Preview: Learn how to brown butter in a microwave and then use it to make a tasty brown butter icing for cookies, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, etc.
Yes! You can brown butter in the microwave and then turn it into an extra-flavorful frosting. No more worrying, waiting, and diddling about the kitchen while you watch the butter bubble away on the stove.
The best part of these cinnamon jumbles is the brown butter icing. Save time by browning the butter in a microwave.
Other recipes good with this icing include Whey Biscuits, 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 that’s the way you do it, too.
Heat butter very slowly in a skillet or small pan while you stir (or get tired of stirring). Watch and wait until the butter finally turns brown and sometimes even 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 into a 4-cup Pyrex glass measuring dish and covered it with a cheap paper plate so it would be easy to scrape off the 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, the quantity of food being cooked, and the cooking vessel 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. Without a lid, you will have a huge mess in your oven.
FAQ
According to the Spruce, “as butter warms up, the water separates from the milk fats. Once it reaches a specific temperature and overheats, the fat goes flying.“
When the milk solids turn black, you will know you’ve let the butter start to burn. To save it, pour the butter through a coffee filter-lined strainer. Your butter will be golden and you can throw the burned solids away.
Yes, for up to 4 weeks.
That’s up to you. If you don’t want the brown specks in your icing or sauce, strain them out. Try slathering the browned solids on bread for an unexpected taste treat.
How to brown butter in a microwave:
How to make brown butter icing:
Recipes using Brown Butter Frosting:
Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing
Cake-like spiced cookies flavored with pumpkin. Directions for Browned Butter Icing included.
Dream Bars with Brown Butter Icing
If a pecan pie married a shortbread cookie, their offspring might look like these rich and chewy bars.
Cinnamon Jumbles Recipe with Brown Butter Icing
Kid-favorites!! These cake-like, cinnamon-spiced cookies are frosted with a browned butter icing.
Browned Butter Pecan Mini-Tarts
Browned butter provides the base for this pecan-lover's dream dessert.
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Hope to see you again soon!
Paula
p.s. Questions? Email me: paula at saladinajar.com.
Microwaved Brown Butter Icing Recipe
This tasty browned butter icing is perfect for cookies, cinnamon rolls, and my flaky cinnamon biscuits.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted or unsalted 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
- 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.
- Add milk and cream. Stir.
- 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 a while and most of the darker particles will settle 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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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 83Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 24mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 0g
Ashley
Monday 13th of April 2020
I just made this to put over my Brown Butter Butternut Squash Bread and it was excellent. I will make the kind of obvious suggestion to not brown the butter in a microwaveable, but cheap plastic Tupperware container. For me, the plastic bent at the boiling point, created a whole and leaked butter. The process was easier and made a great icing. Thank you for sharing!
Paula
Wednesday 15th of April 2020
Oh dear, Ashley. Sorry about your tupperware. I will make a bigger point about the need to use microwave-safe GLASS ware.
Meanwhile, the squash bread sounds interesting and delicious.
Moz Empire
Tuesday 29th of October 2019
I'm working on apple pie type ravioli, and needed a nice icing I could pipe onto the finished bites. Everything from a microwave was runny and glaze - not what I wanted.
Then I found this. Oh, THANK YOU! Exactly what I needed, when I needed it! Have a wonderful day!
Paula
Tuesday 29th of October 2019
Apple pie type ravioli?? Oh yum!!
Jocelyn
Monday 14th of April 2014
I made browned butter yesterday using your technique, and it works like a charm. Thank you for sharing this brilliant idea.
One question I have is, when a cooking larger volume of butter (say, 1/2 cup) do I need to use a larger container?
Paula
Monday 14th of April 2014
Yes, I would. It's a mess to clean up if it boils over.
Donna Vee
Monday 5th of December 2011
Hello my dear, LOVE your blog and have adapted many of your amazing time-saving tips. My only comment about the micro is.... that I’ve recently read an article that set out to prove that microwave is evil...lol. What they did prove through an experiment is that the mice does kill everything in it's path. They watered two sets of plants, one with tap and the other with cooled micro waved water.... not surprising, the micro waved water group... died quickly in spite of being watered exactly the same... just made me think that's all.
Robin
Friday 2nd of December 2011
I love browned butter iceing. We've made it for years in my family. Its especially good on banana cake or spice cake. When I checked your blog, I saw the picture first and thought, "Is she putting pan gravy on raisin bisquits?" Then I saw the title and said, "Ohhh, now I see it!"