Learn how to make Browned Butter, a simple and delicious ingredient that’s a staple in many restaurants, and for a good reason! From Seafood to cookies, this rich and nutty butter elevates so many dishes to the next level.

how to make browned butter guide

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Brown Butter Recipe

Thought butter was awesome already? Well it can get even better! Browned butter adds deep, rich and delicious flavor to so many recipes.

Browned butter sauce for spaghetti? Yes please! In desserts? Most certainly. Seafood, pork? Yes and yes! You can add this scrumptious nutty butter to all kinds of dishes, elevating them to Michelin restaurant quality. Plus it’s so easy to make.

Why you’ll love this Browned Butter Recipe:

  • Versatile. From sauces to baking and pasta to veggies, browned butter is amazing on so many dishes both sweet and savory.
  • Easy to make. With just a few tablespoons of butter and less than 10 mins you have a divine ingredient.
  • A delicious flavor. With a rich, deep nutty flavor, Browned Butter has a unique flavor that’ll amp up a variety of recipes.

How to make Browned Butter

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

  • Melt the butter: Add your butter to a heated, heavy saucepan on a medium heat and allow to melt.
  • Whisk: As the butter is melting make sure to whisk, you’ll often see the butter bubbling and frothing.
  • Brown: You’ll see small dark flecks forming, allow the butter to turn brown and remove once you smell a nutty aroma.
placing sliced butter in saucepan
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whisking melted butter in sauce pan

What is Browned Butter?

Brown butter is also known as beurre noisette. It is made by cooking unsalted butter, turn the milk solids brown as well as cooking out any water in the butter.

Browned butter tastes nutty, with a hint of roasting. It has a richer, more intense flavor than melted or clarified butter.

What is it used for?

You can use this beautiful ingredient in so many recipes! It lends a deeper flavor to everything it touches. Here’s some ideas:

  • Seafood
  • Eggs: scrambled eggs, over-easy, fried; use brown butter for a deeper flavor.
  • Veggies: works great with sautéed vegetables.
  • Pasta: from spaghetti to ravioli this takes pasta to the next level!
  • Pork
  • Granola: helps the nuts and oats in granola toast and gives it a richer nutty flavor.
  • Pancakes
  • Popcorn
  • Mashed Potatoes: For a super buttery mash!
  • Soup: drizzle in soup for a nutty, creamy hit. Great in potato soup
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Ice Cream

We recently used brown butter in our Brown Butter Banana Bread and it was fantastic!

frothed butter in saucepan
stirring browned butter

What is Brown Butter Sauce?

Browned butter sauce is so good! And the best bit? It’s just another name for browned butter. You usually call it a ‘sauce’ when you spoon it over dishes like seafood or pasta.

It’s often just called browned butter when it’s added to a recipe during cooking, like with cookies or cakes.

up close image of browned butter

Tips!

  • Do not use too high a heat, you have more control over the butter on a nice medium heat.
  • Make sure to transfer your brown butter to a bowl quickly after it’s browned and include the flecks for all that nutty flavor!
  • If your butter is slightly burnt you can strain out the flecks to avoid bitterness.
  • You can brown big batches of butter. It keeps for a while in the fridge, or you can freeze it in ice cube trays.
spoon lifting browned butter from pan

More Dessert recipes

up close image of spoon lifting browned butter from pan

Have you tried this Browned Butter? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Recipe Card

How to Make Browned Butter

4.45 from 9 votes
Prep: 1 minute
Cook: 8 minutes
Total: 9 minutes
Servings: 6 tablespoons
Author: Becky Hardin
browned butter in pan
Learn how to make Browned Butter, a simple and delicious ingredient that's a staple in many restaurants, and for a good reason! From Seafood to cookies, this rich and nutty butter elevates so many dishes to the next level.
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Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)

Ingredients 

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 85 grams (¾ stick)

Instructions 

  • Heat a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the butter and whisk until melted, stirring often.
    6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Allow to continue to cook while whisking often until the butter starts to froth and bubble.
  • You’ll see specks of darker color forming at the bottom.
  • Once the butter is a golden brown color and you smell a nutty aroma, immediately remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Use in your favorite recipes to add depth of flavor.

Video

Becky’s Tips

  • Do not use too high a heat, you have more control over the butter on a nice medium heat.
  • Make sure to transfer your brown butter to a bowl quickly after it’s browned and include the flecks for all that nutty flavor!
  • If your butter is slightly burnt you can strain out the flecks to avoid bitterness.
  • You can brown big batches of butter. It keeps for a while in the fridge, or you can freeze it in ice cube trays.
Storage: Store browned butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 100kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 3mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 350IUCalcium: 3mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.45 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)
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