Learn what Ghee is, how to use Ghee in your kitchen, and how to save money by making a large batch at home with our step-by-step tutorial!
WHAT IS GHEE?
Ghee, also called Clarified Butter, is butter that is simmered until the oil and milk solids separate, and the liquid fat has turned a golden color. It is then strained.
The quality, color, and taste of your finished Ghee is only as good as the butter you start with so I highly recommend investing in some good quality butter. And, YES, you can use salted butter to make Ghee. Some people even add a bit of spice while it is simmering (turmeric is common).
The milk solids (which are strained) contain the casein and whey protein, which for a lot of people, is what causes dairy sensitivities and digestion issues.
So, in short – Ghee is butter oil.
Ghee is an ancient food that originated in India and is commonly used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian cuisines. In many cultures, it’s also used medicinally.
It’s also Whole30 compliant and has a tasty nutty flavor. Plus, a very high smoke point (450F) so it can be used for high-heat cooking without burning!
HOW TO MAKE GHEE
- Begin by cubing the butter. Add to a large pot set over medium-low heat.
- Once butter is completely melted and begins to bubble, very slightly lower the heat. You want a steady bubble but not so much that the butter is splattering out of the pot or spraying on the stove.
- Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the milk protein has completely separated and there is both a layer on the top of the butter as well as some on the bottom of the pot.
- Begin carefully skimming the top layer off until the Ghee looks clean (except for bits on the bottom). Discard.
- Slightly raise the heat to medium-low and continue simmering for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until most of the bubbling stops and the milk protein bits on the bottom of the pot begin to brown. Do not let them burn! Immediately remove the Ghee from the stovetop and set somewhere to cool.
- Once cool, strain through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard the toasted bits from the bottom of the pan.
- That’s it. I included a lot of pictures because while it sounds simple, it took me a couple of tries to get it perfect and I thought for this one, more info was better. Enjoy!
TOOLS TO MAKE GHEE
- Soup pot, stockpot, or Dutch oven
- Skimmer
- Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth for straining
- Mason jar or other glass jars with lids for storage
TIPS
- Traditionally, Ghee is made from unsalted butter. While I have made it from both salted and unsalted and do prefer unsalted, I have been making salted most recently because Costco has a great deal on grass-fed Kerrygold butter but only the salted. To me, the quality of the butter is more important than if it is salted or not. Bottom Line: Get the best quality butter you can – preferably local and pastured but at a minimum pastured and free of antibiotics and hormones.
- The Ghee in my main photos was still a bit warm so completely liquid. Ghee will stay semi-soft and slightly liquid at temperatures above 62F. It is liquid when warm and becomes more solid as it cools. As a general rule, I keep the jar of Ghee I am currently using in my pantry and cook with it from there. I store the remaining jars in the back of my refrigerator until ready to use.
- If this is your first time making Ghee, I recommend sticking with just 1 pound of butter as it is easier to manage. Once you get the hang of it, double or triple the recipe and then store the additional jars in the back of your fridge until ready to use.
- Use a pot large enough to prevent splatters. As the butter cooked, it bubbles and can splatter as you figure out the perfect temperature for your stove-top (electric and gas can vary). I use a wide-bottomed soup or stockpot or dutch oven.
RECIPES THAT USE GHEE
You can use Ghee in any recipe that calls for butter. If you want to use Ghee for baking, I recommend refrigerating it first so it becomes a solid.
Some recipe ideas that use Ghee are:
- Paleo Cauliflower Mash (Whole30 compliant)
- Strawberry Scones (use Ghee in place of Butter)
- Paleo Chicken Pot Pie (use refrigerated Ghee to make pot pie crust)
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole (use Ghee to add butter flavor to casserole)
- Crispy Home Fries (saute potatoes in Ghee instead of avocado oil)
- Paleo Salmon Cakes (use Ghee to add flavor to salmon cakes as you pan fry them)
This is just the beginning as far as recipe ideas go – Ghee works in recipes for all seasons, so learning how to make ghee at home will be a powerful tool in your cooking arsenal. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you – be sure to come back and let me know!
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Learn what Ghee is, how to use Ghee in your kitchen, and how to save money by making a large batch at home with our step-by-step tutorial!
