How to Make Butter from Raw Milk (Using a KitchenAid Mixer!)

There’s something truly satisfying about making your own butter—especially when it starts with rich, golden cream from raw, grass-fed milk. It’s one of the simplest and most rewarding things you can make in your kitchen.

At My EIEIO Farm, I make butter regularly using a KitchenAid stand mixer. It’s quick, easy, and makes the most delicious, spreadable butter you’ve ever tasted.

In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how I make butter, how to wash it so it lasts longer, and why raw butter is such a nutrient-rich staple for your home kitchen.

🧈 What You’ll Need

• Raw cream (skimmed from the top of raw milk or from your local raw milk dairy)

• Stand mixer (I use a KitchenAid)

• Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth

• Very cold water

• Salt (optional)

• Spatula or wooden spoon

• Butter mold or storage container of choice

  
  

🥣 Step-by-Step: How I Make Butter with My KitchenAid

1. Fill the Bowl (But Not Too Full)

Pour raw cream into your mixer bowl—but no more than halfway full. As the butter forms, it will splash quite a bit, especially when the buttermilk separates, so give yourself space to avoid a mess.

2. Start Mixing

Using the whisk or paddle attachment, start the mixer at a medium-high speed. First, you’ll see the cream whip into soft peaks, like whipped cream. Keep going. You’re not done yet!

3. Wait for the “Break”

After the whipped cream stage, the fat will start to clump and separate from the liquid. This is the magical moment when you get butter and buttermilk.

As soon as it breaks, slow down the mixer or turn it off. You’ll see solid yellow clumps (butter) and a cloudy white liquid (buttermilk).

4. Strain the Buttermilk

Use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to pour off the buttermilk and save it (it’s great for baking!). You’re now left with fresh, soft butter in the mixing bowl.

5. Wash the Butter

Add very cold water to the mixing bowl and mix slowly. This step helps rinse out any remaining buttermilk, which will improve the flavor and extend the shelf life.

Drain off the cloudy water and repeat the rinse several times, until the water runs mostly clear. You can do this in the mixer on low or by kneading the butter with your hands or a spoon.

Why it matters: The more buttermilk you remove, the longer your butter will last in the fridge.

6. Salt to Taste

Once your butter is rinsed, add salt to taste and blend again to mix it evenly. Salting may release a bit more liquid—that’s perfectly normal. Drain it off if needed.

🧈 Storing Your Homemade Butter

You can store your fresh butter in several ways:

• In a small covered dish or butter crock

• Formed into sticks using a mold

• In parchment-wrapped blocks

• Or in a butter bell (also called a butter keeper), which stores butter on the counter in water to keep it spreadable

Refrigerated butter lasts about 2–3 weeks. Frozen butter can last up to a year.

🌿 Why Raw Butter Is So Good for You

Raw, grass-fed butter isn’t just delicious—it’s incredibly nutritious. Unlike store-bought butter, raw butter retains all the natural enzymes, fat-soluble vitamins, and beneficial bacteria that support your health.

Benefits of raw butter include:

• Rich in vitamin A, D, E, and K2

• Packed with healthy saturated fats that support hormones and brain function

• Contains CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)—a fatty acid shown to reduce inflammation

• Easier to digest for many people than pasteurized dairy

• Full of natural flavor from pasture-raised cream

It’s the kind of food your great-grandmother would recognize—and your body will thank you for.

🐄 Want Fresh Raw Cream to Make Your Own Butter?

If you're local to Coppell or Bowie, TX, you can get farm-fresh raw milk and cream through our herdshare program.

We also offer a hands-on Yogurt, Kefir & Butter Making Class right here on the farm!