or cream, this recipe is for you. I am also including below my top tips for making butter at home.

You can also make butter in a jar if you shake it vigorously for several minutes. Needless to say, that is not the most time-efficient way and you will need some serious elbow grease if doing it by hand.

How long does it keep?

It has a good shelf life and will keep well for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.

How do you store it?

Once you have kneaded the butter, transfer the homemade butter to a glass jar and keep it closed with a lid in the refrigerator. You can also wrap it in parchment or foil and then keep it in an airtight container. This will protect it from taking on other odors in the fridge.

How to make butter from heavy cream with food processor

Can you freeze butter?

Yes, it freezes really well. Just be sure to wrap it in a couple of extra layers of foil to further protect it. Thaw it in the fridge overnight or 3 to 4 hours at room temperature before using. Frozen butter will keep well for up to 6 months.

What do you do with the buttermilk?

The buttermilk that you make during this process is a wonderful bonus! It will keep well in the fridge and you can use it to make pancakes, biscuits and it works wonderfully stirred into mashed potatoes.

Making butter in a food processor

I used to think it would take a lot of time and effort to make butter at home, but it’s so effortless in a food processor. It’s ready to wrap in less than 15 minutes and I know you will love the results!

How to make butter from heavy cream with food processor

Top Tips for Making Butter

  • Keep the raw milk undisturbed in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before separating the cream. The thick cream will rise to the top and will make it easier to separate later.
  • Use raw milk or heavy cream that has at least 40% fat.
  • Use a food processor or a stand mixer with a splatter guard to prevent splattering cream all over your kitchen. If you are using a hand mixer, cover it and the bowl with a towel.
  • Knead and squeeze the butter in ice water, changing the water several times, until it’s not cloudy.
  • Be sure to wash the butter with water really well or the butter will turn rancid pretty quickly.
  • You can also add salt or make compound butter if you wish.
How to make butter from heavy cream with food processor

More Easy Recipes

  • Easy Creamy Chicken Marsala
  • Salmon Salad
  • Easy Breakfast Egg Muffins
  • Poached Eggs

How To Make Butter (Homemade Butter)

Learn how to make butter at home with this easy method! It’s so quick and easy and results in the creamiest homemade butter perfect for cooking and spreading.

Prep Time 10 minutes

mixing 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 8 oz

Calories 205kcal

  • 2 cups cream from raw milk (or heavy cream)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, (if you are making salted butter)
  • ice water

  • Food processor

  • Spatula

  • Mixing bowls

  • Strainer

  • Scoop out the cream from the top of the raw milk using a large spoon, or skip this step and use store bought heavy cream.

  • Pour cream into the food processor and mix on low for a couple of minutes.

  • Increase to high speed and mix until whipped cream forms. Open the lid of the food processor and scrape the sides. Close the lid and process again on high for a couple more minutes or until butter solids form and separate from the buttermilk. (The cream will go through several different stages before finally turning into butter.)

  • Scrape the sides and lid, and transfer the butter to a sieve with a bowl underneath. The buttermilk will drain in the bowl. Preserve it and use it later.

  • Shape the butter with your hands into a ball.

  • Transfer the butter to a bowl filled with ice water (& ice cubes) and rinse it by kneading and squeezing it several times, changing the water until it's no longer cloudy.  This could take anywhere between 6 to 8 changes of water.

  • Keep the raw milk undisturbed in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before separating the cream. The thick cream will rise to the top and will make it easier to separate later.
  • Use raw milk or heavy cream that has at least 40% fat.
  • Use a food processor or a stand mixer with a splatter guard to prevent splattering cream all over your kitchen. If you are using a hand mixer, cover it and the bowl with a towel.
  • Knead and squeeze the butter in ice water, changing the water several times, until it’s not cloudy.
  • Be sure to wash the butter with water really well or the butter will turn rancid pretty quickly.
  • You can also add salt or make compound butter if you wish.

Serving: 1oz | Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 45mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg

Course Condiment

Cuisine International

Keyword Gluten Free, Homemade Butter, How To Make Butter

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Meet The Author: Neli | Delicious Meets Healthy

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Neli Howard and the food blogger behind Delicious Meets Healthy. I started Delicious Meets Healthy in 2014 while working in public accounting. While everything I did at work was very analytical and detail oriented, I have enjoyed cooking because I get to use my creativity and experiment with flavors and textures of different foods.

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Can you use a food processor to cream butter?

Set up your food processor with the metal multi-purpose blade. Add the heavy cream. Run on high speed for about 5 minutes or until the butter forms into clumps and separates from the buttermilk. Stop and scrape down the food processor bowl 1-2 times during the process.

How long does it take to make butter in a food processor?

Turn the food processor on and let it whir on moderate speed until the butter solids start to separate from the liquid, 4 to 7 minutes. You'll notice butter solids forming in clumps after the cream passes the whipped cream stage.

How does heavy cream turn into butter?

To make butter, the cream is agitated (stirred up) so that the fat molecules get shaken out of position and clump together. Eventually, after enough agitation, the fat molecules clump so much that butter forms.