How to Make Clarified Butter

What is Clarified Butter

Clarified butter is simply butter with the milk solids and water removed, leaving behind pure butterfat. While regular butter starts to smoke around 350°F, clarified butter can handle temperatures up to 450°F before smoking. This makes it perfect for high-heat cooking methods like sautéing and pan-frying.

When you slowly heat regular butter, it separates into three layers: milk solids that sink to the bottom, pure butterfat in the middle, and white foam (whey proteins) that rises to the top. By removing both the milk solids and whey proteins, you’re left with clarified butter. A golden, pure-tasting cooking fat that won’t burn as easily as regular butter.

Many traditional recipes call for clarified butter because of its clean butter flavor and stability at higher temperatures. French cuisine uses it as a base for hollandaise sauce and other classic preparations.

Regular Butter Vs. Clarified Butter

Understanding the difference between regular and clarified butter helps explain why recipes specifically call for one over the other:

Regular butter contains three components: butterfat (around 80%), water (about 15%), and milk solids (5%). These milk solids cause butter to burn at lower temperatures and can sometimes interfere with sauce-making. While perfect for baking and everyday cooking, regular butter’s lower smoke point limits its use for high-heat cooking methods.

Clarified butter is pure butterfat, with the water and milk solids removed. This gives it several advantages in the kitchen:

• A higher smoke point (450°F compared to butter’s 350°F)
• Longer shelf life since there’s no water or milk solids to spoil
• Pure butter flavor without any burnt milk solid taste
• Better for sauce making, especially emulsified sauces like hollandaise
• More stable for high-heat cooking and sautéing

The main trade-off is volume. As the water and milk solids are removed during the clarifying process, you’ll lose about 25% of your starting butter weight.

Ghee Vs. Clarified Butter

All ghee is clarified butter, but not all clarified butter is ghee. Think of ghee as clarified butter that’s taken a step further in the cooking process.

Clarified butter is made by slowly heating butter just until the milk solids separate and can be removed, maintaining that clean, pure butter taste. 

Ghee takes this process a step further. The butter is cooked until the milk solids at the bottom turn golden brown, giving the butterfat a nutty, toasted flavor before straining. This longer cooking process gives ghee a deeper color and more intense flavor than clarified butter. Common in Indian cooking, ghee adds a distinct richness to curries, dals, and other dishes.

Both have similar smoke points and can be used interchangeably in recipes, though each brings its own flavor profile to a dish. If you need pure butter flavor, reach for clarified butter. When you want that extra nutty note, ghee is your best choice.

What Type of Butter Is Best to Clarify

Unsalted butter is the best choice for clarifying butter. While you can use salted butter, the salt becomes more concentrated during the clarifying process, making it harder to control the seasoning in your final dish.

Quality matters since you’re concentrating the butter’s flavor. Choose a high-fat European-style butter when possible – it will give you more butterfat and better flavor in the end. Brands like Plugrá, Kerrygold, or President are good options.

The fresher your butter, the better your results will be. Check the expiration date and avoid butter that’s been sitting in your fridge for a while, as any off-flavors will become more noticeable in clarified butter.

How to Make Clarified Butter

Here are the quick step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions with the exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
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Pro-tip: Slow and steady wins the race with clarified butter. Low heat and patience will give you the best results.

1. Melt and Separate: Place butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. As the butter melts, three layers will form: a white foam on top, clear yellow liquid in the middle, and white milk solids sinking to the bottom. Keep the heat low and resist stirring.

2. Strain: Remove from heat once the butter stops bubbling and the foam has risen to the top. Let it stand for about 5 minutes to allow the layers to separate fully. Skim the foam from the surface with a spoon, if necessary.  Carefully pour the clear yellow liquid through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth, leaving the milk solids behind in the pot. For extra clarity, you can strain it twice.

How to Cook with Clarified Butter

Clarified butter’s higher smoke point (450°F) and flavor make it versatile in the kitchen. When sautéing or pan-frying, use it just like you would regular oil or butter, but take advantage of its higher smoking point for better browning.

For classic French dishes like hollandaise sauce, warm your clarified butter until it’s hot but not bubbling. Stream it slowly into your egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to create a smooth, stable emulsion.

Use clarified butter for searing foods that need high heat. It adds rich flavor to seared scallops and fish fillets, creating a beautiful golden crust. The higher smoke point of clarified butter lets you cook hash browns or pan-fried potatoes until crispy without burning.

As a finishing touch, drizzle warm clarified butter over steamed vegetables or serve it as a dipping sauce for seafood. For movie night, toss hot popcorn with clarified butter. It coats more evenly than melted butter and keeps the popcorn crisp.

How to Store Clarified Butter

Proper storage is key to keeping your clarified butter fresh and flavorful. The most reliable option is to keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for 3-6 months. Glass mason jars are perfect for storing, but make sure they’re completely clean and dry before filling.

For longer storage, try freezing your clarified butter. Pour it into ice cube trays, freeze until solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. This method lets you thaw only what you need for each recipe.

While clarified butter can be kept at room temperature for a few weeks due to its stability, refrigeration is the safer choice. If you store it at room temperature, keep it in a cool, dark place in a tightly sealed container and watch for changes in color, texture, or smell.

Pro-Tip: Never let water come into contact with your stored clarified butter. Even a few drops can introduce bacteria and spoil your entire batch.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Use unsalted butter only. Salted butter becomes too concentrated during the process, making it difficult to control seasoning in your final dishes.
• Take your time melting. Low, steady heat allows the milk solids to separate completely and prevents burning.
• Watch the temperature closely. Lower the heat or remove the pan briefly if the butter starts bubbling too rapidly.
• Strain twice for best results. Using a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth twice will remove all milk solids.
• Keep containers completely dry. Even small water droplets can introduce bacteria and cause spoilage.

Frequently Asked Questions