How to Brown Butter

Content… Why It Works How to Make It Recipe Notes Storage Instructions Ways to Use Brown Butter More Amazing Recipes to Use Browned Butter Watch How to Make It

Why Browning Butter Works

If you’ve ever tried Indian ghee, you know cooking butter can do amazing things. The milk solids have sugar, which browns quite quickly. In ghee and clarified butter, you strain them out for a lactose-free fat that still tastes like butter.

For brown butter, you leave that goodness in the butter for extra flavor. The brown bits from the milk solids add a nutty flavor that goes great in both sweet and savory dishes. The simple

How to Make Brown Butter

• Prep – Cut the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces.
• Cook the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue stirring the melted butter, scraping the bottom of the pan. It will begin foaming and sizzling around the edges.
• Brown – Let the butter continue cooking for 4-8 minutes until it turns brown and the foam subsides. Check to make sure the milk solids at the bottom have toasted. 
• Cool – For clear brown butter, strain it into a heat-proof bowl through a colander lined with cheesecloth. To keep those delicious browned bits in your butter, skip the straining. Use warm in a recipe or let cool and solidify.

Recipe Notes & Tips

1. A light-colored pan (stainless steel works fine) gives you a better view of the butter. That way, you can see when it has browned to the right level.
2. To strain or not. Both have advantages. I love the rustic look and toasty milk flavor of those browned bits in a frosting. But if you’re after a smoother, more elegant effect, feel free to strain it.
3. Unsalted vs. salted butter. While I prefer unsalted butter for this recipe, salted butter will brown just fine. If you’re stuck using salted butter, fear not. Reduce the salt in the recipe you’re using it in, and you’re good to go.
4. Watch it. Please don’t turn your back on your butter because it can go from brown to burnt in seconds. Milk solids brown quickly.
5. Vegan replacement. The milk protein in butter is what browns for that nutty flavor. However, toasting pecans in vegan butter can get you pretty close to the flavor profile. Also, a friend told me that Violife butter browns beautifully.
6. Evaporation. During the cooking process, the liquid evaporates. The final brown butter will be 2-3 tablespoons less than the one cup of butter you started with.

How to Store It

You can keep brown butter the same way as regular butter. If not using it immediately, I pour it into a glass jar and cover it with a lid. It lasts at room temperature for 3 weeks, in the fridge for months, and in the freezer for up to a year.

Ways to Use Brown Butter

The magical taste brought by browned butter has so many uses.

1. Frosting. Replace regular butter with brown butter in your favorite frosting recipe.
2. Popcorn. Pour it over popcorn with a shake of your chosen popcorn seasoning.
3. Savory. Saute vegetables and greens in brown butter, add it to gravy, drizzle it over roasted vegetables, or use it to baste your steak.
4. Baked goods. Replace half the butter with browned butter in your pound cake, banana bread, or other sweet treat.

More Amazing Recipes to Use Browned Butter

1. Garlic Butter
2. Ethiopian Spiced Butter
3. Filet Mignon
4. Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob
5. Butter Cookies

Watch How to Make It

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