20 Easy Ways To Use Brown Butter in Cooking and Baking

Browning butter is a simple kitchen trick that offers so much for so little effort. As butter cooks, its milk solids begin to brown, developing a deeply toasted, nutty flavor and an aroma that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible. This simple technique works just as well in savory dishes as it does in fall-forward baked goods and desserts. Drizzle brown butter over vegetables, toss it with pasta or use it to give cookies, muffins and quick breads an extra layer of rich, caramelized flavor.

Air frying gives acorn squash caramelized edges and a tender center without tying up the oven. A finish of brown butter, sage, pecans, and Parmesan adds plenty of rich, savory flavor. This is the ultimate simple side dish that can pair with mains of all kinds.

Brown butter is one of the easiest ways to make a classic chocolate chip cookie taste a little more special. Here, its toasted flavor teams up with dark brown sugar and plenty of chocolate for soft, chewy cookies with rich toffee-like notes. Feel free to mix in chopped walnuts or pecans to add a bit of crunch.

Frozen dinner rolls make this impressive-looking bread much easier than it appears. Each flattened piece gets brushed with garlicky brown butter, coated in Havarti and stacked into a loaf pan before baking until puffed and golden. Once baked, each slice peels off easily for simple serving.

Mashed potatoes are a comfort food staple, made extra-luxurious with a bit of browned butter. Ree Drummond folds most of it into boiled Yukon Gold potatoes along with cream cheese, half-and-half and heavy cream, then drizzles the rest over the top. It’s an easy way to dress up a simple side for more elegant meals.

Delicate madeleines are a surprisingly simple place to put brown butter to work. Honey and orange zest complement its nutty flavor, and if you don’t own the traditional shell-shaped pan, the recipe noes that a mini muffin tin will work, too.

This easy side proves you don’t need a long ingredient list to make brown butter worthwhile. A little vanilla emphasizes the natural sweetness of the potatoes, while brown butter adds depth and lemon zest brightens everything up at the end. It’s the perfect salty-sweet accompaniment to rich main courses of all kinds.

Apples and brown butter are a natural fall pairing. The butter takes on a hazelnut-like aroma that layers especially well with apples. In this recipe, it all gets layered with golden raisins and brandy inside a rustic, golden pie crust.

Homemade potato gnocchi are worth the extra effort when they’re tossed in a sauce this simple. Brown butter, fresh sage and red pepper flakes coat the tender dumplings along with a generous shower of grated parmesan. If making the gnocchi from scratch is too intimidating, swap in a store-bought alternative.

Few combinations say fall quite like squash, sage, and brown butter. This cozy bake layers those flavors with tender onion, then finishes everything with crushed crackers for a crisp, golden topping. It’s a simple fall side that goes with anything.

Your childhood favorite treat gets a grown-up makeover in this simple recipe. Instead of typical melted butter, take the extra step to brown it before folding in the crispy rice cereal and marshmallows. Salted butter and a pinch of kosher salt helps temper the sweetness of this delightful snack.

Ina Garten browns the butter directly in the cast-iron skillet used to bake this cornbread. This ensures that none of the flavorful bits get left out of the batter. The finished bread is lightly sweet, generously buttery and sprinkled with flaky sea salt for contrast.

Honey brings floral sweetness to these deeply golden brown butter cookies. A sprinkle of flaky salt balances all that richness, while a creamy yogurt dip flavored with honey and pumpkin pie spice makes them particularly well suited to fall.

Brown butter brings an unexpected layer of toasted flavor to this creamy frozen dessert. Stephanie Izard pairs the kulfi with a rich pecan caramel sauce, creating a combination that feels a little like an extra-special pecan pie sundae.

Brown butter doesn’t have to mean heavy. Geoffrey Zakarian balances its richness with lemon, capers, white wine and parsley, then spoons the sauce over simply cooked cod. The finish is finished with a topping of crisp brioche croutons meant to soak up extra sauce.

Pumpkin, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice already put this quick bread squarely in fall territory, but brown butter makes it even cozier. Fresh or frozen cranberries add tart contrast, while a sprinkling of turbinado sugar gives the top a little sparkle and crunch.

Blondies already get plenty of caramel flavor from brown sugar and a dose of brown butter takes them over the top. This version also folds in toasted walnuts and white chocolate chips to add extra texture and flavor. Bake until the center is just set so they stay satisfyingly gooey.

A batch of homemade granola makes the whole kitchen smell good, and brown butter only amplifies the effect. These hearty clusters combine toasted oats, honey, molasses, dried cranberries, pecans, pumpkin seeds, almonds and flax for plenty of texture in every bite. Make a big batch and gift it to friends and neighbors if you need a quick hosting gift.

These slice-and-bake cookies are loaded with quick-cooking oats and finely chopped pecans, two ingredients that are right at home with the toasted flavor of brown butter. Make the dough ahead of time and keep the logs chilled or frozen so freshly baked cookies are never far away.

Pulling the leaves from Brussels sprouts helps them cook quickly while giving the brown butter plenty of surface area to coat. Caraway seeds add another warm, earthy note, while a squeeze of lemon keeps the finished dish from feeling too rich. Salting the blanching water for the sprouts ensures they’re well-seasoned from the inside out.