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This cultured butter recipe uses cream and yogurt, slowly cultured and churned until it turns rich, tangy, and deeply buttery. Smooth and softly spreadable, with that signature cultured bite, it’s the kind of butter meant for radishes, warm sourdough, and letting the dairy do the talking.
About the Taste
Cultured butter, aka the good stuff. When I made a teaser for this from scratch recipe, someone said it’s not from scratch because I didn’t milk the cow, which I thought was pretty funny. Apart from the cow, this homemade butter is the kind of butter you want to top everything with. I love serving it with radishes or warm sourdough bread – simple things where that tangy, rich flavor really comes through.
Creamy and smooth, with a slight tang and a richness that goes beyond regular butter. It has more depth, and the flavors linger in a way that makes you want another bite.
Table of Contents
How Cultured Butter is Made
This starts with cream and a little yogurt, which sits out at room temperature for a bit. That’s the culturing step. The yogurt introduces the cultures, the cream ferments lightly, and then it gets churned like butter normally does. Once it separates, you rinse it, shape it, and that’s it.
Prep the Ingredients
The Culturing
2 Days Ahead
Plan to start this recipe two days ahead. The cream and yogurt need time to culture at room temperature before you can churn the butter, so this step must be fully completed before anything else happens. And that is it, there isn’t a lot of prep for this recipe other than making sure you give yourself enough time. The rest is super simple and quick.
Ingredient Swaps
- Whole Milk Yogurt or Skyr: Either works well here. Skyr cultures the cream a little more firmly and gives a slightly sharper tang, while whole milk yogurt stays softer and a touch milder. You do need to make sure you are using full fat though because low-fat or nonfat yogurt can affect the texture and how the cream ferments.
- Heavy Cream: You can use any high-quality heavy cream with enough fat to whip and separate properly. Ultra-pasteurized cream will still work, but the flavor is flatter.
- Flaky Sea Salt: Any flaky finishing salt works. You can also add cracked black pepper, finely grated lemon zest, chopped fresh herbs like chives or dill, a pinch of chili flakes, or a small spoon of honey if you want a sweet-savory edge.
Similar Recipes
- Whipped Butter: A classic whipped butter that’s light and fluffy, with salt enhancing the natural sweetness of the butter, this is really good on warm bread or vegetables and versatile enough to finish a steak.
- Le Prés Salés Dupe: A rich, salty, cultured butter inspired by a famed French style, layered with flaky sea salt for depth and complexity that pairs beautifully with biscuits or bread.
- Brown Butter Recipe: Golden, nutty brown butter with deep savory notes that enrich pastas, roasted vegetables, and baked dishes with a caramelized richness that can’t compare.
Nadia’s Tips
- Don’t rush the rinse. Make sure it runs clear before you move onto the next step. Getting all the leftover liquid out is what makes sure it doesn’t spoil quickly.
- I like this best lightly salted and served at cool room temperature. That’s when the texture is perfect and the tang really shows up.
- If you’re using radishes for serving, keep them a little thicker than usual. The extra crunch balances the richness really nicely.
- Make sure you are using fresh cream. Cream that’s been sitting around a while can taste flat once it’s cultured, and you really notice it in a recipe this simple.
The Perfect Pairings
Tequila Sour: This is a great way to start the table. It’s a fresh cocktail that is great to sip on with this tangy butter especially on warm bread.
Caramelized Onion Pasta: This is where the cultured butter spread generously on warm bread really belongs. There is something about a bight of savory pasta with that tangy butter.
Arugula Fennel Salad: Every menu needs something fresh and this salad is simple, fresh and so good. There is something about this dressing. It’s my go-to for dinner parties and easy weeknights too.
Cherries Jubilee: Warm cherries over cold ice cream finish the meal on a cold, creamy note.
Cultured Butter Recipe FAQ
Rinsing removes any remaining buttermilk, which is important for freshness and shelf life. If liquid is left behind, the butter can spoil more quickly, even when refrigerated.
Yes. Full-fat yogurt works best because it cultures the cream gently without thinning it. Low-fat or nonfat yogurt can affect both the texture and how the cream ferments.
When rinsed thoroughly and stored airtight in the refrigerator, homemade cultured butter keeps well for about one to two weeks. Keeping it free of moisture is the key to longer freshness.
You can, as long as it’s plain and cultured. The flavor and fermentation strength will vary slightly, but the process stays the same.
Yes. Cultured butter is fermented before churning, while regular homemade butter is churned straight from cream. That fermentation step is what defines a cultured butter recipe.
A mixer is much easier but you can still do it. You’ll just get a little work out in. Here are two methods.
Jar method: Seal the jar and shake hard. It’ll go from liquid to whipped to separated butter. This takes about 10–15 minutes, depending on how enthusiastic you are.
Hand method: Use a whisk or sturdy spoon and beat steadily until the butter separates. This takes longer and works best in a wide bowl.
Cultured Butter Recipe, Made at Home
Equipment
- stand mixer with whisk attachment
- large mixing bow
- clean mason jar
- fine mesh strainer
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 2 pints heavy cream
- ⅔ cup whole milk yogurt, or skyr
- flaky sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Culture the Cream: In a clean mason jar, mix the heavy cream and yogurt until fully combined. Cover the jar opening with cheesecloth and loosely secure the lid over it so air can circulate. Leave at room temperature for 48 hours in a spot out of direct sunlight.2 pints heavy cream, ⅔ cup whole milk yogurt
- Chill Before Whipping: Transfer the cultured cream to the refrigerator for about 1 hour. It should cool slightly to roughly 60 degrees before whipping.
- Whip the Cream: Pour the cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until it first becomes whipped cream, then continue whipping until the butter separates from the liquid. This takes about 7 to 8 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Drain the Butter: Strain off the liquid using a fine mesh strainer and reserve it if desired. Gather the butter into cheesecloth, then rinse under cold water while squeezing to remove remaining liquid. Continue rinsing and squeezing until the water runs clear.
- Season and Serve: Sprinkle the butter with flaky sea salt to taste. Serve with radishes, warm bread, or whatever you are craving.flaky sea salt
Kitchen Cam
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
