The 1-Ingredient “Magical” Spread I’m Eating for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

I’ve always been delighted by magic shows (I love a good card trick!), but have never been able to master the mystery myself — that is, unless we’re talking about food. I can transform egg whites into clouds of pure white meringue, and granulated sugar into creamy caramel sauce. When I recently discovered a simple technique that turns a stick of butter into a light and airy brown butter spread, I knew I had to try it myself.

See the technique: Whipped Brown Butter 

To make this spread, start by browning the butter. Melt butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally so that the heat is evenly distributed. Watch as the melted butter foams and the color begins to change from buttery yellow to tan to golden-brown. The butter’s aroma will also change as it browns from a fresh buttery scent to toasted and nutty. 

Pour the browned butter into a bowl set inside a second bowl filled with an ice bath. Whisk the browned butter to cool and incorporate air. Once the butter begins to solidify around the edges of the bowl, remove the bowl from the ice bath and continue to whip until the browned butter has lightened in color and is a spreadable consistency.

I have used brown butter in its melted form for recipes like this brown butter and Parmesan pasta, or after it has cooled for baking, as in these brown butter blondies. Yet, when I first made this nutty whipped spread I felt like a dang magician! Just a minute or two of hand-whisking transforms brown butter into a spread that is smooth and creamy. The light-as-air texture opens up the flavor of the browned butter and lets more of the nutty, caramelized flavors come through. 

Making the whipped brown butter is actually quite easy, and it’s something that even beginner cooks should try. My best advice is to take it slowly and not rush. Brown the butter over medium or medium-low heat so that the butter doesn’t splatter and there’s less chance that the butter solids will burn. It’s easier to gauge the color change in a light-colored skillet than a dark-colored pan, so make sure to set yourself up for success with the right equipment.

The fun starts once the butter has browned. The ice bath will help the melted browned butter cool down quickly, but if you keep the butter over the ice bath for too long, you may see some small lumps in the spread. It’s easy to gently melt the butter back on the stovetop, though, to try again.

You can make as much or as little whipped brown butter as you want with this technique. Just remember that the time it takes to brown and whip the butter will be shorter for smaller amounts and longer for larger quantities.