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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