Trader Joe's Brown Butter

Just in time for baking season is a new product that has already taken up residence in the same aisle as the olive oils. If having ghee wasn't enough then Trader Joe's has added what the French would call Buerre noisette or brown butter.

If you've made brown butter you know what a treat this is. If this is a new flavor for you then you are in for a treat.

For $5.99 you might find the product easier to swallow than this price tag.

The taste

So we all know what butter tastes like. In the case of this product, unsalted butter has been used. Without salt, butter doesn't have a ton of taste. The real treat here is that the work is already done for you. The bummer is this is more expensive than a whole pound of butter.

But if you need a grab and go to make a dish this is super convenient.

The taste out of the jar is pretty basic. It's unsalted butter with dark flecks. Those dark flecks are the milk solids from the butter that have been toasted through the cooking process. The taste here might not impress you.

But if you look at the nutritional information you'll notice this has 20% more calories per serving than regular butter. Why is that? Most of the water that is found in butter has been lost to the cooking process leaving you with more fat and toasted milk solids. Thus a richer and slightly nuttier end result.

But brown butter is rarely eaten on its own. In order to fully appreciate this product, you'll need to turn it into something.

And remember you can substitute this product anytime a recipe calls for melted butter for an extra pop of flavor.

I tried a bit from the container and it was a well-made brown butter. But that isn't how this product is going to be used.

I opted to make some chocolate chip cookies with this. Instead of regular butter, I swapped out the brown butter.

The end result was a nice pop of flavor from the brown butter that would not be there without the toasty nature of the milk solids. It had a deeper richer flavor than regular butter. As an added bonus the cookies were speckled showing the brown butter that was used.

The product here is like the brown butter itself- solid. It is easy to use. If you are looking to melt this, just be aware it might take a few extra seconds in the microwave. Be sure to scrape all the browned bits from the pot or dish you melt it in as they do sink to the bottom.

Recipe ideas

So maybe you bought this product and have no idea how to use it here are some recipe suggestions. Keep in mind when the recipe calls for you to make brown butter, this will allow you to skip that step.

Sweet uses for brown butter

• Soft Pumpkin Cookies with pumpkin brown butter frosting
• Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies
• Butter Tart Cake
• Pecan Brown Butter Granola
• Brown Butter Rice Cereal Treats
• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Savory uses for brown butter

• Pumpkin Ravioli with Browned Butter and Sage
• Browned Butter Sweet Potatoes with Sage
• Brown Butter Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Vegetables
• Butternut Squash Noodles in Sage Brown Butter
• Garilc Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
• Brown Butter Spiced Chickpeas with Kale and Polenta
• One Pan Brown Butter Corn Tortellini
• Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Overall

This product is a good time-saver, but it is pricey for what it is. It's up to you if you want to pay the premium for the time.

Also, I'm not sure why this state there are natural flavors in butter in the ingredients.

Would I buy this again? While Trader Joe's Brown Butter is a solid product it is still more expensive than buying an actual pound of butter. This is easy enough to make at home. So I wouldn't buy it again, but not for lack of quality.

If you find that you don't have the time to make the brown butter and let it cool then thick is a solid kitchen hack to keep on your pantry shelves.

Did you try it?  Let me know what you think in the comments section!