How to Brown Butter

Browned butter can be used in sweet and savory recipes to add an incredible depth of flavor to even the simplest dishes. This tutorial will explain How to Brown Butter and provide my top tips and tricks for success! 

What Is Browned Butter?

Browned butter (called hazelnut butter or beurre noisette in French) is exactly what it sounds like: butter that’s been cooked until golden brown in color. 

Regular butter has three components: butterfat, water, and milk solids. To brown butter, it has to be cooked over medium heat until the milk solids change color and become gently toasted. 

The result is butter that’s a beautiful golden color with a rich, nutty flavor. 

Unlike ghee or clarified butter, browned butter still contains all three of its original components — it’s simply been toasted for a few minutes. 

What Does Browned Butter Taste Like?

Browned butter is lightly nutty in flavor, with all the richness of regular butter. This subtle nuttiness works well in both sweet and savory recipes. 

However, if your browned butter tastes at all burnt, that’s because it is burnt! Always taste browned butter (after it’s cooled slightly) before adding it to a recipe, because if it’s burnt then you need to throw it away and start again. 

Why Does Butter Become Brown? 

Butter browns when the milk solids within it undergo the Maillard reaction, which simply refers to the breakdown of animal proteins. 

As the butter is heated, the milk solids break down and begin to toast, which is what turns them brown.   

Browned Butter vs. Ghee vs. Clarified Butter 

Browned butter, ghee, and clarified butter are three similar butter products, but they have very different purposes:

• Browned butter is butter that’s been cooked for a short period of time to slightly brown the milk solids. It’s used to add depth of flavor to recipes. 
• Clarified butter is pure butter fat. As the butter melts, the water evaporates. Eventually, the milk solids float to the top of the butter and are scooped out of the pan. Clarified butter takes much longer to cook than browned butter. It has a high smoke point, which makes it ideal for roasting and shallow frying. 
• Ghee is a type of clarified butter made by cooking butter until the milk solids turn brown. Then, the melted butter is passed through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to separate the milk solids from the translucent golden butterfat. It’s nuttier in flavor than clarified butter and is also perfect for roasting at high heat. 

Tools Needed to Brown Butter

The tools you’ll need for browning butter are very basic:  

• Knife and Cutting Board — To cut the butter into pieces prior to cooking it. This ensures that the butter browns at an even rate all over. 
• Skillet or Saute Pan — Non-stick or regular will work. 
• Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula — You’ll need to occasionally stir the butter as it browns so nothing burns. 
• Heat-proof Bowl — The browned butter is removed from the hot skillet and poured immediately into a bowl to stop it from cooking further. 

Ingredients for Browning Butter 

Making browned butter calls for just one simple ingredient: butter! 

You may use salted or unsalted butter, both brown equally well. When in doubt, use whatever the recipe calls for. 

Also note that the cook time will remain roughly the same no matter how much butter you’re browning.

How to Brown Butter 

Browning butter is incredibly easy, but you need to watch your pan like a hawk. Butter can go from perfectly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds if you’re not careful! 

Here’s an overview the simple steps for how to make brown butter in about 10 minutes: 

1. Place desired amount of butter into a saucepan over medium heat. (Don’t crank up the heat to speed up the process as butter burns easily.)
2. Stir the butter constantly as it melts. 
3. Once it’s fully melted, cook the butter for an additional 5 to 8 minutes. It will begin foaming and sizzling, and you need to stir it the entire time it cooks. For a while, it will look like the melted butter isn’t doing anything, but all of a sudden you’ll notice the milk solids on the bottom of the pan changing color. 
4. Once the milk solids are golden brown, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. 
5. Quickly transfer the browned butter to a heat-proof bowl. This will prevent the butter from cooking further in the hot pan and potentially burning. 

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

How Long Does It Take to Brown Butter? 

½ cup (1 stick) of butter will take closer to 5 minutes to brown, while 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter will take closer to 8 minutes. 

The more butter you’re browning, the longer it will take. 

However, don’t try to brown too much butter at once or the butter will not brown evenly. Plus, if you accidentally burn it you’ll wind up throwing out a lot of butter! 

Tips for Perfect Browned Butter

• Cut butter into even pieces so that it melts evenly. If you add the entire stick of butter to the pan, it will melt at an uneven rate and then will brown unevenly. 
• Use a heavy bottomed saucepan. It can be a cast iron, stainless steel, or non-stick saucepan, but just make sure it distributes heat well so that the butter doesn’t scorch. I prefer to use a light-colored pan so I can monitor the golden brown color during the browning process.
• Heat no higher than medium heat. Browning butter takes time! If you crank up the heat, all you’ll do is burn the butter. 
• Stir constantly so nothing burns. A rubber spatula is ideal because it gets into the edges of the saucepan. 
• The more butter you use, the longer it will take to brown. So be patient! 
• If you accidentally burn it, throw it out. Burnt butter cannot be salvaged and will ruin any baked good.  

