This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Delaware chapter.

So, What is Brown Butter?

Brown butter is simply butter that’s cooked until it takes on a strong nutty, toasty flavor and aroma. The brown color and all that flavor come from the milk solids in butter toasting as you cook it. Brown butter is a versatile powerhouse ingredient that can (and should!) be used in both sweet and savory recipes.

Brown butter or beurre noisette, en Français, is a classic ingredient used in a variety of French dishes. Beurre noisette translates to hazelnut butter, because when butter cooks enough it not only takes on the color of hazelnuts, but it tastes like it too! Browning butter may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but make no mistake: browning butter opens up a whole new world for your cooking and baking repertoire. Imagine never eating toasted bread, and only experiencing the simple sweetness of plain, fresh bread. When you brown butter, you have the opportunity to caramelize the milk solids in butter until they are beautifully golden and hold a rich, complex flavor that will absolutely shine through in savory and sweet dishes alike.

How To Make Brown Butter

Making brown butter is actually super easy! All you need is a stick of butter, a pan, and something to stir with (we recommend a silicone spatula or whisk).

To ensure even cooking, cut your butter into pieces to begin. From there, simply cook the butter in a saucepan or pot over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5-8 minutes. As the butter fizzles and foams you will notice it beginning to take on a caramel color and aroma- this is what we’re looking for! If you’re curious, taste it along the way- this way, you can understand the full scope of flavors brown butter can take on. As you’re cooking be careful not to toast the butter too much- butter can turn from browned to burnt quite quickly. Any milk solids that are cooked enough to turn black will have a very bitter taste. As soon as it’s amber-colored, take it off the heat. And that’s it! In less than 10 minutes, you can transform boring old butter into a complex, nutty flavor bomb.

How to Use It

I have great news: you can use brown butter in place of regular butter in just about any recipe! To use it in baking recipes, make sure to chill it so it reaches a solid state before making the swap. Try using brown butter in your next batch of chocolate chip cookies or rice crispy treats.

For savory applications, we love pairing it with vegetables, pasta, toasted nuts, and seafood! If you’re a buttered-pasta person, try it on plain pasta with some parmesan for a grown-up version of a childhood classic.

Browning butter is a skill everyone should master in the kitchen! It’s so simple and makes a huge impact on whatever you choose to put it in. We hope you take these tips and get cooking, your brown butter bounty awaits!