Making Spreadable Butter in the Thermomix
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Homemade butter tastes so much better than bought butter! Most bought butters have additives and preservatives in them, some have colours, and non-organic butters also contain residues from the drugs fed to cows, and the pesticides in their feed. By using organic cream to make your own, you can have a delicious butter that’s free from all the ‘nasties’ at a fraction of the cost. You’ll get the best savings by buying your cream in bulk. We can buy cream in 2 litre bottles from our local organic dairy, and it works out much cheaper than bought butter. Some shops will also sell cream in 2 litre bottles, so ask around. Once you’ve made the butter, it can be frozen in smaller batches and thawed as needed.
With the Thermomix, making butter is a cinch. It usually takes about a minute, maybe two, to change from pure cream into butter and buttermilk. It costs less than buying pre-made butter, and if you make it into a butter spread (adding oil and water and whipping it up), it costs even less! I think most people know how bad for you margarine is, and since it’s best to keep dairy to a minimum, (using it as a condiment, not a main part of your diet) this seems to me to be a good alternative to both margarine and pure butter. I can’t handle too much butter, but I find if I mix my butter with olive oil and water (equal amounts of each), my body doesn’t mind it so much.
This spread works well in all recipes that call for butter – cakes, biscuits, scones, even lemon butter. My mum uses extra virgin, cold-pressed olive oil in hers, but some people find the taste too strong. I usually use macadamia oil. If you’re nut free, you can use your preferred oil.
Here’s how I make my butter spread in the Thermomix:
- 600g pure cream
- macadamia oil (or olive oil if you like the taste)
- filtered water
- sea salt/himalayan salt (opt.)
- Insert the butterfly and measure in the cream.
- Whip on speed 4 until it separates into butter and buttermilk. It will start to bump around, so stay near your machine and turn it off after a couple of seconds of 'bumping'. It usually takes only a minute or two, but I have had older cream take up to 5 minutes.
- Strain the buttermilk by pouring it through the strainer/rice basket into a bowl. Squeeze the butter well with the spatula (against the side of the bowl) to get out as much of the buttermilk as you can. The buttermilk is lovely to bake with in scones, breads, cakes and pancakes (if you can have dairy), so don't throw it out!
- Remove the butterfly from the bowl and pour about 500g icy cold water over the butter. Mix it on speed 4 for a few seconds to rinse it. Strain the water off into the sink, pressing the butter against the side of the bowl with the spatula and pouring through the strainer/rice basket again. The butter needs to be rinsed twice, or until the water is clear (see below). If you leave any buttermilk in the butter, it will turn sour more quickly.
- Give the butter a good squeeze to get rid of any remaining water. This can be done with the spatula, squeezing the butter against the side of the bowl; or you can wrap a piece of muslin around the butter and squeeze it; or you can just use your hands.
- Now make sure the bowl is empty, and weigh the butter back in so you know how much you have. Then add in that much oil and water.
- Eg: If you end up with 300g of butter, add 300g of oil and 300g of water. Also add a little salt if you like. I add a bit less than a teaspoon of salt to this amount of butter, oil and water.
- Insert the butterfly, and whip the butter, oil, water and salt on speed 4 for about 20 seconds, or until well combined. Pour into a container (preferably glass) and keep in the fridge.
This butter spread will last a few weeks if kept refrigerated, and is easy to spread straight from the fridge.
66 Comments
just made the spreadable butter yesterday. As I’ve only had my machine for two days, I bought Dairy Farmers Pure Cream from supermarket as I was keen to try this recipe. It worked exactly as the recipe described. After reading all the other comments I also used 2:1:1 ratio as I thought it best to err on the side of caution and I have to say am really impressed by the results. Thank you so much. Just as a side note, I am struggling a little with the flavours of the oils I have used – not just in this recipe but also in mayonnaise. I used a light olive oil and also tried grape seed oil. I’m not sure if I’m just so used to the taste of the bought products I’ve used over the years or if there are better oils to try. Any tips or suggestions will be happily accepted.
I would use macadamia oil instead!
Hi Jo, My sister in law would love to make this but doesn’t have a thermomix. She has a food processor and a barmix which they can whip with. Do you have any suggestions as to how she could make it with these if it is at all possible? Thanks!!
Yes, she could use a food processor I think, that should be fine. 🙂
Hi Jo I just wondered if you had tried adding kefir grains or probiotic powder to your cream to culture it for 12-24 hours prior to making your butter?
I love your idea of making the butter into a spread can’t wait to try it along with dozens of your other recipes!
Yummy! Made it before Easter – all gone now.
Made new bunch today one with macada oil and one with avocado oil. Super! Thanx quirkycooking 😊
Would this recipe work with coconut oil?
Thanks Jo, made this for the first time today, it turned out really well!. I also went with the 2.1.1 theory and so far so good. Is it possible to double the recipe (as a time saver,) or just keep making it in batches of 600g cream?
I think you’re not supposed to whip more than 600g cream at a time, so best to stick to recipe. Glad you liked it! 🙂
Can you make this with milk?
Hi Jessika, no you can’t as there isn’t enough fat in milk to make butter. 🙂
Hi I am about to make this butter. I am wondering what the 2:1:1 ratio is. Annie
2 parts butter (eg. 200g), 1 part oil (eg. 100g) and 1 part water (another 100g) – it depends how much butter you have once you make it, so start there then work out the amounts with the ratio!
Hi,
Just wanting to clarify – the recipe above uses a 1:1:1 ratio but the comments all talk about a 2:1:1 ratio. Which is the right ratio?
Thanks!
Hi Jennifer! What ratio you use is totally up to you…the recipe is written at a 1:1:1 ratio but some people have done a 2:1:1 ratio and prefer that possibly because there is more of a buttery taste, and less of an oil taste depending on what kind of oil they used. 🙂