How to Brown Butter

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 2, 2023 Tested

Brown butter is made by heating normal butter slightly past its melting point, until the milk solids in the butter start to brown. This releases a delicious-smelling hazelnut aroma. Brown butter can then be used as a tasty nutty alternative to regular butter in a variety of recipes. Making brown butter requires a watchful eye and spot-on timing to avoid burning the butter.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Melting the Butter

1
Cut your butter into ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) slices. Use the measurements indicated on the unsalted butter packaging or just eyeball the width of the cut. The most important thing is that the unsalted butter slices are all approximately the same size, so they will melt evenly.^{[1]
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- Don't worry about the temperature of the butter when you're cutting it. It can be mushy at room temperature or hard from the fridge. You're going to be melting the butter, so its temperature doesn't make a difference.
2
Add the butter to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Dump your butter slices into a high-quality or heavy-bottomed saucepan. The weight of the pan is important, because light saucepans may heat unevenly and create hot spots, which will cause your butter to melt and cook unevenly. Heavy non-stick saucepans are fine.^{[2]
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- It's also better to use a light-colored saucepan, such as stainless steel. This will allow you to see the color of its contents more accurately, which is essential when making brown butter. Avoid using cast iron saucepans for this reason.^{[3]
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3
Place the saucepan on a burner turned to medium heat. Set the saucepan over a burner and set the burner to medium heat. Let the butter melt, until there's a small puddle in the saucepan. Then begin stirring with a wire whisk.^{[4]
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- It is possible to make brown butter more quickly on a high heat, but this greatly increases the chances of it burning. Play it safe with a medium (or medium-low) heat.
4
Whisk the butter constantly as it melts. Once you start whisking, don't stop! If you stop, the butter will burn on the bottom of the pan. Keep the butter moving to prevent this.^{[5]
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- Don't whisk too vigorously. If you do, the hot butter could splash out of the pan and burn you.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Browning the Butter

1
Watch the color of the butter and foam for brown flecks. Once the butter has completely melted, it will begin to bubble and foam. This is when the water evaporates and the milk solids separate from the butterfat. Then, the foaming will subside and little brown specks will begin to appear.^{[6]
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- These specks are the milk solids starting to brown.
- If at any point the browning butter starts to have black flecks in it, turn down the heat.
2
Continue stirring the butter non-stop as it browns. As the butter cooks, it will start to turn a light-brown color. While keeping an eye on the butter's color, don't forget to keep the liquid butter moving in the saucepan.^{[7]
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- This will help the milk solids to brown evenly and prevent burning.
3
Smell the cooking butter for a nutty aroma to get a sense of its progress. Once the milk solids start to brown, you will begin to notice a wonderful hazelnut-scented aroma filling your kitchen. This is a good sign! It means that the butter is browning correctly, and hasn't begun to burn.^{[8]
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- In fact, the French term for brown butter is “beurre noisette,” which translates as “hazelnut butter.”
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Cooling and Serving the Butter

Once the brown specks begin to form and the butter turns an amber-brown color, turn off the heat and take the saucepan off the stove. Keep stirring the butter though, as the residual heat from the saucepan will continue to brown the butter.^{[9]
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2
Transfer the butter to a heat-proof dish to stop the cooking. Let the butter cool down in the pan for about 30 seconds. Then, pour it into a ceramic or metal serving bowl.^{[10]
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- Avoid pouring it into a soft plastic bowl, as the plastic may melt.
- If you wait too long, or leave the butter sitting in the saucepan, the milk solids will start to blacken and burn within a matter of seconds. In that case, you will need to start all over again.
3
Serve the butter in a variety of recipes. Brown butter can be used to add a toasty, buttery, nutty goodness to a whole range of foods. For a savory side dish, try pouring the butter over roasted winter vegetables such as butternut squash or potatoes. Or try:^{[11]
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- Swapping it with normal butter in any butter-based sauces.
- Using it to make brown butter ice cream or brown butter cake frosting.
- Using it in any cookie recipes that call for melted butter.
4
Store the brown butter in your refrigerator for 4–5 days. To save brown butter for later, pour it into an airtight plastic container. It will keep in your refrigerator for a few days. For longer-term storage, try freezing the butter.^{[12]
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- Try pouring the butter into an ice-cube tray to freeze it. Then, instead of having to thaw a large chunk of butter, you can thaw 1 or 2 ice-cube sized servings.
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Tips

Keep a constant watch on the butter to ensure it does not burn. The butter can go from brown to burnt in a matter of seconds.

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