How to Make Browned Butter

Close up of liquid browned butter in a silver bowl with a spatula in it.

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How to Make Browned Butter

Learn how to make golden browned butter for perfectly rich, nutty flavor and aroma. With just one ingredient, use this 10-minute culinary school technique to easily add incredible depth of flavor to both sweet and savory recipes.

Prep Time2

Cook Time8

Total Time10

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown butter, browned butter, how to make browned butter

Servings: tablespoons

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Tara Teaspoon

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks / 226g) unsalted butter cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

Place the cubed butter in a light-colored skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat.
As the butter melts, it will begin to bubble and pop as the water cooks out. Stir continuously with a whisk or silicone spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan to keep the milk solids moving.
After a few minutes, the bubbling will slow down and the butter will start to foam. Keep stirring gently. Underneath the foam, the liquid will transition from golden yellow to a deep amber brown. You will see tiny, toasted brown specks gathering at the bottom of the pan.
The exact moment the butter reaches a rich amber color and smells like caramel and toasted nuts, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Carefully pour the butter—including all the toasted brown bits from the bottom—into a heat-proof bowl. Don't leave it in the hot pan or the butter will continue to cook and can easily burn.
Use the melted browned butter immediately, store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or pour it into silicone ice cube trays to chill into solid pieces, and store for up to 3 months.

Notes

How to Use Browned Butter for Baking

The browning process evaporates moisture in butter, leaving you with about a 25% loss in total volume. You must compensate for this lost moisture in baked goods that use chilled/softened solid butter.

Example: This recipe browns 1 cup of butter and yields about ¾ cup (12 tablespoons) browned butter.

Measure the butter: Brown the exact amount of butter called for in the recipe you plan to bake. Example: If a recipe requires a 1 cup (2 sticks) of regular butter, that is the initial amount you will want to brown.
Solidify: Once browned, pour the liquid into a bowl and place it in the refrigerator until it completely solidifies. Soften if directed to do so in the recipe.
Add back the liquid: Proceed with the recipe as written, but add 1 tablespoon of liquid (like water or milk) per ½ cup (1 stick) of butter with the other wet ingredients. Example: If you started with 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, you'll need to add 2 tablespoons of liquid to the recipe to replace the moisture.

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