How to make Ghee at Home?

Make your own ghee or clarified butter at home, with our easy step by step tips!

Ghee is a key ingredient in many Indian and Pakistani recipes.

While ghee or clarified butter has recently gained popularity in the West, it has been used for centuries in India, Pakistan and the rest of the subcontinent.

Ghee has always been a cooking staple in the kitchen, dating back to when cold storage was unavailable. Clarifying butter, resulted in a shelf stable cooking fat that could be stored without fridges and freezers.

Why you’ll love this recipe

We love using ghee to cook! You can replace Ghee is many recipes where you use fat or oil.

It has a higher smoke point, so it will not burn as quickly when cooking with high heat. In fact, the higher fat content can allow your spices to bloom better.

The process of clarifying the butter, results in ghee that is slightly nutty and caramelized than other oils or butter.

It is especially delicious in desserts like Gajar ka Halwa and Gulab Jamun , or to use as a topping for homemade roti, or paratha!

You can also use it in many of your favorite recipes where you would usually use fats like butter or coconut oil.

Recipes you’ll love

Ghee is a staple in our kitchens because of how often we use it in our favorite recipes.

If you’re looking for more tips and tutorials to cook Pakistani and Indian recipes quicker, here are some of our favorites:

Ingredients & Notes

Butter – This is the only ingredient you need to make Ghee! We recommend using unsalted butter so that you can use it in variety of sweet and savory recipe where you can adjust the salt.

Airtight Jar – To store the ghee, you’ll need an airtight jar. We recommend using glass jar since you’ll be pouring the hot ghee from the pan to the jar to cool completely.

How to make Ghee from Butter?

In a pot, add the unsalted butter and cut it into small equal pieces. This will help all the butter to melt at the same time.

Set it on low – medium heat and let it melt slowly.
Once melted, lower the heat and keep an eye on it.

Remove or skim the foam that floats to the top with a spoon.

Ghee is done when all the milk particles have sunk to the bottom, and the top is a clear golden liquid.

Carefully strain the ghee into an airtight bottle using a strainer or muslin cloth.
Do not cover it as it will be hot, so handle it carefully. Let it come to room temperature

How to store homemade ghee?

Once you bring the ghee to room temperature, it will turn from liquid to a solid.

You can store it in an airtight jar in your pantry for up to three months. It will last slightly longer in the fridge.

Tips to make homemade ghee

Is Ghee the same as Clarified Butter?

Ghee is the same as clarified butter. By melting the butter, we remove the water content from the butter.

Which butter is best for making ghee?

Use high quality butter when making ghee. Lower quality butter often has more water. The goal of the cooking process is to remove all the water content in the butter. If you start with butter with a low fat content, you will end up with less ghee.

How much ghee can you get from butter?

One pound of butter (4 sticks of butter) will yield about 340 grams of ghee, about 1 1/2 cups.

What is the shelf life of ghee?

Homemade ghee will last at room temperature for about three months. It will last a little longer in the fridge.

Ghee can be used in many recipes where you would traditionally use butter or oil.

Try it as a topping for your homemade Chapati Roti, Lachha paratha, or Naan!

You can also use it to make scrambled eggs in the morning.

Here are some of our favorite recipes to use homemade ghee:

If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess

Homemade Ghee

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 30

Total Time 30

Course condiments

Cuisine Indian, Pakistani

Servings 1.5 cups

Ingredients

454 grams Butter, unsalted 4 sticks

Instructions

In a pot, add the unsalted butter and cut it into small equal pieces. This will help all the butter to melt at the same time.
Set it on low – medium heat and let it melt slowly.
Once melted, lower the heat and keep an eye on it. Remove or skim the foam that floats to the top with a spoon.
Ghee is done when all the milk particles have sunk to the bottom, and the top is a clear golden liquid.
Carefully strain the ghee into an airtight bottle using a strainer or muslin cloth.
Do not cover it as it will be hot, so handle it carefully. Let it come to room temperature.
Cover and store in the fridge for longer shelf life or in the pantry for three months

Keyword clarified butter ghee, homemade ghee, how to make ghee at home