Toasty, nutty, and delightfully aromatic, browned butter reigns supreme! Learn how to brown butter like a pro with this easy step-by-step guide.
Browned butter is simply butter heated until the milk solids turn brown. This process intensifies the butter’s flavor and aroma. It goes from neutral and creamy to nutty and toasty with a deeper, more complex taste. As butter browns, it initially goes from a solid to a liquid, then moisture evaporates, and the milk solids transform from white to a golden brown. Seems simple enough, right?
What Butter is Best for Browning?
Before we get to how to brown butter, let’s discuss what butter is best for browning. It’s possible to brown unsalted and salted butter; however, unsalted butter is preferred because variable salt content can alter the final product of whatever you’re cooking. Here are two reasons why:
- Salted butter is more difficult to brown because it tends to foam more, making it challenging to monitor the color.
- Salted butter allows less control over seasoning. With browned salted butter, the salt coats the milk solids, concentrating it, so depending on how you’re using it, the butter can ruin your dish or baked goods.
How to Brown Butter Step by Step
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Here are the items you’ll need to brown butter:
- Unsalted butter – Use any brand you like; whether it is standard butter or sweet cream doesn’t matter. You can also brown as much as you like, but let’s use 2 sticks (1 cup) for this guide. The butter should be at room temperature or chilled in the fridge, not frozen. Although you can totally brown frozen butter, the process takes longer. Freezing brings more moisture into the equation, and that moisture must evaporate before browning takes place.
- Pan – Use a light-colored saucepan or skillet, so it is easy to monitor the color of the butter as it browns. Once you’re used to the process, you can use a darker pan if you wish, but light is the way for the first few times. Aluminum, enameled cast iron, stainless steel, and ceramic are all fine.
- Something to stir – It’s best to stick with a wooden spoon or heat-safe rubber spatula. Browned butter requires quite a bit of stirring, so you want to avoid anything that can damage your pan.
- A heatproof bowl – As soon as the butter is brown, transfer it to a heat-safe bowl. Otherwise, the residual heat from the pan will continue to brown the butter, which runs the risk of burning it.
Once you have what you need, follow these simple steps:
- Cut the butter into tablespoon portions: There’s no need to be exact. The purpose is to divide the butter into smaller pieces so it melts quickly and evenly. Although you can brown as much butter as you like, it is best to work with no more than 2 sticks at a time unless you plan to use a large pan. The process takes longer than necessary, and sometimes results are inconsistent.
- Transfer the butter to the pan: Place the pan over medium heat.
- Melt: The butter will take a few minutes to melt entirely. Continuously stir during this time.
- Keep stirring: Once the butter fully melts, continue to stir. During this time, the butter will foam, and then the foam will subside. Once this occurs, the butter will turn golden brown, and the milk solids at the bottom will appear toasty and brown. This process will take 5-7 minutes from start to finish.
- Transfer to a bowl: Immediately remove the pan from the heat once the butter is brown. From there, pour the butter into a heat-safe bowl and allow it to cool before using.
Can Brown Butter Burn?
Yes, it can, and when it does, it is unsalvageable. It’s bitter and unappetizing instead of having a toasty, nutty flavor and aroma. The worst part is that butter can go from browned to burned in seconds. For this reason, you never want to leave it unattended, and you don’t want to stop stirring it until it comes time to remove the butter from the heat and transfer it to a bowl. As advised, you don’t want to leave it unattended at any time, but this is especially important when the foam dissipates, and the milk solids are visible.
Best Ways to Use Brown Butter
Brown butter has endless uses. Its ability to enhance food knows no bounds. One way to use it is as a mix-in for mashed potatoes, dips, spreads, soups, stews, and even ice cream. Brown butter is also a flavorful cooking fat for roasting, sautéing, and pan-searing. Moreover, brown butter is an excellent addition to batters and doughs. Waffles, cakes, pancakes, cookies, pie crusts; the options are endless.
How to Substitute Butter with Brown Butter in Cooking
Above are different ways to use brown butter, but you may wonder how to substitute it in cooking. After browning your first two sticks, you’ll notice that less butter remains once browned. This is due to moisture loss, so you don’t want to brown the exact amount of butter a recipe calls for and proceed with the recipe. Instead, brown more than you need, chill it so it solidifies, then measure the amount of butter a recipe calls for. This way, you aren’t inadvertently decreasing the fat in the recipe.
Storage Tips
Brown butter is best stored in an airtight container once it has cooled to room temperature. From there, refrigerate or freeze it. If stored in the refrigerator, use the butter within five days. If frozen, you have up to 3 months. For more convenient freezing, consider pouring it into ice cube trays. This way, you can pop out a cube or two as needed.
Browned butter can transform ordinary recipes into extraordinary ones with its delicious nutty flavor and mouthwatering aroma. Just remember to be patient, attentive, and careful to avoid burning. Now, go ahead and brown a stick or two.
Browned Butter
Toasty, nutty, and delightfully aromatic, browned butter reigns supreme! Learn how to brown butter like a pro with this easy step-by-step guide.
Ingredients
- 2 Sticks (8 ounces) Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- Slice butter into tablespoon portions
- Place butter in a pan over medium heat
- Stir continuously as butter melts
- Continue to stir for 5-7 minutes, until foam subsides. Butter should be golden brown and milk solids should be a toasty brown color
- Remove from heat and immediately transfer to a heat safe bowl to cool
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