Brown Butter Financiers with Brown Butter Glaze

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Brown Butter Financiers are rich, almond-flavored treats with a delicious brown butter glaze. With just a few pantry staples, you’ll have these delicious cakes in no time!

Recipe At a Glance

Financiers are moist almond mini cakes with the rich flavor of brown butter. We take it up a notch in this recipe by adding a simple brown butter glaze on top.

The whole process takes less than an hour, making it perfect for a quick, last-minute dessert.

You’ll only need a few pantry staples to bake these brown butter financiers, and instead of a traditional financier mold, we’re using a regular muffin tin. No special equipment is required.

Last but not least, since financiers are traditionally made with just egg whites (which is how I make them), they’re an excellent way to use up any leftover egg whites.

Making brown butter financiers for the first time? Read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re familiar with the recipe, feel free to jump to the recipe card.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutes

Financiers

• Egg whites. The base for the mini almond cakes.
• Unsalted butter. We’ll brown the butter to infuse the cakes with its characteristic flavor and aroma.
• Sugar. Regular white sugar is perfect, though you can use powdered sugar if that’s what you have.
• Honey. Honey helps to keep the cakes super moist. To substitute, you could increase the amount of sugar. While the cakes might not be as moist, the ample amount of other liquids (egg whites, butter) in the recipe should keep them moist enough.
• Almond flour. Go with store-bought, or you can make it at home if you have some blanched almonds on hand.
• Cake flour. I use cake flour for the financiers based on the Hanbit Cho’s recommendation, but I’ve seen people have success with all-purpose flour as well. The recipe doesn’t use that much flour anyway, so substituting with AP flour shouldn’t be a big deal.
• Vanilla extract. Optional, but a bit helps improve the flavor.
• Baking powder. Include baking powder if you prefer your financiers fluffy and cupcake-like, or omit it for a denser texture. I always use baking powder.

Brown Butter Glaze

• Powdered sugar. The base of the glaze.
• Unsalted butter. The main flavoring component.
• Salt. A bit of salt helps bring out the flavor.
• Milk. Full-fat milk is the go-to, but low-fat or skim milk works just as well. We use milk to thin out the glaze and adjust its consistency.
• Vanilla extract. Optional, but adds a bit of flavor.

How to Make Brown Butter Financiers

Step 1: Make Brown Butter

1. Make brown butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it turns golden brown and smells nutty (this is why it’s sometimes called hazelnut butter). The whole process takes 5 to 10 minutes after the butter melts. You’ll first hear a sizzling sound followed by a crackling sound. Soon after, it’ll start turning brown and smelling nutty. When it gets there, take it off the heat, put it in a bowl of cold water, and stir for a minute or two to cool it down.

2. Divide. Set aside one tablespoon of brown butter into a small container or measuring cup. We’ll use that for the glaze, while the remaining brown butter will go into the financier batter.

Step 2: Bake Financiers

1. Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
2. Mix egg whites and sugar. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl and whisk until combined. You don’t need to whip the whites – a good stir that makes a tiny bit of foam is good enough.

3. Add honey and vanilla. Pour the honey and vanilla extract into the bowl and mix everything.

4. Add dry ingredients. Sift and mix the almond flour, cake flour, and baking powder. Then, add the mixed ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine.

5. Add brown butter. Pour the brown butter into the bowl, including all the dark bits on the bottom of the pot, and stir to combine. Make sure the butter isn’t super hot so it doesn’t cook the whites or activate the baking powder.

6. Prepare the pan. Grease the muffin tin molds with butter. I usually cut a small slice of butter and spread it with my finger. Make sure all surfaces are well-buttered. If your tin isn’t non-stick, dust it with all-purpose flour, then tap out any excess flour that doesn’t stick. Cover everything and tap out any excess that doesn’t stick to the butter.
7. Fill molds. Spoon or pour the batter into the molds, filling each to about three-quarters full. Depending on the size of your muffin tin, this should yield between 8 to 12 financiers.

8. Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and immediately lower the temperature to 360°F (180°C). Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and the centers are set. If you need another test for doneness, insert a toothpick into a financier; it should come out dry.

9. Cool. Allow the financiers to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before removing. To ease removal, gently run a silicone spatula around each cake, then invert the pan onto a wire rack to release the cakes.

Step 3: Prepare Glaze

1. Combine brown butter, salt, and vanilla extract. In a small bowl, combine the brown butter, a pinch of salt, and vanilla extract, stirring until well mixed.

2. Whisk in powdered sugar. Slowly whisk in sifted powdered sugar.

3. Adjust consistency. Add some milk to loosen it up when the mixture gets lumpy. A little goes a long way. Continue adding powdered sugar and milk until you run out of powdered sugar and are happy with the consistency. Aim for a glaze that flows slowly but smoothly from the whisk. If you add too much milk and the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar until you get to the right consistency.

Step 4: Finish

1. Glaze the financiers. Pour the icing over your cooled financiers or brush them using a pastry brush. I like to use the pastry brush as it’s easier to apply the glaze evenly.

2. Serve.

Storage

You can store brown butter financiers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Make sure the container is sealed tightly so they don’t absorb any smells.

Other Recipes to Try

Looking for other financier flavors? Check out our pistachio financiers, raspberry financiers, matcha financiers, lemon financiers, or chocolate financiers.

And if you’re a brown butter fan, definitely check out my brown butter madeleines recipe.

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