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Easy Homemade Ghee

A wooden spoonful of ghee with a small jar of ghee in the background, sitting on a red & white checkered napkin.
Learn how to make your own ghee at home with these simple steps
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Serving Size 0

Equipment

  • Saucepan
  • Cooking Spoon
  • Mesh strainer
  • Cheesecloth
  • Storage Jar
  • Heat proof bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 pound unsalted butter
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add butter to a heavy bottom saucepan on medium low heat.
    1 pound unsalted butter
    A saucepan with melted butter
  • Allow butter to melt and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to a simmer.
    A saucepan with melted butter and a wooden spoon
  • Simmer on low heat. The butter will start to foam up as the water evaporates. Keep an eye on the pan so that the butter does not boil over. Scoop off the foam and discard. Continue this process until the foaming subsides.
    A saucepan with melted butter with foam on top as it cooks down
  • Continue cooking on low heat. The butter will start to look clear and the milk solids will start to separate. Do not stir so that the milk solids will continue to cook and fall to the bottom of the pan.
    A saucepan with melted butter and foam on top to be scooped off
  • The milk solids will fall to the bottom of the saucepan and start to brown. Once this happens your ghee can be removed from the heat.
    A saucepan with melted butter with milk solids cooked out on the bottom of the pan
  • Let cool for about 5 minutes. Set up a straining station with a mesh wire strainer lined with cheesecloth (or a coffee filter) and a heatproof bowl or measuring cup.
  • Strain the ghee through the cheesecloth lined mesh wire strainer to remove all of the milk solids. Discard the milk solids.
    A large measuring cup with a wire mesh strainer, with ghee being strained through
  • Pour your ghee into a clean glass jar. As the ghee cools it will start to solidify.
    A small glass jar with freshly made ghee. A spoon holds some of the soft, slightly liquid ghee.
  • When the ghee is cooled it will be solid. Store at room temperature, away from heat, or in the refrigerator.
    A small wooden spoonful of ghee with a small jar of ghee in the background

Notes

  • The total cooking time will vary depending on how much butter you are starting with. 1 pound of butter should take about 45 minutes to an hour.
  • This recipe can be scaled up to make a bigger batch of ghee.
  • Make sure to use a saucepan that is large enough to hold all of the melted butter plus any foam that rises so that nothing overflows.