How To Brown Butter

Step 1

Add the butter pieces to a cold, stainless steel skillet. Set a heat-resistant bowl to the side so it's ready for the brown butter once it's done.

Step 2

Turn the heat to medium-high and melt the butter. (Choose medium heat if you feel you have a strong flame on your stove). Swirl the pan occasionally to help the butter melt evenly. The butter will begin to foam, this is a clue that browning is happening soon.

Step 3

Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The foam will begin to subside and you’ll start to see tiny specks at the bottom of the pan. At this point, the color will be a light golden brown.

Step 4

Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan so the milk solids that are beginning to brown don’t stick or burn. (These flecks give brown butter its yummy flavor.) Some people think you need to take the pan off at this step, but don't jump the gun. It needs a little more browning to be juuuust right.

Step 5

Continue to stir until those little bits become browned, the butter smells nutty and toasty, it's an amber-brown color, and it's no longer foamy.

Step 6

Transfer the brown butter and all of the delish brown bits immediately into a heat-proof bowl. It’s important to remove to a bowl straight away so the residual heat from the pan doesn’t burn the butter. That's it!

Step 7

Use the brown butter as directed in your recipe. Some may direct you to use it in its liquid state, or it may need to be cooled completely/solidified.