Easy Brown Butter Frosting

It’s nutty. It’s rich. It has a distinctive flavor that’s simply impossible to resist. In fact, it’s so swoon-worthy that most folks can’t wrap their heads around it. But once you’ve tried brown butter in your baking products, you’ll never go back. It’s that good.

Brown Butter? That’s a thing?

Oh, you bet it is! And it’s so spectacular that once you taste it you’ll have a hard time not adding it to, well, everything! You’ll wonder where it has been all of your life. And you’ll want to track down whoever came up with the idea so that you can offer that person a pat on the back, along with your most sincere thanks.

So, Where Did it Come From, Anyway?

According to Wikipedia, Beurre noisette (literally: hazelnut butter, loosely: brown butter) is a type of warm sauce used in French cuisine. 

Let’s take a moment of silence to honor the French.

No doubt the whole thing happened by accident. (“Oh dear! I only meant to melt that butter, not burn it!”) But, heavens to Betsy! What a happy accident that turned out to be for all of us, if so!

Does Browning Butter Make a Difference?

You bet it does! When you “brown” butter, you’re cooking it until the water weight evaporates. When that happens, the milk proteins undergo a transformation, of sorts. It’s the same thing that happens to a slice of bread when you put it in the toaster. Only, the milk proteins take on a toffee-like taste and smell, distinct, pure, and altogether heavenly!

Why is Brown Butter so Good?

The answer is in these three little words: depth of flavor. When you toast those milk proteins, you take them to a whole new level. It’s the difference between having a crush on someone and falling head-over-heels in love.

How to Use Brown Butter in Your Frostings

So, we’ve established that brown butter is, for lack of a better term, otherworldly. And we’ve discussed the “Why?” behind it. Now it’s time to talk about how to use this well-kept secret in your foods. You can incorporate brown butter into many savory foods (see the list at the end of this post), but you can use it across the board in your baking, too. Add it to your cookies, cakes, and fillings to bump up your flavor profiles. Dazzle your family and friends with the unique taste that only brown butter provides. The possibilities are endless. My favorite way to experience brown butter, though? Frostings.

Brown Butter Frosting

I’m particularly fond of my Maple Caramel Frosting made with Brown Butter. (Side note: If the Pioneer Woman and a Lumberjack had a child, I’m pretty sure it would love this frosting.) There’s just something so remarkable about that nutty sensation when paired with even more butter and powdered sugar. Oh, but let’s don’t stop there! Throw in some cream cheese and. . .swoon!

By now you’re probably drooling, so we’d better get to it. Without any further ado, I give you my Brown Butter Frosting.

Now for the Brown Butter Maple-Caramel Frosting:

• 2 sticks salted butter, room temperature
• One block cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 block Crisco (or other white shortening, equivalent of one cup)
• One bag (7-8 cups) powdered sugar
• ½ cup caramel topping
• ½ tsp maple extract
• 1 add’l stick of salted butter, browned (see instructions below)

Brown Butter (for frosting):

Place the stick of butter in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for a few minutes until it turns golden. You’ll know it’s at the sweet spot when the foam rises and falls and you’re left with a nutty aroma. Tiny kernels of goodness will form at the base of the pan and you will hear an angel choir begin to sing. No, really. Set the brown butter aside to cool. 

Brown Butter Maple-Caramel Frosting:

Place softened cream cheese in mixing bowl and mix until all lumps are gone and the mixture is smooth. Add the two sticks of butter and whip until incorporated. Now add the shortening and continue to cream.

When you’re happy with the look and feel of the mixture, slowly work in the full bag of confectioner’s/powdered sugar, a little at a time (on low speed). Add the caramel and maple into the frosting. Now comes the good part. Pour in the cooled brown butter and whip until the entire batch of frosting smells like heaven on earth. You will be tempted at this point to dive face-first into the bowl, but resist the temptation. Instead, put the frosting into a piping bag with a 1M tip. 

Hints and Tips:

Be careful not to burn your butter. There’s a temptation to rush the process and you can’t recover the butter once it’s burnt. Cook over a medium low heat.

Check out this video from the Sugar Geek Show for more about how to make and use brown butter.

Reasons to Use Brown Butter

Brown butter, (also called “beurre noisette” in French), is a magical ingredient that can elevate your cooking and baking in remarkable ways.

Here are five compelling reasons to incorporate brown butter into your baked goods. (You’re going to love the addition, I promise!)

1. Enhanced Flavor Profile
   • Nutty and Rich Taste: It’s true, y’all! Brown butter (beurre noisette) has a rich, nutty flavor that adds depth of flavor, offering a complex richness to both sweet and savory dishes. The process of browning butter caramelizes the milk solids, resulting in a taste that’s more robust and layered than regular melted butter.
2. Aromatic Qualities
   • Inviting Aroma: Ever walk into a room where someone is cookie or baking something with an inviting aroma? Movie theater popcorn might come to mind. It draws you in like a pied piper playing a merry tune! The same is true with brown butter. The process of browning butter releases a wonderfully warm and inviting aroma that can enhance the sensory experience of cooking. (You’ll have to try it to believe it!) This aromatic quality can make your kitchen smell incredible and entice those around you.
3. Versatility in Cooking and Baking
   • Multi-functional Ingredient: Brown butter is extremely versatile and can be used in a wide range of recipes. I use it in cookies, cakes, bars, banana bread, and even frostings, like this recipe!
4. Easy to Make
   • Simple Process: Maybe the idea of making brown butter sounds complicated. It’s not! This is a straightforward process that doesn’t require any special equipment. You just need a saucepan and some patience. By simply heating butter until the milk solids turn golden brown, you can transform regular butter into this gourmet ingredient in minutes.
5. Improved Texture
   • Enhanced Moisture and Tenderness: Brown butter improves the texture of your baked goods. It often results in baked goods that are moister and have a more tender crumb. And. . .bonus! The slight caramelization can contribute to a beautiful golden color and slightly crisp edges in cookies and pastries.

Now you see why I love adding browned butter to so many of my sweet treats, y’all!

Other recipes that incorporate brown butter:

• Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter: Every baker needs an amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe, one that causes people to stop in their tracks and say, “Oh my goodness, this is the best cookie I’ve ever eaten!” This recipe will bring that sort of reaction.
• Brown Butter Banana Bread: If you love the texture and ease of a traditional banana bread but also love the warm, nutty flavor of brown butter, have I got a treat for you! This simple recipe adds rich spices and luscious browned butter for a unique twist on an old favorite. 
• Brown Butter Walnut Cake: This rich yellow cake, loaded with browned butter, toasted walnuts, and vanilla extract will make you swoon. 
• Brown Butter Pecan Cookies: These are over-the-top tasty! I’m pretty crazy about pecans, so I might be biased, though.
• Use brown butter in your sauces (over pasta. . .so tasty!)
• Check out this recipe for scallops in a brown butter sauce!

So, what’s stopping you? Start browning that butter, y’all!

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