How To Make Browned Butter Frosting with a Microwave

Preview: Making Browned Butter Frosting with a microwave is a no-fuss method for browning butter without all the watching and waiting. Ridiculously easy AND tasty.

Yes! You can brown butter in the microwave and then turn it into frosting. No more worrying, waiting, and diddling about the kitchen while you watch the butter bubble away on the stove. I’ll show you a no-fuss method for making a browned butter icing.

Remember these Flaky Cinnamon Biscuits I posted a few weeks ago? They are especially memorable drenched with Brown Butter Icing.

Other recipes good with this icing include Soft Cinnamon Cookies, Cinnamon Rolls, and Soft Pumpkin Cookies. The flavor of browned butter plays well with almost any cookies or sweets spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or cloves.

The Traditional Way To Brown Butter

Up until now, I’ve always made this icing the traditional way on top of the stove. Perhaps it’s the way you do it, too.

Heat butter very slowly in a skillet or small pan. Watch and wait until the butter finally turns brown (and sometimes burns). Z-z-z-z-z-z.

Why use a microwave for browning butter?

Then I tried making it in my microwave oven. I put 4 tablespoons of butter in a 4-cup Pyrex glass measuring dish and covered it with a cheap paper plate so it would be easy to scrape off butter splatters.

Exactly 3 minutes and 50 seconds later, the butter was browned to perfection. No stirring or babysitting necessary.

Some people might turn up their nose at the idea of using a microwave, and that’s fine.  In my kitchen, where I usually cook in small quantities, the microwave is a superhero.

Recipe Notes

1. The time required for your microwave may vary from the times called for in mine.

Anytime you use a microwave, the times will vary from what the recipe suggests.  Although similar, all ovens are not equal.

Also, the temperature and amount of food being cooked will influence the time required. 

Keep this in mind if you decide to double the recipe. It won’t take twice as long but close.

Having said that, pay attention the first time or two you do this and make a note of how long it takes. If you have a newer oven, I predict it won’t take as long as I have specified

2. Don’t forget to COVER THE BOWL.

You must cover the bowl containing the butter because it will pop and splatter violently as it begins to brown. But that’s OK. It will turn out fine unless you cook it too long.

How To Make Browned Butter Icing in a Microwave

Recipes Using Brown Butter Frosting

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Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

Cake-like spiced cookies flavored with pumpkin. Directions for Browned Butter Icing included.

Get the Recipe

Dream Bars with Brown Butter Icing

If a pecan pie married a shortbread cookie, their offspring might look like these rich and chewy bars.

Get the Recipe

Cinnamon Jumbles Recipe with Brown Butter Icing

Kid-favorites!! These cake-like, cinnamon-spiced cookies are frosted with a browned butter icing.

Get the Recipe

Browned Butter Pecan Mini-Tarts

Browned butter provides the base for this pecan-lover's dream dessert.

Get the Recipe

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Hope to see you again soon!
Paula

p.s. Questions? Email me: paula at saladinajar.com.

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Yield: 1 cup

Browned Butter Frosting (Microwave Method)

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This tasty browned butter icing is perfect for cookies, cinnamon rolls, and my flaky cinnamon biscuits.

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes

Total Time 6 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter (no substitutes)
• 1 tablespoon milk + additional drops to reach the consistency you want
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

1. Microwave the butter on HIGH in a COVERED microwave-safe glass container. 3 minutes and 50 seconds works perfectly for me, but your microwave may be different and your butter may be a different temperature. Watch it closely after the first 2 minutes. Record how long it took and you won't have to babysit the butter next time. The butter is done when it turns golden brown. It will continue to turn browner after the oven stops so make allowance. If it burns, you must throw it out and start over.
2. Add milk and cream. Stir.
3. Add powdered sugar all at once and stir vigorously with a spatula until smooth. If you want a glaze, add milk a few drops at a time and continue to stir until pourable.

Notes

If you prefer less richness, make this frosting with only 2 tablespoons of butter for s slightly lighter taste and color. Add a little more milk to make up for the loss of liquid. Nice for cookies that are already rich on their own.

If you don't like the dark specks in your icing, let browned butter sit for awhile and most of the darker particles will stick to the bottom of the bowl. I personally love them, in the same way I adore vanilla bean specks.

Don't need icing? Brown butter is fantastic poured over roasted veggies i.e. asparagus, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, etc.

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  Anchor Hocking 2 Quart Glass Batter Bowl With Lid (81106L11)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 83Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 0g

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