How to Get Basalt in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Mine basalt with any pickaxe in basalt deltas or soul sand valleys. To generate it at home, make lava flow into an empty space directly above soul soil and beside blue ice. Soul sand and ordinary ice are not substitutes.

What you need

Any pickaxe
Soul soil, blue ice and lava for a generator
Stonecutter or furnace and fuel (optional, for variants)

Step by step

Find basalt in basalt deltas terrain or the tall pillars in soul sand valleys. Bring a pickaxe and watch for exposed lava.
Mine the basalt with any pickaxe. Other tools do not give the block.
For a generator, place soul soil under the intended output space and blue ice beside that space.
Arrange a lava source so lava flows into the output space. When flowing lava reaches the space above soul soil and adjacent to blue ice, it becomes basalt.
Mine the generated basalt with a pickaxe and allow more lava to flow into the space. Keep a safe standing position away from the lava.
Use a stonecutter to make polished basalt, or smelt basalt in a furnace to make smooth basalt. These are different decorative variants.

Java vs Bedrock

The generator uses the same key ingredients in Java and Bedrock: flowing lava, soul soil below and blue ice beside the output. Basalt can be oriented like a log when placed. Polished basalt comes from stonecutting; smooth basalt comes from smelting.

Versions: javabedrock

Frequently asked questions

Why is my basalt generator not working?

Check the output space, not just the lava source: it needs soul soil directly below and blue ice adjacent. Lava must flow into that space. Soul sand, regular ice and packed ice are not the required ingredients.

Do I need Silk Touch for basalt?

No. Any pickaxe drops basalt itself. A wooden pickaxe works for the base block.

How do I make smooth basalt?

Smelt basalt in a furnace with fuel. Using a stonecutter makes polished basalt instead.

Can I generate basalt outside the Nether?

Yes. The lava, soul soil and blue ice arrangement is not limited to the Nether biome.