This nutty, herbaceous, whipped brown butter with herbs is one of my favorite ways to dress up a loaf of sourdough bread. This makes a perfect, easy addition to a normal loaf of sourdough bread, or an herbed artisan loaf! And the best part– it’s so versatile and only requires two ingredients.
Table of Contents
- What Is Brown Butter?
- Ingredients
- Tools You May Need
- How To Make Whipped Brown Butter
- Other Flavor Ideas
- Free Printable Label
- Tips
- Simple Whipped Brown Butter with Herbs Recipe
Last year, I was tasked with bringing bread to Thanksgiving: my first ever contribution to the Lukasick family. And let me tell you, it was a little daunting. I wanted to bring something special, but something that was familiar enough that I wouldn’t mess it up! Insert, a loaf of herbed, artisan sourdough bread and this brown butter spread. And it was a HIT! Every bite of the bread got eaten! So, I knew it just had to find its way onto the blog.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I make a small income from purchases at no extra cost to you. Click here to see my full disclosure! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What is brown butter?
Browned butter is melted butter that is sauteed until the milk solids caramelize and fall to the bottom of the pan. This leaves the butter with a golden color, a nutty smell, and a rich, savory flavor. You can use salted or unsalted butter to make browned butter, and butter is the only ingredient!
Ingredients For Simple Whipped Brown Butter with Herbs
You only need two simple ingredients for this delicious recipe
One Stick Salted Butter (1/2 cup) – halved and at room temperature
I think salted butter gives the butter such a nice flavor that will keep people coming back for more!
2 Tablespoons Assorted Herbs – I like a mix of thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, chives. But, really whatever you have on hand will work! Here are some ideas of how to pair the herbs with different meals!
Tools You May Need
Mixer – You can use a hand mixer, stand mixer, or whatever you like. I personally used a stand mixer with a whisk attachment here!
Saucepan – I like using a stainless steel saucepan! This is the one we have.
Mason Jars – These quilted mason jars feel so nostalgic to me and are such a cute way to bring this butter to share at a family gathering or potluck.
How to Make Whipped Brown Butter Spread with Herbs
- Collect, wash, and dry the herbs.
- Brown the butter.
- Whip the butter.
- Add to a jar!
Collecting The Herbs
Since I am a gardener, this is my favorite part. I head out to the garden and pick whatever seems abundant that day or strikes my fancy. For this particular batch, I chose a mix of parsley, sage, and rosemary. This paired perfectly with the Thanksgiving meal! I like to think about what herbs and spices are already in the meal I am making and try to season the butter with the same things so the meal feels really cohesive.
You can also use dried herbs, if you do not have any fresh herbs on hand, but we definitely prefer to use dried herbs!
Make sure you dry the herbs really well after washing them. This will keep your butter from spoiling and keep the butter from popping on you when you brown it.
Browning The Butter
After you collect, wash, and dry the herbs, it’s time to begin making the butter. Add half a stick of salted butter into a saucepan. Over medium heat, melt the butter, and begin to brown it. You will need to watch the butter closely as it browns because the solids can burn quickly. As the milk solids caramelize, they will begin to turn a lovely, golden color and the milk solids will fall to the bottom of the pan. You’ll want to stir occasionally as it browns so that the butter won’t burn. This will take 4-5 minutes.
About one minute before the butter is ready, add in your herbs at this point so they get toasted, too. Once it’s done, you will smell a rich, nutty aroma coming off of the butter.
Whipping the Brown Butter
Add the other half stick of butter to a bowl or the stand mixer bowl. It is easiest if the butter is softened. However, I have also used butter straight out of the fridge in a pinch. If you use cold butter, cut it into smaller pieces, so the mixer can incorporate it more easily. If I have time to let the browned butter cool down, adding it with softened butter is easiest. However, I don’t always have time to let it cool, so I will just add it slowly and try not to completely melt the butter. The key is to have butter soft enough to spread, but not so soft that it is melted.
Slowly add your browned butter into your mixer with the other half stick of softened butter. Let the mixer whip air into the butter until it pales and looks light and airy. This will depend of what temperate the butter was, but should be somewhere around 3 minutes!
Adding To A Jar
You can serve immediately! I added mine to a mason jar for transport. With a ribbon and a label tied around the jar, this would make a beautiful homemade gift paired with a loaf of bread.
I personally used a quilted mason jars, and recommend a beautiful gingham ribbon for a cozy, cottage touch!
Free Printable Label
Other flavor ideas
This simple whipped brown butter is so versatile, so you could use so many different pairings! Here are a few ideas–
- Basil, parsley, and garlic – Serve with bread with pasta, a hearty soup, or any Italian meal
- Thyme, sage, and rosemary – Pair with rolls when serving short ribs, a roast, or lamb
- Dill and lemonbalm – Perfect for serving with fish or seafood
- Cilantro, garlic, and parsley – Make a chimichurri inspired butter for the next time you are serving steak
- Honey butter – We loved whipped honey brown butter on muffins!
Tips
Leave your butter out on the counter for several hours before making this recipe. This will help you get the perfect texture quicker!
If you need to quickly whip your butter, stick the browned butter in the fridge to cool until it reaches room temperature.
Dry your herbs well after washed. This will prevent water from getting in your butter, which will help the butter stay fresh longer!
Using salted butter will add more flavor to your whipped brown butter, and help it last longer.
Storage
If you are only looking to store this butter for a couple days, it can sit on the counter with your bread. Using salted butter will help it last longer, as salt is a natural preservative. For longer term storage, you can put the jar in the fridge and it will keep for several weeks!
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a review! And take a picture and tag me on Instagram @barefootandaproned! I would love to see the variations you come up with!
Breads To Try With This Whipped Brown Butter
Loaded Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Fresh Milled Flour Hoagie Rolls
Recipe
Whipped Brown Butter with Herbs
This nutty, herbaceous, whipped brown butter with herbs in one of my favorite ways to dress up a loaf of sourdough bread. This makes a perfect, easy addition to a normal loaf of sourdough bread, or an herbed artisan loaf! And the best part- it's so versatile and only requires two ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp assorted herbs
- One stick of salted butter, halved
Instructions
- Start by washing and chopping up your herbs.
- Add half of your butter and your herbs to a sauepan. Brown it over medium heat. This should take maybe 4 minutes. Stir it as it browns. You will know it's ready when the milk solids turn golden and fall to the bottom and the butter smells nutty and herbaceous.
- Turn off the stove and let your butter cool for 10 minutes.
- Add the other half stick of softened butter into your mixer. Drizzle the browned butter into the bowl as the butter whips. Let the butter continue to whip until it is light, pale, and fluffy. This will probably take about 3 minutes.
- Serve on sourdough bread, rolls, or pretzels to elevate them!
Save For Later
Delicious!!! I think this will be perfect for all of the cozy fall meals. I think I will try it on some warm sourdough dinner rolls…SO GOOD!
Isn’t it the best when the simplest recipes are the most delicious? Thank you!