How to Make Brown Butter


Baking Tutorials Lifestyle | Published September 21, 2024 by Mimi Council

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Brown butter is a magical ingredient that adds a nutty, rich flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. It’s easy to make and can elevate your baked goods! Learn how to make brown butter to use in cookies, cakes, brownies, and more.

If you’re looking for more ways to elevate your baked goods, check out How to Make Picture Perfect Cookies, How to Make True Caramel, or How to Make Organic Candied Lemons.

brown butter

What is Brown Butter?

Brown butter is just regular butter that has been cooked over low/medium heat until the milk solids turn golden brown. This creates a complex flavor profile that’s both nutty and sweet and is reminiscent of toffee, caramel, or toasted nuts. This transformation occurs through a simple cooking process called the Maillard reaction.

The Maillard reaction happens between amino acids and reducing sugars and it creates the compounds that give browned food such a distinct flavor. As the water in butter evaporates and the milk solids toast, they undergo this process. This enhances the flavor of traditional butter to a magical sweet, nutty, and caramelized flavor!

brown butter
brown butter caramel dark chocolate cookies

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Use for Anything: You can use brown butter in many different recipes! Everything from cookies to waffles, brown butter can enhance!

One Ingredient: All you need is butter to make delicious, nutty, and sweet brown butter that will enhance any recipe.

Quick and Easy: Once you learn the technique of making brown butter, it's quick and easy to make. This takes less than 10 minutes!

brown butter

Ingredients

  • Butter: You’ll just need organic butter to make browned butter. You can use salted or unsalted, your preference.

Tools Needed

  • Small Pot: You’ll just need a small pot to brown butter. I advise a light colored pot, so you can easily see the color transform.
  • Spatula: You’ll need a high heat spatula to stir the butter as it browns. Make sure to use a high heat spatula or you can melt your spatula (like I did, check the video, haha!).

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Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Add the butter to the pot and put over low/medium heat. Allow the butter to melt.

Step 2

As the butter melts, stir the butter occasionally to ensure even cooking.

Step 3

Continue cooking, stirring frequently. The butter will start to turn a light golden brown color and brown speckles will appear. These are the toasted milk solids. Keep a close eye on it, as it can go from perfectly brown to burnt quickly. As soon as this happens remove from the eat immediately to prevent further cooking.

brown butter
brown butter
brown butter
brown butter

Step 4

The brown butter is now ready to use in recipes if it calls for melted brown butter. If the recipe calls for softened or chilled brown butter you may need to allow the butter to chill before using it.

Step 5

If you’re not using the brown butter now, store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use it. You can store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

brown butter

Tips for Success

  • Stay Attentive: Brown butter requires constant attention. Don’t walk away from the stove!
  • Experiment with Flavors: Try adding garlic, sage, or rosemary for an extra depth of flavor. Especially for savory recipes, herbs are a great addition.
  • Substitute Properly: Because brown butter is made by cooking butter and evaporating the water, the amount of butter reduces. If you are substituting butter for brown butter in a recipe, be sure to weigh the brown butter to ensure you have the right amount. Typically, you’ll need 20% more butter when making brown butter.
  • Use It Creatively: Brown butter can be used in pasta, baked goods, or as a drizzle over vegetables and meats.
brown butter caramel dark chocolate cookies

Ways to Use Brown Butter

  • Cookies
  • Brownies and Blondies
  • Cakes and cupcakes
  • Buttercream frosting 
  • Use in caramel sauce or butterscotch (like my Brown Butter Butterscotch Sauce!)
  • Waffles
  • Pancakes 
  • Pour over popcorn 
  • Pour over pasta
  • Use in mashed potatoes
  • Drizzle over sautéed veggies
brown butter

FAQ’s

How do you use brown butter?

You can use brown butter just like you’d use regular butter in any recipe. If you’re following a recipe that doesn’t call for brown butter specifically, be sure to note if the butter is melted, softened, or chilled to ensure the brown butter is the same consistency for the recipe.

Can I replace butter with brown butter in any recipe?

Yes! However, you will need to weigh the brown butter before using in recipes to ensure you have the right amount because brown butter reduces as it cooks. So if a recipe doesn’t specifically tell you to brown a certain amount of butter, and you just want to use brown butter in place of regular butter you’ll need to weigh the browned butter to ensure it’s the right amount for the recipe. Typically you’ll need 20% more butter.

How long will brown butter last?

You can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

brown butter

Craving More?

brown butter

How to Make Brown Butter

Mimi Council
Elevate your baking and cooking with brown butter! Discover how to make this magical ingredient that adds a nutty, rich flavor to your favorite recipes.
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Ingredient
Cuisine American
Makes 8 servings
Calories 101 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Add the butter to the pot and put over low/medium heat. Allow the butter to melt.
  • As the butter melts, stir the butter occasionally to ensure even cooking.
  • Continue cooking, stirring frequently. The butter will start to turn a light golden brown color and brown speckles will appear. These are the toasted milk solids. Keep a close eye on it, as it can go from perfectly brown to burnt quickly. As soon as this happens remove from the eat immediately to prevent further cooking.
  • The brown butter is now ready to use in recipes if it calls for melted brown butter. If the recipe calls for softened or chilled brown butter you may need to allow the butter to chill before using it.
  • If you’re not using the brown butter now, store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use it. You can store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Video

Notes

Tip — 113 grams of butter will reduce down to about 90 grams of brown butter. If you are using brown butter in a recipe that doesn't call specifically for brown butter, be sure to add about 20% more butter when browning and weigh your finished brown butter to ensure you have the exact weight the recipe calls for. 
High Altitude — Follow the recipe as noted.

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcalCarbohydrates: 0.01gProtein: 0.1gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 91mgPotassium: 3mgSugar: 0.01gVitamin A: 353IUCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.003mg
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