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There's just about nothing the nutty aroma of browned butter can't improve.
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In This Recipe
What Is It?
See AlsoEasy Brown ButterHow to Make It
Baking With It
The Best Butter to Use
How To Store It
Have you ever browned butter?
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.
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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!
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What Is Brown Butter?
Brown butter is regular butter that has been "browned." What you are doing is cooking the butter slightly past its melting point, just long enough to toast the milk solids in the butter. By doing this, you're creating butter magic! It releases a nutty flavor in the butter that adds an extra layer when you replace it for regular butter in recipes.
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
From the Editors Of Simply Recipes
How to Make Brown Butter
Cook Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Servings8 servings
This method calls for browning one stick (113g) of butter. Less butter will brown more quickly; more butter will take longer.
Ingredients
1 stick (8 tablespoons, 113g) unsalted butter
Method
Melt the butter:
Heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the butter (if you slice it, it will melt more evenly) whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter.
Watch for brown specs and nutty aroma:
Once melted the butter will foam up a bit, then subside. Watch carefully as lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan. Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma.
Remove from the heat:
Pour into a bowl to stop the butter from cooking further and perhaps burning.
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.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!
Simple Tip!
If you want to make sage brown butter sauce, add some fresh sage leaves to the butter once it has melted. Allow the butter to brown and remove from the heat.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 101 | Calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 0g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 101 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 11g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat 7g | 36% |
| Cholesterol 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium 2mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 0g | |
| Protein 0g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 3mg | 0% |
| Iron 0mg | 0% |
| Potassium 3mg | 0% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
