How to Make Homemade Whipped Butter

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins

Do you crave the creamy whipped butter they serve at your local steak house? It's very easy to make at home and enjoy spread on top of all of your favorite homemade bread or warm dinner rolls.

The recipe for homemade whipped butter could not be easier. All you need is a softened, room-temperature stick of butter and a bit of little milk or water, along with a hand or stand mixer. Within minutes, you will have delicious and creamy butter that spreads easily over any bread. Whipped butter is all about texture—the additional air and a bit of milk or water makes it soft and instantly accessible. You can even add flavor and customize the taste to a particular bread by adding fresh or dried herbs, for example. Butter, while just about perfect on its own, is a bit of a blank slate, one with which you can get creative.

Homemade creamy whipped butter in a ramekin with a butter being spread on a roll to the side

The Spruce Eats 

"It may seem simple, but whipping your butter really takes it to the next level. You can use this for simple bread and butter, a roasted garlic butter to serve with focaccia, or make it into a compound butter to accompany your steak dinner. This technique will become a part of your daily cooking skills." —Tracy Wilk

How to Make Homemade Whipped Butter Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 tablespoons milk, or water

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for simple homemade whipped butter recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats

  2. After the butter has softened to room temperature, put it in a small mixing bowl.

    Softened butter in a small mixing bowl

    The Spruce Eats

  3. Add either milk or water.

    Milk and softened butter stirred together to a creamy mixture in a small bowl

    The Spruce Eats

  4. Whip with a hand mixer on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

    Butter whipped to a fluffy consistency in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats

  5. Increase the speed to high speed, and mix for an additional 2 to 4 minutes until the butter is light and creamy.

    Creamy whipped butter filled into a ramekin with a roll being spread with butter on the side

    The Spruce Eats

  6. Serve on bread, waffles, or steak. Or use to rub over a chicken before roasting, and enjoy!

Is It OK to Leave Whipped Butter Out?

It is best to store whipped butter in the refrigerator; it is more perishable than regular butter. Salted butter can be kept at room temperature because the salt helps to act as a preservative to prevent rancidity. Butter stays freshest, however, when refrigerated.

Tips

  • Make sure that your butter is softened. Ideally, it should be removed from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you begin whipping it so it does not get caught in the beaters. If softened, butter will combine more quickly with the liquid.
  • Milk will make a creamier whipped butter and would be the preferred option. Don't run to the store if you're out, though; water will do just fine.

Recipe Variations

  • Add Fresh or Dried Herbs: Basil, chives, oregano, and parsley make great additions to whipped butter. Simply chop fresh herbs or add small amounts of dried herbs while whipping the butter.
  • Creamy Brown Sugar Butter: A sweetened butter, this one's fantastic on heavy grain as well as white bread and it's perfect for fall and winter dinners.
  • Garlic Chive Butter: Whip it up before spreading it on Italian bread or baguettes. 
  • Lemon Butter: Enjoy this zesty butter on white rolls and bread, English muffins, or on top of grilled fish.
  • Roasted Red Pepper: Looking for something more sweet-savory? Roast a red pepper and dice it up before folding it into your whipped butter.
  • Whipped Orange Butter: Sweet citrus comes into play with this whipped butter that can be served on quick bread, muffins, or waffles, and pancakes.

How to Store Whipped Butter

  • Store in the refrigerator in a plastic or glass container with a good lid.
  • The whipped butter is stable and should be good for up to 10 days, although it will get a little harder the longer it sits.

How to Use Whipped Butter

Where there's butter, there's bread. But you can go beyond bread with this whipped butter recipe. Here are a few ideas.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
829 Calories
93g Fat
2g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 829
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 93g 119%
Saturated Fat 59g 293%
Cholesterol 246mg 82%
Sodium 744mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 64mg 5%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 70mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)