- 1 pound pastured butter cut into evenly sized pieces
-
Heat a wide-bottomed pot with high sides (for splashing/bubbling) over medium-low heat. Once hot, add cubed butter.
-
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the butter and speed along the melting process.
-
Once butter is completely melted and begins to bubble, very slightly lower the light. You want a steady bubble but not so much that butter is jumping out of the pan or spraying on the stove top.
Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the milk protein has completely separated and there is a layer on the top and bits on the bottom of the pan.
-
Begin carefully skimming the top layer off until Ghee looks clean (except for bits on the very bottom) and discard.
-
Slightly raise the heat back up to medium low and continue cooking another 5 to 10 minutes until most of the bubbling stops and the milk protein bits on the bottom of the pan begin to brown.
Do not let them burn! Immediately remove the Ghee from the stove top and set somewhere to cool.
-
Once cool, strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard the toasted bits from the bottom of the pan.
Store Ghee at room temperature in a glass container or mason jar and use as needed.
- Traditionally, Ghee is made from unsalted butter. While I have made it from both salted and unsalted and do prefer unsalted, I have been making salted most recently because Costco has a great deal on grass-fed Kerrygold butter but only the salted. To me, the quality of the butter is more important than if it is salted or not. Bottom Line: Get the best quality butter you can - preferably local and pastured but at a minimum pastured and free of antibiotics and hormones.
- The Ghee in my main photos was still a bit warm so completely liquid. Ghee will stay semi-soft and slightly liquid at temperatures above 62F. It is liquid when warm and becomes more solid as it cools. As a general rule, I keep the jar of Ghee I am currently using in my pantry and cook with it from there. I store the remaining jars in the back of my refrigerator until ready to use.
- If this is your first time making Ghee, I recommend sticking with just 1 pound of butter as it is easier to manage. Once you get the hang of it, double or triple the recipe and then store the additional jars in the back of your fridge until ready to use.
- Use a pot large enough to prevent splatters. As the butter cooked, it bubbles and can splatter as you figure out the perfect temperature for your stove-top (electric and gas can vary). I use a wide-bottomed soup or stockpot or dutch oven.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES: Please note that this recipe was originally published in April 2014. It was updated in December 2019 with additional text, edited photos, and more recipe ideas.
Brian Taylor says
You might find this interesting .. I use Ghee to make medical marijuana butter (Canna Butter ) The nutty taste helps cover up the green taste of the marijuana. Everyone seems to enjoy this unique delicious taste .
EverydayMaven says
Wow! That is really interesting. You could sell that here in WA 😉
LINDSAY says
Can you post a recipe?
Chris says
I just want to say that your pictures of your ghee making with running dialog is the best I’ve found on the net. The pictures really help to “CLARIFY” the process. Pun intended.
Cheers,
Chris
EverydayMaven says
Thank you so much Chris!!! And, yes on the lead – I usually use new glass mason jars to store my ghee but used that older piece for the photos 😉
rbncnklh says
agreed
Brittney says
I’m sitting here making this recipie thinking, where are these gorgeous glass jars from?
EverydayMaven says
Ahh Brittney, that is an old, old jar from an antique store! Thank you and I hope your Ghee comes out perfect 🙂
Chris says
Just a heads up. A lot of old glass does contain lead. I have no clue as to how one would know if it did, so I just stay away from old glass. That style of jar is available new, and lead free.
Bill says
I think the lead risk. In glassware is pure hysteria, you could soak glassware in any solvents except fluoridated ones and a negligible or nonexistent of amount of lead would show up.
So much mass misinformation, like the use by/throw away date on canned food..
Deborah says
Would it b ok to use coconut oil instead of ghee in receipts?
Skye MacAllister says
I cannot even imagine throwing out the butter solids! Nothing should be wasted when working with an expensive product such as butter.
If the solids are toasty brown, use to flavor cake, or add to a simple vanilla butter cream icing for an amazing flavor. The browned solids, when added to your homemade butter pecan ice cream, is positively regal. If your ghee is a bit darker than planned, use it for scrambled eggs or mix some into pancake or French toast batter.
God’s precious blessings on all.
rbncnklh says
Those solids are good to flavor veggies, too..
Vickey says
I too, was wondering why toss out such a yummy flavor.
