Discover ways to make brown butter with this straightforward tutorial! Brown butter is scrumptious and has a nutty – and virtually caramel-y taste – making it good for including to desserts, cookies, frostings and extra. Merely cook dinner the butter over the range and also you’re in your strategy to elevating your desserts!

What Is Brown Butter?
Brown butter is butter that has been gently cooked and browned on the range. You soften it, then proceed cooking it till the water content material has evaporated and the milk solids within the butter flip golden brown. It solely takes about 10 minutes to make and has a nutty and caramel-like taste and odor. As a result of the water evaporates, you lose about 20-25% of your butter quantity, relying on the butter model.
What You’ll Want
- Butter – You should use salted or unsalted butter. I take advantage of unsalted. I’d advocate a top quality butter for browning, which is able to normally have a decrease water content material so it browns extra shortly and loses much less quantity.
- Gentle coloured pan – You undoubtedly need a pan that’s lighter in colour for browning butter, in any other case you received’t be capable to see the colour change and it’s more likely to burn.
- Silicone spatula – For stirring.
How To Brown Butter
Right here’s a glance of find out how to brown butter and what the totally different phases appear like. For extra detailed directions, see the recipe card under.


Add butter to a light-colored pan over medium-low warmth and soften, stirring constantly.


Flip the warmth as much as medium and convey to a boil, stirring continually. The look of the butter will change because it boils.


The butter will develop a dense foam on high as soon as the water has all evaporated. Stir continually in order that the butter browns evenly and milk solids don’t decide on the underside of the pan and burn.


The froth will subside a bit and also you’ll see brown bits on the underside. Stir so you may see by way of the froth to see when the butter begins to brown. It’ll odor buttery and nutty. I prefer to stir a contact longer to get loads of brown bits, simply watch out to not burn it.


Instantly take away from the warmth and pour the brown butter right into a bowl. Put aside to chill to room temperature (or simply barely hotter). It would thicken because it cools and change into extra strong, however tender, at room temperature. If you wish to prep the brown butter forward, you may refrigerate it and convey it room temperature earlier than utilizing it.


Suggestions For Browning Butter
- Don’t stroll away from the pan – It’ll brown shortly as soon as it begins to brown. For those who stroll away, it may well simply burn.
- Don’t cease stirring – This ensures the butter browns evenly and helps it not burn. It additionally lets you see when it begins browning.
- Use a light-colored pan – It’s laborious to see the butter browning with a darkish pan.
- Pour into bowl instantly – As soon as it’s brown, add to a different bowl. Don’t let it sit within the pan or it’ll proceed to cook dinner, and burn.
The best way to Use Brown Butter
You should use brown butter in so many issues – desserts, cookies, frostings and extra! You may even use it in savory recipes. Listed here are just a few methods to make use of it:


Continuously Requested Questions
Can Brown Butter Burn?
Sure, it may well. If the brown bits cook dinner for too lengthy and switch extra of a black colour, it has burned and the flavour will probably be extra bitter and unappealing. To keep away from burned butter, don’t cease stirring and don’t stroll away from the range. As soon as it has browned, instantly pour it right into a bowl, so it doesn’t proceed cooking.
Does Brown Butter Lose Moisture?
Sure, it does. As a result of the water within the butter evaporates whereas it cooks, you lose about 20-25% of your butter quantity and moisture. Relying on what you’re utilizing your brown butter for, you may offset the loss by browning extra butter. For those who want half a cup of brown butter, brown an extra 2 tablespoons, which is 25% of half a cup.
Can I Use Brown Butter As an alternative of Common Butter?
You may, however take note the above observe that brown butter loses moisture and quantity. You’ll need to make extra butter to offset the loss. Relying on what you’re making, that additionally might not be sufficient. You possibly can additionally attempt including just a little milk to no matter your making. In cookies, I typically add an extra egg yolk. If it is advisable cream the butter with sugar, you’ll need to let it come to room temperature first. It will get fairly agency when chilly.


How To Brown Butter
Discover ways to make brown butter with this straightforward tutorial! Brown butter is scrumptious and has a nutty – and virtually caramel-y taste – making it good for including to desserts, cookies, frostings and extra. Merely cook dinner the butter over the range and also you’re in your strategy to elevating your desserts!
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Forestall your display from going darkish
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Be aware: The butter will brown shortly as soon as it begins to show brown, so don’t stroll away from the range. Have a bowl able to pour it into as soon as it’s executed, so it doesn’t proceed to cook dinner and burn.
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Add the butter to a light-colored pan over medium-low warmth and permit to soften, stirring constantly. Flip the warmth as much as medium and permit it to return to a boil, once more stirring continually.
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The butter will change because it boils, lastly getting a dense foam on high as soon as the water has all evaporated. Stir continually in order that the butter browns evenly and milk solids don’t decide on the underside of the pan and burn. Stirring additionally permits you to see by way of the froth to see when the butter begins to brown. The froth will subside a bit and also you’ll discover brown bits on the underside of the pan. It’ll odor buttery and nutty. I prefer to stir a contact longer to get loads of brown bits, simply watch out to not burn it (hold stirring!).
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Instantly take away from the warmth and pour the brown butter right into a heatproof bowl. Put aside to chill to room temperature (or simply barely hotter). It would thicken because it cools and change into extra strong, however tender, at room temperature. If you wish to prep the brown butter forward, you may refrigerate it and convey it room temperature earlier than utilizing it.
- Prep forward – You may put together brown butter forward of time. Since butter is strong at room temperature, the browned butter will agency up. It’s additionally fairly agency when chilly. Cowl and retailer within the fridge for as much as 1 week or within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Soften or carry to room temperature earlier than utilizing in your recipe.
- Quantity – The recipe lists 1/2 cup of butter, however use nevertheless a lot you want on your recipe. Be mindful the notes within the put up above about dropping quantity. You might need to make greater than wanted.
The diet information offered are calculated utilizing a third-party device and are estimates solely. Precise dietary content material could range primarily based on the elements and types you utilize, in addition to portion sizes. For correct outcomes, please seek the advice of a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
