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Learn how to make ghee at home with just one ingredient—butter! This easy, budget-friendly alternative to store-bought ghee has a rich, nutty flavor and a high smoke point, making it perfect for cooking, baking, and those with dairy sensitivities.
Making ghee at home is simple and takes just 25-30 minutes. All you need is high-quality unsalted butter. You can use your favorite store-bought unsalted option or homemade butter.
Ghee is made with four easy steps: heat, skim, strain, and store. It is similar to clarified butter but cooked longer, allowing the milk solids to brown and develop a rich, nutty flavor.
This process also removes casein and whey, so those with mild dairy sensitivities can digest it more easily. Plus, with no milk solids or water content, homemade ghee can stay fresh for months without refrigeration.
So, let’s learn how to make ghee! If you are curious about other cooking fats, check out how olive oil is made or how avocado oil is made.
Watch homemade ghee video tutorial
Cooking benefits of ghee
- High Smoke Point: Ghee’s smoke point is 485°F (250°C), making it perfect for frying, roasting, and sautéing without burning.
- Enhances Flavors: Its rich, nutty taste deepens the overall flavor of dishes, especially in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine.
- Long Shelf Life: Unlike butter, ghee stays fresh for months at room temperature, making it a convenient cooking fat.
- Lactose-Free Alternative: The removal of milk solids makes ghee suitable for those with lactose intolerance or mild dairy sensitivities.
- Brings Out Spice Flavors: Ghee helps toast spices evenly, intensifying their aroma and enhancing the depth of flavor in dishes.
Ingredients
- Butter: Use homemade butter or high-quality unsalted butter. Alternatively, salted butter works too.
- You will also need a heavy-bottomed pot, a spoon or a skimmer to skim the form, a fine-mesh strainer, and a glass jar to store the ghee (wash and sterilize it well).
See the printable recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make ghee
Melt the butter: First, transfer the butter to a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan and melt it over medium-low heat. As it melts and heats, it will start separating into three layers – top foam, middle yellow fat, and bottom milk solids. It’s the middle layer that we need.
Skim the Foam: Using a spoon or a skimmer, remove the foam from the top of the melted butter as it appears. Any remaining foam will eventually turn into transparent bubbles as the middle layer becomes translucent.
Note: If you strain the mixture now, you have clarified butter.
Caramelize the Milk Solids: Continue to simmer the melted butter over low heat until the milk solids at the bottom turn lightly brown and caramelized. But be careful not to let them burn. Once ready, there will be a lovely nutty aroma and flavor.
Note: At this stage, this is brown butter, and you can use it as is (clarified butter and milk solids).
Strain and Store: Finally, remove the butter mixture from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then, carefully strain it into the glass jar. You can use a fine-mesh strainer, coffee filter, nut milk bag, or several layers of cheesecloth. Straining will remove the butter solids, leaving you with ghee, aka liquid gold!
Ghee Texture: Melted vs. Set: The texture of ghee changes at different temperatures. Similar to coconut oil, it solidifies when cool and melts into a liquid when warm.
The color of ghee depends on the butter used. Pale yellow butter will produce lighter ghee, while deep yellow butter (often from grass-fed cows) results in richer, golden ghee. The caramelization of milk solids also slightly deepens the color.
FAQs
Yes! The browned milk solids left behind when making ghee are full of flavor. You can mix them into dishes like rice and soups or even spread them on toast for a nutty, savory boost.
When stored in a sterilized glass jar and kept in a cool, dark place, ghee can last up to 3 months at room temperature. For more extended storage, refrigerate it for up to 12 months, but it should not exceed the expiration date of the butter used. To prevent spoilage, always use a clean, moisture-free utensil when scooping.
Not exactly. Ghee is a type of clarified butter, but it goes one step further. The extra cooking time allows the milk solids to caramelize, infusing the fat with a rich, nutty flavor. This process also makes ghee more shelf-stable and enhances its taste compared to regular clarified butter.
More DIY kitchen staples
If you try this ghee recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
How To Make Ghee
Equipment
- Pot
- Airtight jar for storing
Ingredients
- 16 oz unsalted butter 2 cups/4 sticks – I like using organic, grass-fed, but any will do; salted butter will work too
This will yield about 1.5 cups of ghee.
Instructions
- Transfer the butter to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt it over medium-low heat.
- Use a spoon or a skimmer to skim the foam from the top of the melted butter as it appears. As the middle layer becomes translucent, any remaining foam will eventually turn into transparent bubbles.
- Continue simmering the melted butter over low heat until the milk solids at the bottom turn lightly brown and caramelize (but be careful not to let them burn). The mixture should have a nutty aroma and flavor.
- When ready, remove the butter mixture from the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully strain it into a jar through a fine-mesh strainer, coffee filter, nut milk bag, or several layers of cheesecloth. Straining it will remove the butter solids, leaving you with ghee.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is the reasoning for skimming? Is it absolutely necessary?
This is important to remove the milk solids.
Fantastic and easy recipe for ghee. I use a spoon with a sharp edge to skim off the foam, wait for it to cool and then place a nut bag over a jar. Once the ghee has cooled a bit, I pour it into the nut bag placed over the jar, and voila! Who knew it was this easy? Thanks for the great recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Kat. Glad you gave this recipe a try 🙂
This is very good. I found your recipe to be spot on. I’ve made Ghee many times and have even burned a batch by trying to speed up the process. What I’ve established and it works for me is; heating my butter to 110 degrees Celsius or about 240 degrees Fahrenheit and then maintaining that temperature the entire time.
Thanks for your comment, Dennis. This is good to know. 🙂
I have made ghee several times and absolutely love it. Here are some things I have learned from trial and error.
Keep the heat on the lowest setting. You don’t need to stir it but just let it slowly melt and bubble on a low simmer.
Once foam begins, wait a few minutes and then start skimming. I find that a fine mesh ladel/skimmer works best for this part. Keep this in a bowl and you can use it later as you pointed out in your post. Continue skimming every couple of minutes until you see the brown bits and it’s clear.
I find straining through a coffee filter works best. I don’t like to use single-use items but this is an exception I make because it works so perfectly.
I prefer to refrigerate overnight the room temp ghee and then bring it out to the counter the next day. It gives a lovely consistency (as long as it’s not in the heat of summer).