This guide walks you through how to make brown butter and a whipped brown butter cream version—two simple techniques that instantly upgrade both sweet and savory recipes. Brown butter transforms regular butter into something deep, nutty, and rich, with a hint of caramel while whisking in cream takes it a step further into a smooth, velvety sauce that can be poured, drizzled, or whipped into something light and luxurious.
If you’ve made my brown butter cookies, frostings, or sauces before, this is one of those foundational upgrades that adds depth of flavor without adding complicated ingredients. It’s simple, fast, and makes everything taste like it came from a bakery or restaurant.
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Why you’ll love this Brown Butter
- Deep, nutty flavor from simple butter
- Two variations: classic + creamy whipped version
- Works for sweet and savory recipes
- Elevates basic recipes instantly
- Simple ingredients, big flavor payoff
- Versatile for baking, sauces, and toppings
Add Brown Butter to:
- Cookies
- Honeybuns
- Cakes
- Pancakes
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Rice Krispy Treats
- It’s also great to freeze in small thin cubes and eat like candy!
Ingredients
Please see recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe details.
1. Butter
Using a high-fat butter like Kerrygold works especially well here. If you need a dairy-free option, you can substitute a dairy-free butter alternative without issue.
2. Raw Cream
Raw cream is simply the naturally separated cream that comes from raw milk. If you do not choose to or have access to drinking/using raw cream, it can easily be substituted out for heavy whipping cream or coconut cream (for a dairy free alternative). The cream is used to drizzle over the proofed rolls and help them to maintain moisture while they bake.
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Making the Brown Butter
Step by step tutorial.
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. It will melt then bubble.
2. The bubbles will become smaller and more foamy, stir to check for browning.
3. Browning begins to appear.
4. Use your spatula to see the browned bits. Cut the heat and remove the pan from the heat so it doesn’t burn. You can use the butter at this point or go a step further!
Adding Cream to Brown Butter
This step is optional. I’ve used brown butter in its melted, browned form from the steps above and it works amazing. Adding it to cream allows it to form a cohesive and creamy butter-like consistency and it levels up your brown butter experience.
5. Place brown butter in a bowl sitting in a bowl of ice.
6. Add in cream and whisk the butter in the cold dish.
7. You’ll notice the butter and cream mixture begins to change color and thicken as it cools.
8. Once thickened, use in your recipes as you would butter or place in a storage container and freeze for later use.
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How to Make Brown Butter (Easy + Step-by-Step)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter
- 2 tbsp Raw Cream
Instructions
Make the Brown Butter
- In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the butter comes to a boil. Continue to cook, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the butter sputters, foams, and eventually you see browned bits floating about, 5 to 7 minutes.
Cool & Add Cream to the Butter
- Set up a bowl with ice in it and a second bowl sitting on top of the ice to rapidly cool the butter.
- Pour the brown butter into the cold bowl.
- Whisk in the cream as the bowl cools down the brown butter mixture.
- The brown butter can be used in this cream form, or it can be stored in a soupercbues container in the freezer.
Recipe Tips for Brown Butter
- Use medium heat—too high will burn it
- Stir constantly as it begins to brown
- Watch for golden color + nutty aroma
- Remove from heat immediately once browned (it continues cooking)
- Don’t discard the browned bits—they’re where the flavor is
Additional Allergens/Suggested Modifications
- Dairy: sub for dairy free butter and cream.
This recipe is naturally free of: eggs, nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, seed oils and sesame.
Recipe Tips for Adding the Cream
- Let brown butter cool slightly before adding cream
- Whisk cream in slowly to create a smooth emulsion
- For a thicker texture, chill and whip
- Add a pinch of salt to balance richness
- Can be used warm (sauce) or cooled (spread/frosting base)
Storage Options:
- Use Fresh: Brown butter can be used to replace any similar form of butter within a recipe (ie. melted brown butter can replace melted butter).
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- It’s best to store in a container like a soupercubes container or an ice cube tray so that the butter is portioned for easy use within recipes. The brown butter will solidify when chilled just like butter does.
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