It’s an easy way to take a recipe that relies on butter up a notch in flavor. Just by cooking the butter a little past the melting point results in the milk solids in the butter browning, and creating a wonderfully nutty aroma. It’s fun to do with butter-based sauces (check out these scallops in a brown butter caper sauce), baked goods that call for melted butter (like these brown butter chocolate chunk cookies), or with vegetables such as winter squash that you sauté in butter. Just be sure to keep your eye on it while cooking; it’s pretty easy to go from browned to burnt!
How To Make Brown Butter
It’s super easy to make brown butter! All you need is a pan, some butter and a tool for stirring the butter as you brown it. We recommend using a silicone whisk for the best results, but a wooden or regular spoon will work just as well. You just need to be able to stir the milk solids while the butter is cooking, so that they brown evenly and not turn black and burnt. The cooking time will depend on how much butter you’re using, the amount of heat (we recommend melting over medium heat), and the surface area of your pot or pan. Using a sturdy, thick pan ensures even heating for the best results. If you want your butter to melt faster, cut it first before adding it to your pan.
Bake Better With Brown Butter
Anytime a recipe calls for melted butter, you can brown the butter to add that extra layer of nutty richness. Try it in these recipes that call for regular melted butter.
Banana bread Rice Krispie treats Crepes Pancakes Blondies
Which Butter Is Best?
Since the butter is the star here, start with a high quality butter. You can use either salted or unsalted. We like using unsalted butter, especially for baking, because you can control the quantity of salt in your dish.
How To Store Brown Butter
Like any butter that has melted, it was solidify as it comes back to room temperature. Once it has solidified, store browned butter tightly covered in the fridge for 5 days. Wrap in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months
Recipes With Brown Butter You’ll Love
Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Brown Butter Broiled Lobster Tail With Brown Butter Sauce Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” With Brown Butter Butternut Squash With Brown Butter and Thyme Mashed Potatoes With Brown Butter, Goat Cheese, and Sage
It’s pretty easy to overcook browned butter and go from brown to burnt. If the butter starts to blacken, I suggest dumping it and starting over (something I’ve had to do on occasion), unless you want beurre noir which has a different taste than nutty brown butter. Use browned butter immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
