How To Brown Butter Perfectly Every time

Brown butter is a flavor bomb for your cooking and baking recipes. It is regular butter that is first melted and then cooked further over heat until the milk solids get golden, toasted and nutty. It is cooked a little past the melting point and is very simple to prepare.

Brown butter recipes are all the rage these days. It was mainly used for sauces and reductions to create a flavor explosion with little effort or minimal ingredients. However, today you can find it in cooking recipes like pastas, chicken or even in dips and spread but it has gotten even more popular in the pastry side of things. You can find brown butter cookies, cakes, pastries, doughs etc. which add a very distinct flavor to all your recipes.

Mastering homemade brown butter is simple, you need to be patient and not leave its side as it happens fast and before you know it you can end up with burnt butter if you don’t be careful. This blog will go through some of the main dos and don’t when making browned butter and understand what it is, why does it taste like liquid gold and what do you need to make it perfect every single time.

What is brown butter?

Brown butter is regular butter that is melted and cooked past its melting point. It is also known as buerre noisette in French, which is basically made by heating butter until the milk solids go brown, caramelize and get a nutty flavor. It gets a golden color and imparts a toasted flavor. This is a simple way to add more flavor to your baked goods like cookies, cakes and pastries.

THE BEST BUTTER to use when making browned butter is the best quality you can find. We need a regular, flavorless butter that is not salted but you can use salted as well – depending on the recipe. I would suggest using the best type of butter you like to eat and enjoy the flavor of. Keep in mind the better the butter the better the brown butter flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brown Butter:

How do you brown butter properly?

You start with regular butter in a heavy bottom pan on low to medium heat. It is melted and then we keep cooking the melted butter until golden and toasted. This is the simplest way to explain how to make brown butter property at home. The trick to making an evenly browned butter is stirring it constantly to ensure it doesn’t burn.

How long does it take to melt butter until its brown?

This depends on the size of the pan and heat. I like to make brown butter on low to medium heat in a heavy bottom sauce pot. As the brown butter will foam up and hence I prefer using a deep heavy bottom sauce pot. It takes 3-5 minutes to make it. However it can take little longer as well.

How do you know if butter is browned?

Once the butter has melted and the milk solids have been toasted and it has a golden color you know the butter has browned. Also, I the melted butter will form bubbles on top and then cause a foam which will then result in the best golden browned butter.

Why isn’t my butter browning?

If your butter is not browning it could be because you haven’t cooked it enough. When making browned butter, the butter will first melt into a liquid and then start bubbling creating large bubbles on the top. It will then have small bubbles and foam on the top. This is the process you should be looking for when you are making browned butter. If this has not happened increase the heat gently and keep stirring the butter to ensure it browns evenly.

Is ghee brown butter? What is the difference between ghee and brown butter?

Ghee is similar to brown butter in terms of flavour, but browned butter is not strained and the browned solids are left to cool and form with the browned butter after cooking. The key difference between ghee and brown butter is that ghee develops a rich, nutty flavour as it is allowed to caramelise slightly during the cooling process. Truthfully, in my opinion, ghee is a bit stronger in flavor overall as compared to browned butter.

Why is my browned butter foaming?

This is normal, butter contains anywhere between 13 to 17% water, which has to evaporate before the fat’s temperature can rise enough to brown the milk proteins in it. Once the butter has reached the desired temperature of 212°F, the water in the butter starts to evaporate much more quickly. As a result the butter will start to bubble and splatter dramatically. It will then get foamy which is part of the process.

Should you stir while browning butter?

I would always say yes to this. Some recipes suggest otherwise. However I have only had success when stirring it butter until it is completely browned. Also I like to take it off the heat before it is done, I let it finish of the heat as there is residual heat to continue cooking it.

How dark should brown butter be?

Brown butter should have a golden brown, deep amber in color. It should have a nutty aroma, with darker milk solids visible on the bottom.

Should I strain my brown butter?

This depends on the recipe you are using it for. I almost never strain out my brown butter as the flavor from the golden bits at the bottom add so much flavor to the brown butter.

What can I use for brown butter?

Depending on the recipe you can use melted butter in place of the browned butter. For most cakes, cookies and cooking recipes you can swap it but keep in mind the flavor will be compromised.

What equipment do you need to brown butter?

The beauty about making this flavor bomb of brown butter is that you need a sauce pot and a whisk. I like using a rubber spatula as well to scrape down the sides of the sauce pot.

Can you burn brown butter?

Absolutely. Also you can make burnt butter which is used in many sauces, recipes and baked goods. In saying this most recipes call for brown butter which is a light brown golden color, even a deep amber color works well. Once the milk solids have turned golden brown they are ready which means the butter is browned. If you cook them any longer, it will get dark brown and then go black and then burn. It will go nutty and then bitter. So do not take your eye off it while on the stove.

What are the brown specks in brown butter?

Those are the toasted milk solids.

Pro tips for browning butter:

Quality of butter –

Using the best quality of butter or your favorite butter will ensure the flavor is the best you can get.

Dont stop stirring –

I think stirring the melted butter while it browns is the best way to ensure it browns evenly and to also make sure it doesn’t burn in the process.

Use a light colored pan –

This helps you see the color of the brown butter. If you use a dark colored sauce pot you might be able to tell how much the milk solids have been toasted and you could burn it in the process.

Pour into a bowl –

Once the butter has been browned to the right color, pour it out of the sauce pot and into a bowl to ensure it cools down and doesn’t continue cooking in the heat of the sauce pot.

How to make brown butter?

In a sauce pot on low to medium heat, add the butter and allow it to melt. Once melted, use a whisk to keep stirring the melted butter. The melted butter will start spluttering and then form large bubbles on top of the melted butter. It will then create smaller bubbles which will bubble up into a foam. Do no stop stirring. This will happen quickly so do not leave the sauce pot. Take it off the heat once the milk solids in the melted butter have turned a golden brown color or it is a deep amber color. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking process. Cool down at room temperature.

Storing and using brown butter?

Once the butter has been browned you can use it in many recipes. Have a look at the recipes listed below for more inspiration. The brown butter can be stored in a glass jar at room temperature for 3 weeks and in the fridge for 3 months. I have also stored it in an ice cube tray in the freezer for 6 months. Make sure no moisture enters the jar or else it will spoil the brown butter.

Looking for recipes to use your brown butter?

Now that we have covered how to make brown butter at home, let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on pinterest & instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.