Browned Butter Glaze
Browned butter glaze is a rich and nutty flavored topping that comes together in 5 minutes. Pair it with cinnamon rolls, apple cake, or any homemade treat that needs a bakery-worthy finish.
Just like salted caramel, I think browned butter makes anything taste just a little bit fancier.
I've used browned butter in chocolate chip cookies and in brown butter frosting for cakes, but I was so excited to finally try this easy 5-minute browned butter glaze to pair with a batch of bread machine cinnamon rolls over the weekend.
My husband swears that even though the pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls were absolutely delicious, it was the drizzle of glaze on top that was the real winner.
You'll definitely want to print and keep this for all kinds of sweet treats during the holiday season.
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Intense Flavor: Browned butter has a deep nutty flavor that is unbeatable. This distinctive ingredient adds so much depth to your baked goods.
- Ready in Minutes: Even with the time it takes to melt the browned butter, this entire glaze can be finished in about 5 minutes.
- Versatile Glaze: You can adjust the consistency to use this a topping for cinnamon rolls, cookies, cakes, scones, and so many other treats.
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Ingredients
This quick and easy dessert glaze uses just 4 simple ingredients:
- Butter
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
Brown the Butter
If you've never made browned butter before, just wait till you see how easy it is. This is an amazing trick to add flavor to cookies, scones, cakes, or to use in my brown butter frosting!
First, add the butter to a small skillet over medium-high heat. Let the butter melt.
Once it completely melts, continue to cook it. It will start to sizzle and foam. Do not stir the butter with a spoon, just swirl the butter in the pan by gently shaking the handle as it cooks.
The butter will start to brown but you may not see it under all the bubbles. Shake the pan a little more vigorously to peek underneath.
The butter can go from brown to burnt in just a heartbeat. Watch it carefully. As soon as it looks golden brown pull it from the heat and immediately scrape it into a small mixing bowl so it stops cooking.
Make the Glaze
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and just 2 teaspoons of milk to the browned butter in the mixing bowl. Whisk it together with a fork.
Photo 1, I used just the 2 teaspoons. Photo 2, I added another 1 teaspoon. Photo 3, I added 1 more teaspoons (for a total of 4.)
Glaze consistency can shift depending on how you measured your powdered sugar and even the moisture in the air.
Just add 1 teaspoon at a time and stop as soon as it is thin enough for you to use.
How to Drizzle
Normally I use a fork to drizzle pretty patterns over my baked goods, letting the glaze just drip off the tines of the fork.
This time, I mixed the glaze just barely too thick and it didn't want to drizzle properly. So instead I grabbed a small spoon and scooped about a tablespoon of glaze and dropped it over the top of each cinnamon roll.
Once the heat of the rolls warmed the glaze, I used the back of the spoon to spread it over the top in a pretty swirly pattern.
Make Ahead Tips
I would not recommend making the browned butter glaze in advance or the top will set. It is best used immediately after you've prepped it.
Serving Suggestions
I made this easy glaze to top my delicious pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls and they paired together beautifully.
You could use this to upgrade any homemade treat. I think it would taste amazing on my chocolate chip scones, these easy blueberry scones, my apple cider cinnamon rolls, or over a quick bread like pumpkin bread or banana bread.
You could also use this as an easy sugar cookie glaze if you keep the consistency on the thicker side.
If you're planning a festive meal for the holidays, you could use this as an easy way to upgrade a platter of roasted carrots or as a drizzle over roasted sweet potatoes, too.
More Easy Glaze Recipes
A drizzle of sweet glaze turns your baked goods into picture-perfect treats. Here are a few more of my favorite recipes:
📖 Recipe
Browned Butter Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons milk plus 1- 2 teaspoons more as needed to achieve consistency
Instructions Start Cooking
- Brown the Butter: Place the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and continue to cook it until it begins to foam. Gently swirl and shake the pan as the butter begins to turn golden brown. It may be hard to see the color underneath the foam so you may need to shake the skillet firmly to get a glimpse. As soon as it is browned, scrape the melted butter into a small mixing bowl so it stops cooking.
- Make the Glaze: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of milk to start. Whisk it together with a fork. Add additional milk, just 1 teaspoon at a time, until the proper consistency is reached.
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