How to Make Ghee at Home: Benefits & Butter Comparison

If you’ve ever wondered how to make ghee at home, then you’re in the right place. Ghee is a type of clarified butter that’s been a staple in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking for centuries. It’s made by gently simmering butter until the water evaporates and the milk solids separate and caramelize. As a result, the remaining golden liquid is pure butterfat—free from most of the casein and lactose found in traditional butter.

Ghee vs. Clarified Butter: What’s the Difference?

Although often used interchangeably with clarified butter, ghee is heated longer, allowing the milk solids to brown slightly and giving it a deeper hue. This process deepens the flavor, resulting in a rich, nutty aroma and making ghee ideal for high-heat cooking.

That extra step also increases its smoke point, making ghee more stable for sautéing, roasting, and frying than butter or standard clarified butter. Once strained (a fine-mesh strainer like this one works beautifully), you’re left with pure butterfat that’s shelf-stable—no refrigeration required—which makes it a smart choice for both everyday cooking and long-term storage.

Ghee vs Butter: Nutritional Comparison

While both are dairy products made from butterfat, ghee is nearly free of lactose and casein, making it more tolerable for those with sensitivities like me. However, I would never give it to my grandson with an IgE-mediated dairy allergy that causes asthmatic reactions.

Additionally, ghee is still a dairy product and is not recommended for those in the strict elimination phase of the autoimmune protocol (AIP).

Nutritionally, both ghee and butter are similar and contain:

• • Saturated fats
  • Fat-soluble vitamins like A, E, and K
  • Small amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and butyrate (especially if grass-fed)

In terms of fat composition, ghee is about 99.3% fat, while butter typically contains about 80% fat, with the remainder made up of water and milk solids.

What About Saturated Fat?

Saturated fats, like those found in butter and ghee, have long been misunderstood and unfairly vilified. Although they’re solid at room temperature and mostly come from animal sources, that doesn’t make them inherently unhealthy. In fact, your body needs saturated fats to:

• • Build and maintain cell membranes
  • Support hormone production
  • Insulate nerves and protect brain function
  • Aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K)

8 More Reasons to Love Ghee

In addition to being better tolerated by those with dairy sensitivities or lactose intolerance, there are many other reasons to love ghee including:

1. High Smoke Point

With a smoke point of up to 485°F (252°C), ghee won’t break down into harmful compounds like some oils and butters. For comparison, butter’s smoke point is around 350°F (177°C). This makes ghee ideal for high-heat sautéing, frying, or roasting with caramelized edges.

2. Long Shelf Life

Thanks to its low moisture content and lack of milk solids, ghee is shelf-stable and doesn’t require refrigeration. It becomes hard when refrigerated but stays creamy and spreadable at room temperature. This helps justify the cost, especially for homemade ghee, and makes it convenient for travel, emergency food storage, and optimizing refrigerator space.

3. Supports Digestive Health

Fortunately, the clarification process doesn’t remove the butyrate. Like butter, ghee is a natural source of butyrate (butyric acid), a short-chain fatty acid that:

• • Fuels colon cells
  • Supports gut lining integrity
  • Reduces inflammation

Ghee is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine to promote digestion and bowel health.

4. Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Animal studies suggest the butyrate found in ghee may support also immune regulation and reduce inflammation. Ghee has even been studied for potential use in managing gut disorders like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

5. Contains Antioxidants

Grass-fed ghee contains small amounts of:

• • Vitamin K2 – supports bone health and arterial flexibility
  • Vitamin A – vital for vision and immunity
  • Vitamin E – powerful antioxidant
  • CLA – may help modulate inflammation and body composition

6. Energy-Boosting Fats

Ghee contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are metabolized quickly and therefore may provide a fast source of energy—especially helpful for athletes or low-carb eaters.

7. Versatile in Sweet and Savory Dishes

Its nutty, caramel-like flavor enhances both:

• • Savory foods: Stir-fry, roasted veggies, sautéed greens, scrambled eggs, mashed or baked potatoes, or sweet potatoes
  • Sweets: Cookies, muffins, popcorn

We use it in place of butter for almost everything—from toast to popcorn to pan-frying—and it rarely disappoints.

8. Easy to Make at Home

Store-bought ghee can be pricey, but making it is simple. All you need is a good pot, a few sticks of butter, and a little patience.

 

Pin this cost comparison for later!

Affordable Homemade Ghee vs. Store-Bought

Making ghee at home can cost as little as $0.49 per ounce with conventional butter, or $0.75 per ounce with organic. In comparison, store-bought ghee ranges from $0.94 to $1.28 per ounce. While buying a jar is convenient, making your own saves money—especially if you use ghee often.

Typically, ghee uses unsalted butter, which is recommended if you need to restrict sodium in your diet. However, we prefer salted butter. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way to be mindful of salt in other ingredients that contribute to total salt in what we’re making.

It can be hard to find both organic and grass-fed butter. In this case, I choose organic to avoid hormones and antibiotics.

 

Here’s how to make ghee…