How to Brown Butter (with VIDEO) by a Food Scientist

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This article will teach you how to brown butter. It is easy! Once you learn how to make brown butter, you will be able to elevate your recipes. It has a very complex, nutty and almost savory flavor that results from the cooking process. You can use brown butter in many ways, including in cakes, frostings, fillings, cookies and bar recipes. Continue reading below to learn the science behind making brown butter and watch my video to see exactly how it is done. If you're looking for delicious recipes to use brown butter, there are many on this site! Check out these recipes: Brown Butter Snickerdoodles, Brown Butter Banana Coffee Cake and Brown Butter Blondies. Oh, and don't miss my viral Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

brown butter with spoon showing browned bits

WHAT IS BROWN BUTTER?

Brown butter is butter that has been cooked slowly until all of the water has evaporated and the milk solids turn brown. It is a classic French technique called "buerre noisette" which literally translates to "hazelnut butter", named after the nutty taste it has. Butter is a water-in-oil emulsion with approximately 16 to 20% water and 80 to 84% fat. Then there are trace amounts of milk solids, such as proteins and sugars (lactose) as well as some trace minerals. These proportions depend on the source and quality of the butter.

WHAT GIVES BROWN BUTTER ITS FLAVOR?

During the cooking process, after all of the water has evaporated from the butter, the amino acids form the milk proteins and the milk sugars react together in a reaction called "Maillard Browning" where they transform and create delicious flavor compounds that taste toasty, nutty, savory and coffee-like. Sometimes they even taste chocolaty. This Maillard reaction also creates brown color compounds which is why the milk solids will turn brown in the process. This is the same reaction that happens on the crust when baking bread, making cookies and even searing steak. Brown butter can add a premium, gourmet flavor to a lot of baked goods.

INGREDIENTS FOR BROWN BUTTER

There's just ONE! All you need to make brown butter is butter itself.

Unsalted butter - you can brown unsalted butter and salted butter with equal results. Unsalted butter will lend a sweeter taste and is ideal for frostings and cake recipes. Look for high quality butter if you intend to brown it because lower quality butter tends to have a higher moisture content and it will take longer to brown which often leads to burning.
Salted butter - browned salted butter will have a very rich savory taste. I love to use it for my famous Chewy Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). First melt the butter. Place it in a small light-colored 1-quart stainless steel saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until completely melted. Allow butter to come to a boil, stirring constantly. It will bubble and crackle as its water content evaporates.
STEP 2). Cook the butter. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the crackling noises begin to fade and the bubbles subside. A dense foam will form at the surface as the last bit of water squeezes out, and the color will progress from golden yellow to tan and finally, brown. This takes around 8 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on it as butter can turn from brown to burnt within a matter of seconds.
STEP 3). Immediately remove from heat. Once you smell that nutty aroma and begin to see little brown bits as you stir, take the pan off the heat and immediately pour the brown butter into a medium heatproof bowl. (If you happen to cook it too far and the brown bits are now (burnt) black bits, you can strain the butter through a fine mesh sieve or a cheese cloth to remove them, as they can impart a bitter flavor to your dessert). Let it cool to room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator if not using immediately.

HOW TO MAKE BROWN BUTTER

Place butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat.

Stir or swirl the pan until the butter is completely melted.

Increase heat to medium and let it come to a simmer.

Once simmering, it will crackle and foam. Stir frequently until the foam subsides.

The foam will subside and brown bits will surface as you stir. Lower the heat to control the cooking until the brown bits are amber but not black.

Once ready, pour it immediately into a clean bowl and allow to cool.

EXPERT TIPS

Use high quality butter. It's not entirely necessary as you can brown any dairy butter, but milk fat varies depending on quality. High quality butter will have up to 85% fat whereas lower quality varieties can have 80% fat. The difference is that lower quality butters with more moisture will take longer to cook and often it is easier to burn it. You will also have less yield once you finish browning it since there is less overall fat.
Have patience and do not walk away. The longest part of the process is when the butter is bubbling as the water is evaporating. Once it appears foamy, this is a sign that the evaporation process is ending and almost all of the water has been eliminated.
Stir occasionally. It is important to stir once in a while since the milk solids can catch at the bottom of the pan and ultimately burn.
Do not over-cook. Brown butter turns to burnt butter very quickly. Monitor it closely especially at the end once the foam subsides. Burnt butter can taste bitter, acrid and rancid.
Use a light-coloured pan. The "brown" part in brown butter is caused by a complex reaction between lactose and amino acids from milk proteins, called Maillard browning, which ultimately produces a nutty, toffee-like flavor that is completely unlike the creamy nature of fresh butter. It imparts richness to just about anything it is added to. When making brown butter, use a light-colored pan so you can keep track of the color transformations as it cooks. Stir or swirl the pan occasionally for even browning.

RECIPE FAQ

What type of butter is best for making brown butter?

You can brown unsalted or salted butter, but the best results come from high quality butter that has a higher milk fat content above 82% fat, such as European style butter. Inexpensive butter is fine to brown, however it contains more water and thus more milk solids so that it will take longer to cook and is easier to burn.

What happens if my brown butter burns?

If you cook the butter for too long, the proteins will burn and will taste unpleasant. You can try to strain out the burn solids, but you may need to discard it if the flavor has penetrated the clear butter fat.

How to salvage burnt butter?

If your brown butter becomes black butter, the only way to salvage it is to pass it through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove the burnt bits. If it is very burnt, then the flavor will penetrate the milkfat and it may taste rancid. Once it is strained and cooled, be sure to taste it to ensure it tastes acceptable.

How long does brown butter last?

Brown butter will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator. You should store it in an airtight container.

How to use brown butter?

Brown butter has so many uses! You can use it to make cookies, cakes, bars and frostings. Check out some of my popular brown butter recipes: Brown Butter Snickerdoodles, Brown Butter Banana Coffee Cake and Brown Butter Blondies.

Can I make brown butter ahead in advance?

You can prepare brown butter ahead of time. Since butterfat is solid at room temperature, the browned butter will solidify and be very hard since it is pure fat with the water removed. To use it, melt it gently or bring to room temperature before using in your recipe.

STORING AND FREEZING

How do I store brown butter?

Store brown butter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Can I freeze brown butter?

Yes, you can wrap cooled and solidified brown butter in plastic wrap (I like to form it into a log), place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Here are some recipes where you can incorporate brown butter:

Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Lemon Pistachio Cake Sticky Toffee Date Cake Moist Lemon Blueberry Bread Olive Oil Chocolate Bundt Cake Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with Chocolate Fudge Frosting Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting Blueberry Peach Upside Down Cake

Looking for delicious recipes that use brown butter? Try these:

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