How To Make Brown Butter
Once you master the simple task of how to make brown butter, your dishes and baked goods will thank you! It’s incredibly easy to do, and there’s only one ingredient, butter! Brown butter has a sweet nutty flavor that can really add delicious flavor to dishes.
How to do it:
Melt two sticks of butter over low heat and whisk occasionally. I’ve recently gone from an electric stove to a gas stove and it’s crazy how different the heat settings work. Low and slow is best to avoid burning!
Once it’s meted it will start to bubble, and become foamy. Make sure to whisk often. If it seems like nothing is happening, you may need to turn up the heat just a touch.
After a few minutes the foam should subside and the butter will turn golden.
You want to watch for little brown bits to begin to form on the bottom of the pan, and continue to whisk. Your nose will know when it’s done because it will become aromatic and nutty. Smells so good!
Make sure to remove from the heat, and if possible transfer the butter to a heat-safe dish to cool to room temperature to stop the cooking process. Once cool it can hang out at room temp for about a week, or refrigerate for 2 weeks. You can also freeze it for about 3 months, and have it on hand any time! Some strain out the little brown bits, but I never do. I think they add depth of flavor and visual interest to the butter!
Use it in baking just like you would butter for cookies, muffins, and cakes. Drizzle over pastas, breads, and veggies. Anything you would normally use butter, swap in this brown butter to level up your flavor!
Try my TO DIE FOR Brown Butter Sage Dinner Rolls, they’re honestly one of the best things I’ve ever had. I love bread.
Another festive baked good: Brown Butter Pumpkin Bars! There’s brown butter in the frosting too!
How To Make Brown Butter
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (16 tbsp) unsalted butter
Instructions
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Place the butter in a medium sauce pan (light color, not dark non-stick) on the stove-top. Melt over med-low heat while whisking. Every stove-top is different. You want the butter to get bubbly which should happen on low or medium-low heat. Make sure you whisk almost constantly.
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The butter will go from solid to melted, to foamy, to slightly golden and bubbly. Once it smells nutty, and the color has turned deep golden brown, it's done! You should see little brown specks on the bottom of the pan. This should all take about 10-15 minutes but depends on your stove. Remove from heat, and transfer butter to a heat-proof vessel to cool.
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Store at room temperature for about a week, or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It can also be frozen for about 3 months.
Recipe Notes
Use it for baking cookies, cakes, muffins, pancakes. Delicious in savory dishes as well like pastas and breads!
