Bring on the classic science and let’s make homemade butter with kids! This must be one of the simplest science projects, with no waste because it’s completely edible! It can be so gratifying for young kids to be able to see and taste the final product of their hard work. You might also want some warm fresh bread on hand for taste testing. We love simple kitchen science experiments that provide a wonderful end result!
Make Your Own Butter
Sink your teeth into this buttery science experiment! Kids love science they can eat, and this quick and easy science activity is a no-brainer if you want to get the kiddos into the kitchen. Even younger scientists can help out!
This is the perfect science experiment for you to add to your Thanksgiving themelessons or for when the kids want to help out in the kitchen with you.
Homemade butter goes great with warm pumpkin bread, fresh bread, and blueberry muffins. Butter always reminds me of baking goodies, and this science activity is perfect for getting kids in the kitchen!
Perfect to pair with our Bread In A Bag Recipe!
The Science of Making Butter
Our homemade butter in a jar below is made with heavy cream. Heavy cream has a good deal of fat in it. That’s why it can make such delicious items!
By shaking the cream, the fat molecules begin to separate from the liquid. The more the cream is shaken, the more these fat molecules clump together, forming a solid, which is the butter.
The leftover liquid, after the solid has formed, is called buttermilk. Once you reach the stage where you have both a solid clump and liquid, you know you’ve got butter!
Click here for your FREE printable Edible Science Guide
Butter In A Jar Recipe
Supplies:
- Glassware with lid {mason jar}
- Heavy whipping cream
That’s it – only one ingredient! You might even have the supplies on hand already. You are only a short while away from enjoying your own homemade butter!
PinHOW TO MAKE BUTTER IN A JAR
STEP 1. Fill your glass jar about halfway with cream, you need room to shake the cream!
STEP 2. Make sure the lid of the jar is tight and shake.
Making butter requires a bit of arm strength, so you might be trading off with your kids unless you have a house full or classroom full of them!
STEP 3. Check your homemade butter every 5 minutes to see the changes.
After the first 5 minutes, there was no real visible change. At the 10-minute check-in mark, we had whipped cream. There’s no reason you can’t sneak a taste at this point just so they can see what’s happening!
MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT: Magical Dancing Corn Experiment!
PinWe put the lid back on and kept shaking. After another couple of minutes, my son observed that he couldn’t hear the liquid inside very well.
This is also the perfect Dr. Seuss science activity to go along with The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss!
PinWe stopped and checked and there it was, the makings of delicious homemade butter. I put the lid back on and finished out the rest of the 15 minutes. Yum!
Smooth, creamy, delicious homemade butter all from shaking cream in a jar! How cool is that for kids?
PinNow we have a great jar full of whipped homemade butter we can use all week long.
Next, you may want to make a batch of homemade bread in a bag or microwave popcorn in a bag to go with the butter! We made butter in a jar as part of our Thanksgiving Activities!
Kitchen science is the coolest and sometimes the tastiest! You can also shake up your own awesome homemade ice cream from just a few simple ingredients.
PinPrintable Thanksgiving STEM Activities Pack
STEMS-Giving Pack! A full menu of Thanksgiving dinner science activities, secret codes, and more!
What’s Included:
- STEMS-Giving! A feast of science and STEM with simple experiments and projects for home or classroom!
- Even More Thanksgiving theme STEM activities with printable sheets, instructions, and useful information all using easy-to-source materials and perfect for limited time needs. Includes a Thanksgiving theme engineering pack with fun, problem-based challenges for kids to solve!
- Got STEAM? Try a turkey in a disguise challenge with writing prompts and more! Also color by code turkeys in disguise!
- Try your hand at building shapes with cranberry structure challenge cards.
- Discover Thanksgiving brick-building challenges perfect for early finishers, quiet time, hands-on math, or family time.