Ways to Use Browned Butter

This brown butter recipe is an easy way to add an extra layer of flavor to a variety of recipesThere are so many ways to eat browned butter!

The nutty aroma makes an excellent addition to both sweet and savory dishes. Try adding browned butter to any of the following dishes:  

Sweet: 

• Chocolate chip cookies
• Granola 
• Pancakes and waffles 
• Cakes and cupcakes 
• Fruit crisps and crumbles 
• Rice Krispies treats 
• Icings and frostings 
• Blondies 
• Cookie bars 

Savory: 

• Popcorn 
• Pasta dishes 
• Scrambled eggs 
• Toasted nuts 
• Pan-fried fish 
• Biscuits 
• Pork chops 
• Polenta
• Grits 

How to Substitute Brown Butter in Recipes

You can easily substitute browned butter for regular butter any time a recipe calls for it.

Just be sure to measure the browned butter AFTER preparing it (i.e. don’t measure out regular butter, brown it, and then use it in a recipe. Some of the water evaporates!). 

Browned butter is soft but solid at room temperature, and very firm when chilled — just like normal butter.

So, measure it out like you would regular butter whether the recipe calls for melted, room temperature, or cold butter! 

FAQs About Browning Butter 

Should you add water to brown butter? 

Not as it’s cooking in the saucepan, no. 

However, King Arthur Flour recommends adding 1 tablespoon of water for every 1/2 cup of butter that’s been browned if you plan on baking with the browned butter. This way your baked goods don’t come out greasy. 

I don’t think this is necessary, but I wanted to mention it in case you’ve had baked goods turn out greasy when using brown butter in the past. 

Does it matter if you brown salted vs. unsalted butter? 

Nope, use whichever the recipe calls for! If you’re unsure which to use, opt for unsalted because you can always add salt separately to any recipe.  

Can you brown vegan butter? 

Some sites say you can, but in my experience you cannot. 

Butter is able to brown due to the milk proteins toasting after being exposed to heat. 

Vegan butters are made with plant oils, therefore they do not contain the same components that make butter liable to browning. 

What kind of pan should you use?

Use a light colored pan. This makes it easier to tell when the butter is browned. A dark pan makes it almost impossible to tell what stage the butter is at! 

What temperature should you use on your stove?

Medium heat and no higher. 

Do not crank up the heat to speed up the process; it will take a few minutes of cooking to achieve perfectly browned butter and turning up the heat will only make the butter more susceptible to burning. 

Do you need to stir butter while it’s browning?

Yes, stirring it frequently will ensure the butter browns evenly and none of the milk proteins stick to the pan and burn. 

Why is my browned butter foamy?

It’s normal for it to foam as it cooks. That’s the water evaporating out of the butter! 

Should I skim the foam off?

Nope, there’s no need. 

How do you know when it is done? 

You’ll know your browned butter is done when it’s golden brown in color and smells slightly nutty. 

What are the browned bits?

The browned bits in browned butter are the milk proteins (mostly lactose) that have been toasted. They underwent the Maillard reaction when exposed to the heat of the stove during the cooking process. 

Can you harden browned butter?

Yes, it hardens at room temperature or when placed in the fridge, just like regular butter. 

Refrigerate your brown butter for recipes that call for cold butter, such as biscuits or pie dough. 

Should you let browned butter cool before baking?

If a recipe calls for melted butter, use it right away. If it needs to be softened to room temperature or cold, store it appropriately and wait. 

Can you make a big batch and store extra for later?

Of course you can!

However, I don’t recommend making too big of a batch of brown butter or else the butter will not brown evenly in the pan. 1 cup of butter is the maximum I usually work with at a time. 

Storage Instructions 

Store cooled browned butter in glass jar or a heatproof bowl with a lid.

How long will browned butter last?

If stored in an airtight container, it will last about 2 weeks in the fridge. 

Can you freeze browned butter?

Yes, it may be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove as much air as possible from the freezer container or freezer bag to prevent freezer burn.  

Can you reheat browned butter?

Yes, reheat it like regular butter in the microwave or saucepan over low heat. Be careful not to actually cook it again though or else it will burn!  

Recipes Using Browned Butter

Now that you’ve learned how to make browned butter from this step-by-step tutorial, here are a few recipe ideas to use your nutty brown butter in.

Try Making Brown Butter at Home! 

Next time you want to add more flavor to your favorite baked good or pasta recipe, make browned butter! 

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What is your favorite way to use brown butter?