How to Make Brown Butter in 2 Simple Steps

I think it’s hard to smell brown butter and not wonder what it tastes like. The nutty flavor and sweet warm scent seduces you to toss and slather this golden deliciousness in recipes you never thought of. I guess that’s the ‘brown butter effect’, butter makes things better, but brown butter? Browned butter elevates it from better to way better.

Brown butter is easy to make. With a little uninterrupted time, a stainless steel pan, and whisk- you will be on your way to making your pot of golden joy in under 10 minutes.

I have used brown butter in this simple to make flour tortilla and brownies. And in just 2 steps, you could have your own stash to splurge in recipes. Let me answer some questions you might have before we get started…

Frequently Asked Brown Butter Questions:

What Kind of Pan Do You Use to Brown Butter?

You need a stainless steel pan. Here’s why: As the butter browns, you need to be able to see the color change and decide when it’s time to stop.

Do You Stir Brown Butter While on the Stove?

Yes, you do need to stir the butter. This not only ensures even browning but it also helps you to move the milk solids foaming at the top to check for color change and browned milk solids that will later form and sink to the bottom of the pan

How Long Should It Take to Brown Butter?

This will change due to heat variances, even though you should brown your butter at low heat. It normally takes me under 10 minutes.

Can You Brown Butter in a Non-stick Pan?

You can use a non-stick pan to brown butter, however, a stainless steel pan is preferred for the reasons stated in question 2.

Do I Need to Take Out the Browned Milk Solids?

Depending on what you need the brown butter for, you could filter out the browned milk solids or add them to your recipe.

Can You Make Brown Butter in the Microwave? And How Do You Do It?

You can make brown butter in the microwave. To do so, put the cubed butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then cover it with cling film and pierce a few holes. Then cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate and set the microwave to 100% power.

After the butter melts, you will hear continuous popping (like when you’re making popcorn) which will die down as the butter loses its water and the milk solids start to brown, and the butter turns color. It will take 8-9 minutes. Check on it after 7 minutes as the water will have been lost and the color change too far off.

What to Expect When Browning Butter.

Important reminder: What you put in is not what you get out. For 200g of butter, you will get roughly 166g of brown butter due to the loss of water and milk solids.

After the butter has melted, it will start to rapidly boil. And will make the same sound as when you happen to add water to hot oil. This will happen as the water evaporates and the milk solids float to the top into what seems like frothy white foam.

And finally, the sizzling sounds will decrease and the milk solids will brown and sink to the bottom of the pan.

Did you Know?

That butter absorbs strong odors from its surroundings, so make sure to store your butter properly and away from foods and ingredients with a strong odor. W

What are the translucent, dark yellow patches on the surface of butter? That probably happened when the affected areas were exposed to air and dried out. It will taste rancid so just scrape it off and carefully store your butter by rewrapping it in an airtight non-metal container or with the original foiled paper the butter came in.

Brown butter lasts longer than regular butter due to the lack of milk solids. So smile, those brown milk solids just delayed the onset of rancidity.

Recipes Using Brown Butter

Easy 3 Step Flour Tortilla with Brown Butter

I hope your brown butter was a success! Please give it a thumbs up below and FOLLOW on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Youtube to know what’s fresh off the stove/oven. Or subscribe below to be notified of new posts by email.

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