Teresa says
Could you use it in the mix of homemade biscuits I think the flavor would be awesome
Charles J Kring says
It is good for homemade biscuits, reduce the fat in the recipe by 1/3 the volume or weight of the milk solids you are using. Makes great bread, cornbread and cookies.
My problem is not finding a use for it, but that there is never enough of it.
Charles J Kring says
The milk solids add flavor to homemade bread and give the bread added “shelf” life. Most sourdough recipes do not add any type of fat or milk, but once you try it yuou will never go back.
kathy says
I save these as well. Use for coating loaves of bread and pie crusts.
charles w wells says
A women from Germany made Ghee and added a dash of tumeric to give butter a gorgeous yellow color, and a dash of powered cardomon for a rich flavor.
EverydayMaven says
That sounds divine!
Sharon says
Great comment! I use the buttermilk solids as a moisturizer. It is truly amazing. I use only organic butter. I like the cultured butter, either by Organic Valley or Kerrygold. It is pure
heaven on your face. Also after it cools I put it in the refrigerator until it is a solid and then
I put it in my pantry. Thank you.
Peter Kay says
What can you substitute for ghee?
Dee says
You can substitute ghee with cold press olive oil. Ghee has a higher burning point, whereas CPOV has a low burning point.
EverydayMaven says
Do you mean in recipes that call for Ghee or in this tutorial Peter?
Robin says
Brilliant. Thank you.
Marion says
Can you use a cast iron skillet, with high sides or should,it be stainless?
EverydayMaven says
I would not use a cast iron skillet (or any skillet) Marion. You need to use a pot with high sides or you will have hot butter splattering all over the place.
Amy says
I noticed you wrote skillet in your instructions… Just in case you didn’t notice 🙂
EverydayMaven says
Hi Amy – I didn’t notice (mom brain) – I am off to change that. I really appreciate you pointing it out for me! Thanks 🙂
Piers says
Hi.
I followed your instructions. It only took less than 30 mins so wonder if I did something wrong? It looks like it turned out okay (just finished) but at the start there was so much “scum” on the top literally after 1 or 2 minutes that it had melted it did not look the way of your pics so I skimmed it immediately. Turned the flame low and skimmed intermittently. By the time 25 mins or so had passed and I removed more bits till I could actually see the bottom, and was surprised that the protein bits there were already a golden brown so I didn’t want to risk burning it and the bubbling had pretty much stopped. The colour of the finished product is a darker golden brown than yours. Maybe it’s the type of butter used?
EverydayMaven says
Different brands of butter (also salted vs. unsalted) perform differently Piers so it could be that for sure!
Edward says
Well the butter was on low (3.5/10) and suddenly it boiled over the pot all over my stove. The bottom bits turned brown. This was at the 10 minute mark. Please warn others of this possibility. $14 worth of butter wasted.
EverydayMaven says
That is such a waste Edward – how frustrating! Sounds like your pot was too small.
Edward says
That may have been the problem. I tried it again on lower heat and watched it like a hawk. It worked fine. It’s delicious.
EverydayMaven says
Great news Edward!
Dillon says
not wasted, cook it a little longer, strain and you’ll have brown butter. also delicious
Jon says
Wow. Great, detailed can’t mess it up recipe for ghee. My sister has been a student of Ayurvedic for decades. She helped me via phone on the first batch, but I think it was undercooked. One thing she said was “after about 15 minutes it will quiet”. Well, your article is so right on. I now know that with my thick cookware it does take around 25 minutes, not 15 minutes. When its getting close to being done, the regular larger bubbles of simmering change to a multitude of itty bitty mini bubbles, this I’ve come to call “the quiet”, at this point the ghee is clear & you can see the solids on the bottom. A few more minutes & its finished.
Ghee rocks… 🙂
EverydayMaven says
I like that – the “quiet”. Thanks for sharing that tidbit Jon!
Jon says
You are so welcome….
I believe that term came from one of Dr David Frawley’s Ayurvedic books…
mark mezo says
Yes that is the key for timing “the quiet” i used El Cheapo butter (Black & Gold un salted for Aussies) came out spot on (light golden & clear) but knowing when it was done was when i heard & then saw the fine bubbles.
Thanks.
EverydayMaven says
Hi Mark, Glad it worked for you!! Have a good weekend 🙂