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How to Make Browned (Brown) Butter - Easy Guide for Beginners

Butter’s tan, caramel-y sister! Put it in and on EVERYTHING – cupcakes, corn bread, pasta, potatoes – literally anywhere you can use butter!
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Cook Time: 6 minutes
Course: Dessert, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: best buttercream, brown butter, brown butter instructions, browned butter, butter recipe, how to make brown butter
Servings: 1.5 cups
Author: Ainseanlea @ The Stush Kitchen

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Equipment

  • 1 stainless steel pan
  • 1 spatula
  • 1 heat resistant bowl with lid

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Over medium heat, melt your butter in the stainless pan, gently mixing with spatula to ensure even heating. There will be some foam as the butter melts. this is normal.
  • Continue heating and stirring. As the water content of the butter starts to evaporate foam will subside as larger bubbles appear. At this time the butter will start sputtering/popping due to this evaporation process.
  • Once the water content has evaporated you should be able to see the milk solid separated in the pan. It may look like sand at the bottom of the pan
  • Continue to heat the butter and stir. Focus on preventing the milk solids from sticking to the bottom of the pan by continually scraping your spatula across the bottom of the pan in different directions to ensure that no spots are missed.
  • At this point, your butter would have started to brown and a foam may start to reappear. Once you first notice any deepening in color you are about a minute away from your final stage. Continue stirring to help clear foam & visualize browning stage and to ensure even caramelization.
  • Remove pan from heat once you notice a deep caramel-like tone to milk solids. The more you make browned butter, you'll get accustomed to how quickly the butter gets to your desired stage with your equipment.
    Keep in mind that a darker color also means a more aromatic, nuttier and deeper flavor. You can brown the butter for a shorter or longer period depending on the specific depth of flavor you are looking for but keep in mind that too long can mean burnt, bitter butter so it may take some practice (and self-confidence) to get it to the extra deep brown stage (just before it would burn)
  • Transfer your butter to your heat-resistant bowl making sure to scrape any lingering milk solids lingering at the bottom of the pan (this is where the flavor lives!)
  • Butter can be used immediately if called for in a recipe. Otherwise, allow it to cool then once thickened, mix to evenly distribute settled milk solids throughout butter.
  • Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 10 days for best flavor!
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