How to Make Butter from Raw Milk at Home

Milk can be used for much more than just drinking. Your gallon of raw milk doesn't have to end up as a gallon of raw milk in the refrigerator. When left undisturbed, cream rises to the top, giving you exactly what you need to make your own butter from raw milk. Separating the cream, churning it, washing the butter, and working out the remaining buttermilk are all steps of the traditional process practiced in our kitchens and on farms for generations. 

There is something very satisfying about watching cream change into butter. First it becomes fluffy, then grainy, and finally the butter separates from the thin buttermilk. This simple transformation is at the heart of traditional butter making, and this is how you can have your own homemade butter from separated cream.

Can You Make Butter From Raw Milk?

You can, but you don't actually churn the milk itself. If you've ever left a jar of fresh milk in the refrigerator and noticed a thick layer forming at the top, you’ve already seen the first step of the process. That thick layer is the raw cream, and it is where butter from raw milk begins. Making butter does not start with churning, but with separating the cream.

How to Separate Cream From Raw Milk

Raw cow’s milk is not homogenised, so the milk fat gradually rises to the surface. If you are working with a small amount of milk, you can simply let nature do the work and skim the cream with a ladle. For larger quantities, a cream separator makes the process much faster and more efficient. 

Skimming the Cream by Hand

As soon as the layer is clearly visible, gently skim it off with a clean ladle or spoon and transfer it to a clean container. This method is slow but practical when you only have a few litres of milk to work with. Some cream will remain in the milk, so you may not be able to collect every last bit.

Using a Cream Separator

If you regularly process raw milk, skimming the cream by hand can quickly become tedious. A cream separator uses centrifugal force to separate the cream from the milk, saving you the waiting time. It is especially useful when processing larger batches or collecting enough cream for regular batches of homemade butter from raw milk.

If you want to learn more about how this process works, our guide to milk separation with a cream separator explains it in more detail. For a homestead or small dairy operation, this can make a noticeable difference, especially when you want to collect enough cream for regular batches of homemade butter from raw milk. 

How Much Butter Will One Gallon of Raw Milk Make?

The amount of butter you can get from a gallon of fresh milk depends mostly on its fat content. Raw cow’s milk typically contains 3–5% fat, though this varies depending on the cow's breed, diet, and stage of lactation.  Jersey milk, for instance, is usually richer in butterfat than milk from many other breeds, so it tends to produce more butter. 

As a rough guide, a gallon of milk containing 4.2% milk fat can yield about 7.2 ounces (204 g) of butter. Treat this as a general estimate rather than the amount you should expect from every gallon. That means there is no magic number, as the fat content of your milk determines the actual yield.

Choosing a Butter Churn

A butter churn is designed to agitate cream until the butterfat comes together and separates from the buttermilk. It is particularly useful for larger batches that would be tiring to shake by hand.

An electric churn can save both time and physical effort. The SlavicBeauty Electric Butter Churn can handle batches of up to 6 gallons and is designed to make butter from raw cream in 15–30 minutes.

If you make a small amount of butter occasionally, a jar or stand mixer may be enough. 

How to Make Butter From Raw Milk With a Churn

 As soon as you have separated the cream, you might be tempted to put it straight into the churn, but the cream needs time to settle and cool. Transfer the separated cream to a clean container and refrigerate it. Leaving it overnight is convenient, although it can also rest for around 24 hours.

When you are ready to churn and the cream is around 12–15°C (54–59°F), the transformation is surprisingly simple. 

Pour the cream into the churn, leaving enough room for it to move freely. At first, nothing seems to happen. As you churn, the cream will become thicker and fluffier, then gradually turn grainy. Keep going until small pieces of butter have clearly separated from the thin buttermilk. With a dedicated electric butter churn, the work is largely done for you in about 15-30 minutes.

Right after the butter grains have clearly separated from the buttermilk, stop the churn. The most fascinating part is over, but the butter is not finished yet. Knowing what to look for at each stage makes the process much easier.

How Do You Know When the Cream Has Turned Into Butter?

When the cream starts to lose its smooth, fluffy texture, and small pieces of butter floating in the thin buttermilk become visible, the churning is complete. There is no need to keep going until all the grains form one solid lump. They will come together during draining, washing, and working.

Depending on the milk and the season, homemade butter can range from very pale to a deeper yellow. The colour is not a reliable indication that the butter is ready. The change in texture and the clear separation of butter and buttermilk are much better signs.

Drain, Wash, and Work the Butter

Once the butter grains have separated from the buttermilk, drain the contents of the churn through a clean colander or strainer. The liquid will run off, leaving the soft butter grains behind. You can keep the buttermilk for baking, pancakes, or other recipes if you wish.

The butter still contains some buttermilk at this stage, so it needs to be washed before storage. Place the butter in a bowl of cold, clean water and gently press the grains together. Pour the cloudy water away and repeat the process with fresh cold water until the water becomes much clearer.

When most of the liquid has been removed, gently press and fold the butter to bring the grains together into a smooth piece. The more thoroughly the butter is washed and worked, the less buttermilk remains trapped inside it, which helps the butter stay fresh for longer. At this point, you can leave the butter unsalted or add a little salt to taste. Shape it as you like and place it in a clean container for storage.

How to Make Butter From Raw Milk Without a Churn

For a small batch of homemade butter, a large glass jar with a secure lid is enough to get started. Transfer the cream into the jar, filling it no more than one-third full leaving enough room for the cream to move as you shake it. Keep shaking, while the texture will gradually become heavier and grainier, until the butter separates from the buttermilk. Strain the content, wash and work the butter in the same way as described above. 

A stand mixer is another option for a small batch. Pour the cream into the bowl, leaving enough room for it to expand and splash as it thickens. Start on a low speed increasing gradually as the cream thickens. A loosely draped tea towel can help keep splashes under control.

Both methods work well, but they become less practical as the amount of cream increases. A butter churn provides more convenient way to handle the churning stage. 

How to Make Goat Milk Butter

Making butter from goat milk follows the same basic principle as with cow's milk. As goat milk is naturally homogenized, its cream does not rise to the surface. While some cream can still be collected by allowing the milk to stand and skimming the surface, a cream separator is the more practical option for recovering enough cream to make butter. Once you have enough cream, the rest of the process is pretty much the same. The result is homemade butter from goat milk with its own characteristic flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make butter from raw milk?

Butter can be made from raw milk by first separating the cream and then churning it. The cream needs to rest and cool before being brought to about 12–15°C (54–59°F) for churning. The milk itself is not churned. The butter is made from the cream, where the butterfat is concentrated.

What temperature should cream be before churning butter?

For this method, the cream should be around 12–15°C (54–59°F) before it goes into the churn. Cream that is too cold or too warm may not churn as efficiently.

How long does it take to churn cream into butter?

The time varies depending on the amount and temperature of the cream and the type of churn you use. With an electric butter churn, it can take around 15–30 minutes.

How long does butter from raw milk last?

Keep properly washed homemade butter refrigerated in a clean, well-sealed container. Unsalted butter can generally be kept in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 months and in the freezer for up to 6 months. Salted butter can last longer because salt helps slow the growth of microorganisms.

Can you store raw milk butter in the freezer?

Raw milk butter freezes well. Wrap your homemade butter well in parchment or wax paper, then place it in a clean, airtight container to protect it from air, moisture, and unwanted odors. 

What is the best raw milk for making butter?

Milk with a higher butterfat content generally yields more butter. Butterfat levels vary naturally between cows, breeds, diet, and stages of lactation, so the amount of butter you get can differ from one batch of raw milk to another.