Brown butter can elevate and make anything better! I know the whole process sounds a little intimidating, but I'll show you just how easy it is! It's a life skill you're going to need and thank me for!
Browned Butter, what is it?
Brown Butter is also known as beurre noisette. It's liquid gold! It is a simple magical ingredient that can elevate baked goods or savory cooking. It's not just melted butter; it's butter that has been cooked past its melting point until the milk solids caramelize creating a rich and nutty brown butter that is fragrant.
What do I need to make Brown Butter?
You need just TWO things to make brown butter.
- 1. Good quality butter- a higher quality butter has more fat (cutting it into cubes helps it melt faster)
- 2. Light-colored stainless steel pan with a heavy bottom will give you best results.
How to make Brown Butter
step-by-step instructions with step-by-step photos
Place butter in the saucepan and melt butter over medium-low heat.
As the butter melts, it will start to bubble and foam. Keep a close eye on it, swirling the pan occasionally to ensure even cooking.
After a few minutes, the butter will begin to change from yellow to a golden brown color. You'll notice brown specks forming at the bottom of your pan and a nutty aroma filling the air (the best part). Stir the brown specks with a wooden spoon to prevent them from burning.
Once the butter reaches a rich, caramel-like hue, remove it from the heat immediately. Be careful not to let it burn; brown butter can quickly turn from perfect to burnt butter if left unattended.
Pour the brown butter into a heat-proof bowl and allow butter to cool before using.
Microwaved Version
Yes, you can make brown butter in the microwave, though it's not my preferred way you certainly can. I'm not sure if I would say it's an easy way to make brown butter as the stove top one is easy too. But if you don't have access to a stove top then the microwave will work just fine!
Place cut butter solids into a heat proof bowl with high sides to prevent the butter from spilling out.
Cover the bowl with a plate than just covers the top to prevent splattering.
Microwave for 2 minutes and then in 30 second intervals for no longer than 6 minutes. Cook times will differ according to how strong your microwave is.
Allow the brown butter bowl to cool for a minute before removing from the microwave.
Browned Butter Tips:
Flavor: Use high-quality unsalted butter.
Time: Brown butter requires careful attention and patience. Don't rush the browning process; the slow, gentle cooking is what brings out its rich flavor.
Brown Bits: Save the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Those little bits contain the most flavor! Make sure to stir the bottom of the skillet while the butter is cooking.
Pan: Use a good quality pan. This helps cook the brown butter more evenly. Try not to use a dark colored pan, it's hard to tell if the brown butter has turned golden brown.
How to get the best Flavor
This may sound odd but add 1 to 2 tablespoon of milk powder to a stick of butter and brown as normal. The extra brown butter flavor comes from the toasted milk solids.
Ways to Use Brown Butter:
- Baked Goods: Brown butter adds a depth of flavor to cookies, cakes, and pastries. Try substituting it for regular butter in your favorite baking recipes for complex flavors.
- Sauces: Use brown butter as a base for sauces and dressings to give them a nutty, caramelized flavor.
- Savory Recipes: Drizzle brown butter over roasted vegetables or use it to sauté greens like spinach or kale. Make a compote brown butter with fresh herbs and top it off on your finished protein.
My favorite ways to use Browned Butter:
Now that you have learned how you can easily make browned butter you can use it in replace of butter in any recipe. Some of my favorite recipes to substitute butter with are any cookie recipes! It brings so much depth and nutty flavor to something so simple like chocolate chip cookies. A brown butter buttercream is also amazing, you can really taste the nutty butter.
Replacing Butter with Browned Butter in a recipe
You cannot replace browned butter with butter in a recipe. Why?
When the butter cooks and browns the water in the butter evaporates. Water evaporating will give you less butter than what the recipe calls for, so you can't just replace butter with brown butter. So, if you brown 2 sticks of butter it will not weigh the same as 2 sticks of butter at the end. To avoid this from happening you may want to add a couple tablespoons of butter to the brown butter.
No this doesn't apply to every recipe, but it is important to consider this when making recipe that require that extra moisture.
Once the brown butter has reached room temperature store it in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Cold butter or room-temperature butter works. Length of cooking process will change due to the temperature and amount of butter.
You can use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the little brown bits. It carries a lot of flavor but if you prefer not to use it then it's completely fine too!
How to make Brown Butter
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter
Instructions
- Cut the butter into small cubes to ensure even melting.
- Place it in the saucepan and melt butter over medium-low heat.
- As the butter melts, it will start to bubble and foam. Keep a close eye on it, swirling the pan occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- After a few minutes, the butter will begin to change from yellow to a golden brown color. You'll notice brown specks forming at the bottom of your pan and a nutty aroma filling the air (the best part). Stir the brown specks with a wooden spoon to prevent them from burning.
- Once the butter reaches a rich, caramel-like hue, remove it from the heat immediately. Be careful not to let it burn; brown butter can quickly turn from perfect to burnt butter if left unattended.
- Pour the brown butter into a heat-proof bowl and use as recipe directs.
