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Learn how to make brown butter in this easy recipe tutorial with step-by-step photos! Nothing can match the toasty aroma and caramel flavor of browned butter. Follow these steps to make brown butter on the stovetop in 5 minutes with perfect results every time.
What is Brown Butter?
Brown butter (known in French as beurre noisette) is regular butter that has been cooked on the stovetop for 5 minutes, until the milk solids are toasted and brown and the butter develops a deep amber color — essentially liquid gold!
If you’re a longtime reader, you know that I’m obsessed with brown butter. It’s such a versatile way to add flavor to all of your favorite dessert recipes, from the fudgiest brownies to zesty lemon bars and soft baked sugar cookies.
Brown butter has a nutty aroma, similar to toasted hazelnuts. The flavor is incredibly rich and much more intense than melted butter.
You can make brown butter with unsalted butter or salted butter, whatever the recipe calls for. For most baking recipes, you’ll use unsalted butter to control the total amount of salt in the recipe. Savory dishes like pasta or a butter-based sauce may call for salted butter.
How to Make Brown Butter
Rich and nutty brown butter instantly elevates every recipe. Here’s how to make it at home.
Slice butter into 8 pieces (this helps the butter melt faster) and place in a heavy saucepan. I recommend using a light-colored saucepan or light ceramic skillet so that you can easily see the color develop.
Melt butter over medium heat.
Continue stirring with a rubber spatula until butter is completely melted, about 1 minute.
As the butter continues to cook, you’ll notice that it starts to foam up across the surface (after about 2 minutes).
Continue cooking, stirring with a spatula, until the milk solids begin to brown and the color starts to deepen. You’ll notice the butter beginning to turn golden brown after about 3 to 4 minutes.
After 5 minutes, the melted butter will reach a medium amber brown with a nutty aroma. Pour into a glass bowl and use as directed in the recipe.
Some recipes also call for using solidified brown butter (like in chocolate chip cookies or roll out sugar cookies).
To make it, pour melted brown butter in a shallow ceramic dish or ramekin and freeze for 45 minutes to an hour, until firm.
As the brown butter chills, the layers separate, with the nutty brown bits settling to the bottom. Once firm, you can scrape it out of the dish and use at room temperature.
Baking Tip
One important note: Brown butter has less moisture than regular butter due to evaporation in the cooking process. That slight difference in water content can affect the texture of your baked goods, making them dry or crumbly.
When I’m baking with browned butter, I typically increase the moisture by adding an extra egg yolk or increasing the wet ingredients by approximately 20 to 25% to account for the water lost during browning.
Storage Tips
As a timesaver, make brown butter ahead of time. Once cool, store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also freeze brown butter for up to 3 months in an airtight container (use an airtight plastic storage container to freeze as glass jars or containers may shatter).
Favorite baking recipes with brown butter:
- Small Batch Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Brownies
- Funfetti Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Brown Butter Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
- Brown Butter Lemon Bars
More ideas: All my favorite ways to bake with brown butter
Print
How to Make Brown Butter (Easy, Foolproof)
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1/2 cup
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Description
Follow these steps to make brown butter on the stovetop in 5 minutes with perfect results every time. Rich and nutty brown butter instantly elevates every recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter
- light-colored saucepan or ceramic skillet
Instructions
- Slice butter into 8 pieces (this helps the butter melt faster) and place in a heavy saucepan. Use a light-colored saucepan or light ceramic skillet so that you can easily see the color develop.
- Melt butter over medium heat. Continue stirring with a rubber spatula until butter is completely melted, about 1 minute.
- As the butter continues to cook, you’ll notice that it starts to foam up across the surface (after about 2 minutes). Stir frequently to prevent the milk solids from burning.
- Continue cooking, stirring with a spatula, until the milk solids begin to brown (form brown specks at the bottom of the pan) and the color starts to deepen. The butter will begin to brown after about 3 to 4 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, the butter will reach a medium amber brown with a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat, pour into a glass bowl or jar and use as directed in the recipe.
Notes
Double Batch: This recipe doubles easily in a larger saucepan or skillet.
Make Ahead: Make brown butter. Once cool, store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. Rewarm in the microwave before using (or bring to room temperature if the recipe calls for solidified brown butter).
Freeze Brown Butter: Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container (use an airtight plastic storage container to freeze as glass jars or containers may shatter).
Hi Laura,
Thank you for your brown butter recipe. I have a question about if we also use brown bits on the bottom of the pot or just brown liquid part when brown butter is required in any recipe. Thank you.
Hi Christina, yes you can use all of it! The brown bits are the toasted milk solids and they add lots of incredible flavor to any recipe. Happy baking!
This was my first time making brown butter and it turned out perfectly! Can’t wait to try your brown butter brownies next.
Thanks so much, Sara! Hope you enjoy the brownies too. 🙂
Made brown butter today and it was so easy! Thanks for the tutorial.
Thanks so much, Bev – glad you found it helpful!