Brown Butter Madeleines (with Brown Butter Glaze)

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Brown butter madeleines bring rich, nutty flavors to your kitchen with minimal effort. Pair them with a quick brown butter glaze for a treat that’s ready in no time.

Brown butter madeleines coated with rich browned butter glaze

Recipe At a Glance

Madeleines are small, shell-shaped cakes baked in a madeleine pan. One of the key ingredients is melted butter, and if you take a little extra time to brown the butter before using it, you’ll get brown butter madeleines.

In this recipe, I lean into that rich, nutty flavor by not only making the madeleines with brown butter but also topping them with a simple brown butter glaze that pairs perfectly with the cookies.

(I used a similar approach in my brown butter financiers recipe.)

Madeleines are incredibly easy to make. You can whip up a fresh batch in under 40 minutes with just a few pantry staples. Once they cool slightly, brush them with the glaze, and they’re ready to enjoy.

Their simplicity and the fact that they come together so quickly make them an ideal last-minute dessert or snack. It’s definitely a recipe worth keeping in your rotation.

If this is your first time making brown butter madeleines, check out the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re already familiar with the process, feel free to jump straight to the recipe card.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutes

Brown Butter Madeleines

Brown butter madeleines ingredients
  • Egg.
  • Sugar. Caster sugar (superfine) is best because it melts more easily in a room-temperature egg, but regular sugar should do, too.
  • Honey. Honey makes these cakes moist and adds extra sweetness. If you don’t have honey on hand, substitute it with extra sugar.
  • Salt.
  • Unsalted butter.
  • Cake flour. Cake flour is best for these, but regular all-purpose flour should do, too. The texture will be slightly different, but that’s not the end of the world.
  • Vanilla extract. A splash of vanilla adds a bit of extra flavor. Optional, but recommended.
  • Baking powder. Baking powder helps the madeleines rise and develop their signature hump. Some traditional recipes skip baking powder and rely only on temperature shock, but we’re not taking any chances—or waiting an hour or two before baking.
  • Milk. A bit of milk helps with keeping the madeleine cookies moist.

Brown Butter Glaze

Brown butter glaze ingredients
  • Powdered sugar. The base of the glaze.
  • Unsalted butter. The main flavoring component. In theory, salted butter should work okay too, as we’re adding salt to the glaze anyway.
  • 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 to what we need.
  • Vanilla extract. Optional, but adds a bit of flavor.

How to Make Brown Butter Madeleines

Here’s the simple game plan:

  1. Make brown butter and divide it into two parts.
  2. Whip up the batter and start baking.
  3. Make the glaze while the madeleines are in the oven.
  4. After baking and cooling, brush the cakes with the glaze and serve.

Let’s get started.

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. 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.
Cooling down the melted butter
Place in a bowl of cold water to cool
  1. Divide. Set aside two teaspoons 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 madeleine batter.
Browned butter in a spoon
Portion the brown butter between the glaze and batter

Step 2: Make Madeleines

  1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
  2. Mix egg, sugar, and wet ingredients. In a bowl, combine the egg, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, honey, and milk. Mix until smooth.
  1. Add dry ingredients. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then mix until fully incorporated.
  1. Add the brown butter. Ensure the butter is warm but not hot before adding it. Pour the warm butter into the bowl and stir until the batter is smooth.
  1. Prepare the pan. Grease the madeleine molds with butter. I usually cut a small slice of butter and spread it with my fingers. Make sure all surfaces are well-buttered. If your pan isn’t non-stick, dust it with all-purpose flour, then tap out any excess flour that doesn’t stick.
  1. Pour the batter. Fill the molds about 3/4 full with the batter.
  2. Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and immediately lower the temperature to 360°F (180°C). Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the tops are set and the edges are golden brown. Keep an eye on them after the 8-minute mark when baking for the first time, adjusting the baking time based on how they look.
  1. Cool. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and let the madeleines sit for a couple of minutes before releasing them from the pan. They should come out easily, but if needed, gently run a silicone spatula around the edges.

Step 3: Make Brown Butter Glaze

(Check out my brown butter glaze recipe for more details.)

  1. Combine butter, salt, and vanilla extract. In a small bowl, combine the brown butter, a pinch of salt, and vanilla extract, stirring until well mixed.
  1. Whisk in powdered sugar. Slowly whisk in sifted powdered sugar.
  1. Adjust consistency. Add a bit of 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: Combine

  1. Glaze the madeleines. Once the madeleines have cooled to the touch, brush the glaze over the shell-shaped side. You can also dip or spoon the glaze on if you prefer.
Brushing the madeleines with glaze
Brush the glaze over the madeleines.
  1. Serve or refrigerate. They’re ready to eat immediately. For a slightly firmer glaze, let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes for an outer crust to form. If not serving right away, store them in the fridge.

Tips

  • Try a different topping. If the brown butter glaze feels too rich, a simple powdered sugar glaze or just a dusting of powdered sugar works great.
  • Make ahead. Madeleines store well if sealed tightly. You can bake them a day or two ahead. I like to store the glaze separately in the fridge and glaze them fresh the day I serve.

Storage

You can store glazed madeleines in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If they’re unglazed, keep them in a sealed container at room temperature.

Brown butter madeleines coated with rich browned butter glaze

Brown Butter Madeleindes

Brown butter madeleines bring rich, nutty flavors to your kitchen with minimal effort. Pair them with a quick brown butter glaze for a treat that’s ready in no time.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Assembly: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Brown Butter, Brown Butter Glaze, Madeleines
Servings: 10 brown butter madeleines

Ingredients

Brown Butter:

  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter 71g

Brown Butter Madeleines:

  • 1 medium egg room temperature, about 50g
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional
  • 1 tbsp milk 15g
  • 4 1/3 tbsp brown butter about 60 g, all the brown butter minus 2 teaspoons for the glaze
  • 2 oz cake flour 56g
  • 1.5 oz sugar 42g
  • 1 tsp honey 7g

Brown Butter Glaze:

  • 2 teaspoons brown butter room temperature
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • pinch salt to taste
  • 1-2 teaspoons milk adjust based on consistency
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions

Brown Butter:

  • Brown the butter. Melt butter over medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 5-10 minutes after melting. Stir occasionally, remove from heat, and cool in cold water.
    5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Reserve for glaze. Set aside 2 teaspoons of brown butter for the glaze. The rest will go into the madeleine batter.

Madeleines:

  • Preheat the oven. Set oven to 390°F (200°C).
  • Mix wet ingredients. In a bowl, combine egg, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, honey, and milk. Mix until smooth.
    1 medium egg, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1.5 oz sugar, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbsp milk
  • Add dry ingredients. Sift in flour and baking powder, then mix until incorporated.
    2 oz cake flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • Add brown butter. Pour warm (not hot) brown butter into the batter, stirring until smooth.
    4 1/3 tbsp brown butter
  • Prepare the pan. Grease the madeleine molds with butter and, if necessary, dust with flour.
  • Fill and bake. Fill molds 3/4 full, bake at 360°F (180°C) for 9-10 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Cool. Let them sit for a couple of minutes, then release from the pan.

Brown Butter Glaze:

  • Mix ingredients. Combine reserved brown butter, salt, and vanilla extract.
    2 teaspoons brown butter, pinch salt, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Whisk in powdered sugar. Gradually add powdered sugar, adjusting with milk for consistency. Aim for a smooth, slow-flowing glaze.
    1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 teaspoons milk

Combine:

  • Glaze the madeleines. Brush glaze over the shell side or dip the madeleines.
  • Serve or store. Serve immediately or refrigerate if not serving soon.
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