Brown Butter Latte
Espresso and steamed milk with a nutty brown-butter brown-sugar sauce.
A brown butter latte is sweetened with a sauce of butter cooked until its milk solids turn golden and nutty, whisked with brown sugar.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 126 mg in one serving (12 oz (355 ml), double shot), a concentration of 35.5 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
| Brewing method | Brown butter sauce, espresso and steamed milk |
|---|---|
| Coffee-to-water ratio | 18 g coffee to 36 g espresso, then an 8 g brown butter sauce and 220 g milk |
| Base & finished drink | 18g → 280g |
| Grind size | Fine espresso grind |
| Water temperature | 199°F / 93°C |
| Target brew time | Brown the butter 3-5 min; espresso 25-30 sec |
| Serving | 12 oz (355 ml), double shot |
What you need
- 8 g unsalted butter
- 12 g light brown sugar
- 10 g hot water
- A small pinch of salt
- 36 g espresso (a double, from 18 g of coffee)
- 220 g milk
Required gear
- Small light-coloured pan
- Small whisk
- Espresso machine
- Milk steamer
- Scale
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Melt 8 g butter in a small pan over medium heat. It will foam as the water boils off.
- 2:00Keep swirling. When the foam settles and the solids at the bottom turn hazelnut-brown and smell nutty, take it off the heat.
- 3:30Whisk in 12 g brown sugar, 10 g hot water and the salt to make a glossy sauce. Scrape it into the cup.
- 4:00Pull a 36 g double espresso onto the sauce and whisk to combine.
- 4:30Steam 220 g milk to 60-65°C and pour it in from a little height so it mixes the butter through.
Troubleshooting
What it may be good for
The caffeine count
About 126 mg from the double shot.
Based on about 63 mg per single espresso.
A small amount of butter
8 g of butter adds about 60 kcal and 6 g of fat to the drink. The flavour is strong enough that more is not better.
Butter is about 80% fat by weight.
What to watch out for
- Contains caffeine and dairy, including butter, so it is not suitable for a milk allergy even with a plant milk.
- Hot butter burns badly. Brown it over medium heat and keep children away from the pan.
A brown butter latte is sweetened with a sauce of butter cooked until its milk solids turn golden and nutty, whisked with brown sugar. It tastes of toffee, toasted nuts and caramel, deeper than a caramel latte, with a savoury edge from the butter.
Origin & Story
What brown butter is
Brown butter, beurre noisette in French ("hazelnut butter", for its colour and smell), is ordinary butter cooked past melting. Butter is roughly 80-82% fat, about 16% water and 1-2% milk solids, mostly proteins and lactose. As it heats, the water boils off first, which is the foaming stage. Once the water is gone, the temperature climbs and the milk solids, which sink to the bottom of the pan, brown through Maillard reactions, the same family of reactions that browns toast and roasts coffee. The result smells of hazelnut and toffee.
Bakers have used it for a long time in cakes, cookies and sauces. Its arrival on coffee menus is recent: brown butter lattes, cold foams and toppings became common in the 2020s, including the salted brown butter topping Starbucks used on its 2021 pistachio latte.
The problem with butter in coffee
Butter is fat, and fat does not mix with coffee or milk on its own: it floats as an oily layer. There are two ways round it. One is to make a sauce: whisking brown butter with brown sugar and a little hot water makes a thick, glossy syrup that stays mixed long enough to drink. The other is to emulsify it into the milk while steaming or frothing, the way butter is blended into coffee for butter coffee. This recipe does both: a small sauce, then steamed milk poured in hard.
Expect a few golden spots on the surface. That is fat, and it is part of the drink.
Getting the colour right
Brown butter goes from golden to burnt in under a minute. Use a light-coloured pan so you can see the solids, keep the heat medium, and take it off the heat as soon as the bits at the bottom are the colour of hazelnut skins and it smells nutty. Pour it into a cool bowl straight away, because the hot pan keeps cooking it.
Making it at home
For one drink you need only 8 g of butter, about a heaped teaspoon, so it is quicker to brown it fresh than to make a batch. Unsalted butter plus a pinch of salt gives you control; salted butter works if you skip the salt.
Variations
Iced brown butter lattes are popular, but cold milk sets the butterfat into flecks. Make the sauce, stir it into hot espresso, and add cold milk gradually while stirring before pouring over ice.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 64/100 |
| Acidity | 20/100 |
| Bitterness | 34/100 |
| Body | 78/100 |
| Aroma | 80/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Brown Butter Latte?
One serving, 12 oz (355 ml), double shot, contains approximately 126 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Brown Butter Latte?
Brew the base at 93°C (199°F). Where the milk is heated, 60–65°C is the target; past about 70°C it tastes scalded and loses its sweetness.
How long should Brown Butter Latte be extracted?
Timing: Brown the butter 3-5 min; espresso 25-30 sec. Method: Brown butter sauce, espresso and steamed milk. Ratio: 18 g coffee to 36 g espresso, brown butter sauce, 220 g milk. Grind or leaf format: Fine espresso grind.
Why does my Brown Butter Latte taste bitter?
In a milk drink, bitterness comes from the base (espresso pulled too long or tea steeped too long) or from scorched milk. Brew the base to the stated proportion, and if the milk is heated, stop at 60–65°C.
What does a brown butter latte taste like?
Like a caramel latte with more depth: toffee, toasted hazelnut and a slightly savoury, buttery finish from the browned milk solids.
Why is there oil on top of my brown butter latte?
Butter is fat and floats on coffee. Whisking it into a brown sugar sauce and pouring the steamed milk in vigorously keeps most of it mixed; a few golden spots are normal.
How do I know when the butter is browned?
After it stops foaming, the solids at the bottom turn the colour of hazelnut skins and it smells nutty, usually 3-5 minutes in. Pour it out of the pan at once so it does not burn.
Can I use salted butter?
Yes. Leave out the pinch of salt in the recipe if you do.
Who should avoid Brown Butter Latte?
Contains caffeine and dairy, including butter, so it is not suitable for a milk allergy even with a plant milk. Hot butter burns badly. Brown it over medium heat and keep children away from the pan. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
What people say
Breville Bambino Plus Compact Espresso
In this recipe: Espresso machine
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