What is Brown Butter?

Brown butter is literally just butter that has been melted so that the milk solids fall to the bottom and start to caramelize. It is also known as buerre noisette, that’s what they call it in French.  Brown butter adds a rich flavor that can turn your dishes into next level delicious. The nutty brown butter is a secret ingredient that you will be using in a lot of dishes from here on out. 

How to Make Brown Butter

Place butter in a pan and turn on the heat up to medium heat. 

As the butter melts, stir butter with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula in the hot pan.

As soon as you smell a nutty aroma and start seeing little browned bits on the bottom of the pan, remove the pan from the heat. 

This liquid gold will continue to cook after removing the pan from the heat, so be sure to swirl butter randomly to make sure it doesn’t burn. 

That’s it! You’ve now made brown butter!

FAQs

Here are some questions you may have when making brown butter.

​What kind of butter should I use?

Whether you use salted butter or unsalted butter, it doesn’t matter. 

Can I make brown butter ahead of time?

Yes! After the browning process, just place butter in a heat safe dish. Allow to cool down, then you can store in the refrigerator in airtight container until ready to use, up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can freeze for up to 3 months. 

If a recipe calls for 1 cup of brown butter, do I only need to brown 1 cup of butter?

No. There will be a bit of moisture loss, so measure browned butter to ensure you have the correct amount for your recipe.

How long does it take to make brown butter?

Typically about 10 minutes, however, it you are using a deep pot where the butter can’t spread out as much, it will take longer. 

Tips for Making Brown Butter

• Watch this constantly. It takes seconds to turn from delicious brown butter to bitter burnt butter. Stir the butter constantly and keep a close eye on it.
• Use a light-colored pan so you can see the color change of the milk proteins as they turn into a golden brown color.
• If you find your butter is burning, turn down the heat source to a medium-low heat. 
• Room temperature butter will be easier to make into brown butter without burning.   
• Cut butter into small cubes before melting if you are worried about burning it. This will ensure it all cooks down evenly.

Ways to Use

• Sourdough Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Add some honey into your firm brown butter. Whip it up good and you’ve made browned honey butter!
• Toss cooked pasta in brown butter. It adds a nice touch, making a brown butter pasta!
• Cook your vegetables in brown butter for an easy way to make them more flavorful.
• Get brown butter super cold and use cold butter to make pie crust.
• Brown Butter Banana Bread