These 26 Recipes Prove Brown Butter Makes Everything Better, From Cake to Pork Chops

These 26 recipes for scallops, waffles, pasta, and more will convince you: it's better on the dark brown butter side.

September 21, 2016

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Brown butter is one of our favorite ways to add an other-worldly layer of rich, nutty flavor to everything. These 26 recipes for scallops, waffles, pasta, and more will convince you: it's better on the dark side.

Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sean Dooley
1/26
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies With Toffee
Prepare for these toffee-and-chocolate-laced brown butter cookies to ruin you for all others.
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Alex Lau
2/26
Roast Oysters
“The warmness of the brown butter balances the brininess of seafood,” says Vivian Howard.
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Jarren Vink
3/26
Gooey Brown Butter Blondies with Pecans
The ribbon of brown butter plays a raw cookie dough role in the center of these pecan blondies.
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Ted Cavanaugh
4/26
Brown Butter–Fried Onion Rings
Creamy, rich fat tames even the wildest fire—looking at you, raw onion—and makes any allium more tasty.
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Gentl & Hyers
5/26
Scallops with Herbed Brown Butter
Ask for “dry” scallops at your fish market; they are free of preservatives and release very little liquid while cooking, which is key to getting a good crusty sear.
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Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
6/26
Ember-Grilled Steak with Bay Leaf Browned Butter
Chefs everywhere know it: Fire is where the magic happens. Browned butter sure helps too.
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Matt Duckor
7/26
Brown Butter–Pecan Granola
What every other granola wishes it could be—toasty and nutty, with pieces that break into crunchy clusters instead of crumbs.
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Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
8/26
Blackened Cabbage with Kelp Brown Butter
The initial charring of the cabbage is key: Be brave. If you think you’ve made a terrible mistake and burned dinner, you’re doing something right. Learn more here.
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Marcus Nilsson
9/26
Yeasted Brown-Butter Waffles
Once you make the batter, all you need to do the next morning is plug in the waffle iron.
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10/26
Crème Fraîche Cheesecake with Brown Butter Streusel
Textures matter: Baking the cheesecake in a water bath insulates it, so it stays creamy and moist; the crunchy streusel topping adds contrast.
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11/26
Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter
Butternut squash, sage, and brown butter is a classic combo. The gnocchi's ridges catch every bit of herby butter sauce.
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Nicole Franzen
12/26
Cauliflower with Pumpkin Seeds, Brown Butter, and Lime
The perks of being a cauliflower: When the veg is deeply roasted and drizzled with butter, there are many.
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Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
13/26
Butter-Basted Salmon with Hazelnut Relish
Cooking the salmon skin side down maximizes its crispy potential; brown butter carries nutty flavor into the flesh.
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14/26
Brown Butter–Polenta Cake with Maple Caramel
For a moist cake, be sure to use finely ground polenta labeled “quick-cooking” or “instant”; cooking times listed on the package will be five minutes or less.
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
15/26
Pan-Roasted Brined Pork Chop
Brining these chops makes them moist, tender, and seasoned throughout, and the sugar helps create a dark, caramelized sheen.
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16/26
Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts
We like brownies. But we really like brown butter brownies.
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Alex Lau
17/26
Chicory-Apple Salad with Brown Butter Dressing
Even if you’re not a huge fan of bitter greens, don’t substitute regular lettuce here; the slightly sweet, buttery dressing will taste cloying without some sharp contrast.
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Ture Lillegraven
18/26
Scallops with Nori Brown Butter and Dill
These seared scallops on the half shell make for a showstopping presentation. If your fishmonger can’t order the shells for you, use small plates.
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Chris Court
19/26
Brown Butter Apple Tart
This elegant dessert is what you'd get if an apple tart and a Dutch baby had, well, a baby.
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20/26
Dry-Roasted Brown Butter Onions
A simple brown butter drizzle is all these dry-roasted onions need.
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21/26
Rice-Seared Trout with Hazelnut Brown Butter
These trout fillets are dredged in ground rice, which makes an extra-crispy skin.
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22/26
Brown Butter Soda Bread
Rosemary and black pepper make this bread anything but typical. Wedges are delicious with plenty of butter and your favorite preserves.
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Victor Schrager
23/26
Brown Butter Raspberry Tart
Brown butter adds a nutty depth of flavor and fresh raspberries showcase the taste of summer in this easy tart.
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24/26
Tarragon Roasted Halibut with Hazelnut Brown Butter
A good, fragrant roasted fish with a brown butter drizzle is a beautiful thing.
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Alex Lau
25/26
Hot Sauce Brown Butter
What did we do to deserve something so wonderful?
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Alex Lau
26/26
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
When all you want is a bowl of creamy pasta, adding a pile of golden-brown mushrooms makes it feel virtuous.
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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies With Toffee

Roast Oysters

Gooey Brown Butter Blondies with Pecans

Brown Butter–Fried Onion Rings

Scallops with Herbed Brown Butter

Ember-Grilled Steak with Bay Leaf Browned Butter

Brown Butter–Pecan Granola

Blackened Cabbage with Kelp Brown Butter

Yeasted Brown-Butter Waffles

Crème Fraîche Cheesecake with Brown Butter Streusel

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter

Cauliflower with Pumpkin Seeds, Brown Butter, and Lime

Butter-Basted Salmon with Hazelnut Relish

Brown Butter–Polenta Cake with Maple Caramel

Pan-Roasted Brined Pork Chop

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

Chicory-Apple Salad with Brown Butter Dressing

Scallops with Nori Brown Butter and Dill

Brown Butter Apple Tart

Dry-Roasted Brown Butter Onions

Rice-Seared Trout with Hazelnut Brown Butter

Brown Butter Soda Bread

Brown Butter Raspberry Tart

Tarragon Roasted Halibut with Hazelnut Brown Butter

Hot Sauce Brown Butter

Creamy Mushroom Pasta