Learn how to make easy brown butter with simple step-by-step directions. Brown butter packs a powerful punch to any recipe and boosts the flavor profile. Use this easy “How To” to elevate your next delicious dessert or add flavor to tonight’s dinner.

brown butter in a mason jar and 2 chocolate chip cookies sitting on a red and white plate

I happened upon a post several years ago about brown butter. Before that I had never heard of brown butter. I started experimenting with my recipes and exchanging melted butter with brown butter and the difference was extremely noticeable. The first time I made chocolate chip cookies with brown butter my husband immediately asked what I had done differently and told me to never go back to regular butter. Friends told me my chocolate chip cookies were “magical”. In other words THIS IS YOUR SIGN to start using brown butter. Brown butter is easy to make and will be life changing for your recipes!

What is brown butter?

Brown butter is regular butter that is heated high enough and long enough to toast the milk solids in the butter. Heating or cooking the butter also evaporates any water in the butter, creating a beautiful rich butter sauce to elevate your recipes. Brown butter has a long history in French cuisine and is known as “Beurre noisette” or translated literally as hazelnut butter. As the butter is heated and the milk solids toasted it creates an incredible nutty smell.

What is special about brown butter?

Brown butter brings a deeper, richer, more intense flavor to savory or sweet dishes. Brown butter and brown sugar mixed together in sweet recipes creates an amazing caramelized, almost toffee, rich flavor to the recipe. My favorite dessert recipe to use brown butter in is Chocolate Chip Cookies (check out this AMAZING cookie recipe here). In addition Brown butter can be used in pie crusts and frostings. At the same time brown butter brings a unique decadent richness to sauces and roasted veggies. Herbs can be added during the cooking process to create herb-flavored brown butter.

2 sticks of butter in the wrapper sitting on a red and white plate

FAQ:

How much butter is lost when making brown butter? – For every 1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter that is browned, 1 Tablespoon is lost to evaporation

How long should it take to brown butter? – Typically 5-8 minutes. The time will depend on the amount of butter you use and the temperature to which you heat the pan

What is the difference between ghee and brown butter? – Brown butter cooks the butter until the milk solids are toasted. Ghee melts the butter until the liquid fats and milk solids separate, and then the milk solids are removed.

What are the brown spots at the bottom of brown butter? – The brown spots are the most important part of brown butter. The brown spots are the toasted milk solids that creates the rich, amazing nutty flavor.

Can you brown butter too long? – Short answer YES. Leaving the butter cooking too long will burn the milk solids and create a burned, scalded smell and taste to the butter.

Unsalted or salted butter for brown butter? – Either butter can be used to make brown butter. Be aware that salted butter will add a tiny bit more salt to your recipe.

Tools & Ingredients:

Sauce pan – large enough to hold all the butter once melted
Whisk – the butter has to be stirred frequently. Tip – if you are using a non-stick pan, you will also want to use a silicone whisk
Container or bowl – large enough to hold the brown butter to cool it down. If you store the brown butter in the refrigerator or freezer make sure to have an air-tight lid for the container.
Butter – use room temperature unsalted or salted butter. When using salted butter ensure that it doesn’t add too much salt to the recipe

Find all of my favorite kitchen tools here and check them out on Amazon.

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How to make easy brown butter:

Set butter out to bring it to room temperature. This will allow the butter to melt evenly.
Place sauce pan on stove burner and turn to medium to medium-high heat
Place butter in a sauce pan and allow the butter to melt.
The butter will start to bubble and become a lighter, almost translucent yellow. This step takes the longest. Stir occasionally.
After about 5 minutes the butter will begin to foam, ALOT. Watch the butter closely. The butter can quickly go from melted to brown butter to burnt in like 30 seconds.
Stir constantly while butter is foaming to see the color of the butter. This also ensures nothing is getting stuck and burnt to the bottom.
Suddenly the color of the butter changes to brown and a new nutty smell comes from the butter.
Remove the butter from the heat immediately in order to prevent burning the butter. Pour the brown butter into the container or bowl to cool. Make sure to scrape the brown little bits from the pan into your storage container (these are the toasted milk solids that provide the delicious flavor).
Use the brown butter as directed in your recipe or store as listed below.

Pictures of the cooking process:

2 sticks of butter melting in a black sauce pan with the words "melt the butter, stirring occassionally"

melted butter bubbling in black sauce pan with the words "the butter will start to bubble and become lighter yellow. continue to heat and stir for approximately 5 minutes"

butter foaming and a black whisk in a black sauce pan with the words "the butter will start to foam, stir to see when the butter starts turning brown. remove from heat when brown"

How to store:

Store brown butter in the refrigerator and freezer. For this reason, brown butter can be made ahead so you always have this magical butter prepared for any recipe. After making brown butter, cool the brown butter down. Now that it has cooled down, place it in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator 1-2 weeks or up to 3 months in the freezer. When brown butter is refrigerated it becomes solid just like regular butter. The stored brown butter can then be used however the recipe calls for – melted, softened, or cold.

finished brown butter in a pyrex glass measuring cup on a bamboo trivet

Use brown butter in these recipes!

Best High Altitude Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

High Altitude Moist Sour Cream Banana Bread

High Altitude Pecan Pie

Grilled Chicken Alfredo Recipe – 3 Ingredients

High Altitude Oatmeal Cookies

How to make easy Brown Butter

Learn how to make perfect brown butter with simple step-by-step directions. Use the brown butter to elevate your next delicious dessert or tonight's dinner.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 7

Total Time 7

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Equipment

Sauce pan – large enough to hold all the butter once melted
Whisk – the butter will need to be stirred frequently
Container – large enough to hold the brown butter to cool it down

Ingredients

Butter – use unsalted butter

Instructions

Set butter out to bring it to room temperature. This will allow the butter to melt evenly.
Place sauce pan on stove burner and turn to medium to medium-high heat
Place butter in sauce pan and allow the butter to melt.
The butter will start to bubble and become a lighter, almost translucent yellow. This part takes the longest. Stir occasionally.
After several minutes the butter will begin to foam, ALOT. Watch the butter closely, it can quickly goes from melted butter to brown butter to burnt butter.
Make sure to stir constantly while butter is foaming. This allows you to be able to see the color of the butter and ensures nothing is getting stuck and burnt to the bottom.
Suddenly you will notice the color of the butter changing to brown and a new nutty smell coming from the butter.
Remove the butter from the heat and pour into your storage container to cool. Make sure you scrape the brown little bits from the pan into your storage container (these are the toasted milk solids that provide the delicious flavor).
Use the brown butter as directed in your recipe or store as listed below.

Notes

After making brown butter make sure to cool it down. Then place it in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator 1-2 weeks or up to 3 months in the freezer. When brown butter is cooled down it will become solid just like regular butter. Stored brown butter can then be used however the recipe calls for – melted, softened, or cold.

Keyword brown butter, brown butter cookies, how to make brown butter