How to Make Homemade Butter with Herbs & Fruit
Learn how to make homemade butter using fresh herbs and fruit. It’s so simple, and it’s the perfect topping for breads, bagels, and biscuits! Your family will love it!
Even though bread is just about the perfect food all by itself, there is one thing that can make it even better, and that one thing is butter. Add herbs or fruit to the butter, and you pretty much have a little slice of heaven. (At least in my opinion!)
Today I’m sharing three homemade butter recipes that are delicious toppings for bread, bagels, or biscuits. There is a printable recipe found below that includes all three versions. Making butter is fun and very simple to do. It’s a perfect kitchen activity for older kids, and by using the printable tags included at the end of the post, it makes a lovely gift.
Homemade Butter from Heavy Cream
The process for making homemade butter from heavy whipping cream is completely different from what’s included in this post. That method uses a food processor, stand mixer, or blender…and from what I found out while doing some research, you can even use a butter churn or shake it in a jar! It involves beating the heavy cream until it separates. It sounds easy, but you need cheesecloth or a fine-meshed sieve for rinsing the butter in cold water, there’s kneading involved, and even though the leftover liquid is actually buttermilk, you have to add cultures in order for it to be “real” buttermilk.
The type of homemade butter mentioned above is excellent for baking, but that’s not what we’re doing today. My method for making your own butter uses regular sticks of store-bought butter that I’m combining with other ingredients to add flavor. This is also known as compound butter. None of the recipes shared below include salt, because I used salted butter.
*Affiliate links included. Click HERE for my disclosure statement.
Lemon Basil Homemade Butter
The first variation of homemade butter combines two of my favorite things…basil and lemon. The lemon tempers the strong taste of the basil, and the garlic adds a little zing.
- 1/2 cup salted butter (soft)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
Rosemary Honey Homemade Butter
The flavors of the rosemary and honey really compliment each other in this butter. This is a basic base recipe that can be adjusted to your own taste. One variation of this butter that would be delicious is to add orange zest and a tiny bit of fresh orange juice (about a teaspoon.) If you use orange blossom honey, by adding the orange flavor, the honey would become even sweeter.
- 1/2 cup salted butter (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoons honey (this is my favorite)
Strawberry Homemade Butter
I was introduced to strawberry butter during our trip to Magnolia Market in Waco, TX. It’s served with their homemade biscuits, and is truly amazing. There are a lot of variations of strawberry butter, but I like this version because the powdered sugar adds a fluffy texture. Whipping the butter first also helps to lighten the taste, and makes the butter super spreadable. Here is Joanna Gaines’ strawberry butter recipe.
- 1/2 cup soft salted butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 – 6 fresh strawberries pureed or finely chopped
Helpful Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need homegrown herbs to make these butters?
No! You don’t need homegrown herbs to make these butters. They take such a small amount, that herbs from the grocery store or farm market will work great.
How do you store this butter?
Store the homemade butter in a plastic airtight container or mason jar with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator.
How long does this homemade butter last?
It will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for up to three months. Remove from the fridge about 20 minutes before using.
Printable Tags for Gift-Giving
To get the printable tags that make this homemade butter perfect for gift-giving, just fill out the form below. If you are already an OSP email subscriber, go ahead and fill out the form to get the tags. You won’t have a duplicate subscription!
How to Make Homemade Butter with Fruit & Herbs
Instructions
Lemon Basil Butter
- 1/2 cup soft salted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil finely chopped
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
Rosemary Honey Butter
- 1/2 cup soft salted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Add the butter and rosemary to a mixing bowl. Pour in the honey. Stir until well combined.
Strawberry Butter
- 1/2 cup soft salted butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 – 6 fresh strawberries finely chopped
- With a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or hand mixer, blend the butter for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and strawberries. Whip for 2 – 3 minutes more.
Notes
