The Four Shades of Roux 

There are four varieties of roux denoted by 
their colors: white, blond, brown, and dark brown. 
Brown and dark brown roux have more flavor, 
but less thickening power than white or blond roux. 
They are primarily used in Cajun and Creole dishes, 
most notably, gumbo and jambalaya.

White Roux
White roux is cooked for about 5 minutes, just until 
the flour has lost its raw smell, but before any golden 
color or toasted aroma develops. This roux is used to 
thicken chowders and milk-based sauces such as the 
classic white sauce, also known as Béchamel. 
Macaroni and cheese, tuna noodle casserole, and 
New England clam chowder are all based on milk 
thickened with a white roux.

Blond Roux
Blond, or golden roux, is cooked approximately 
20 minutes to a light, golden-brown shade with an 
aroma resembling popcorn or toasted bread. This is 
the most commonly used roux, desired for the richness 
and a slight nuttiness it provides along with its 
excellent thickening power. Blond roux is a good, 
general-purpose roux to keep on hand for thickening 
stock-based sauces, soups, and stews.

Brown Roux
Brown roux is cooked about 35 minutes until it reaches 
to a peanut butter-brown color. Its aroma is more 
pronounced and sharper than the nutty smell of blond 
roux. Cooked to this stage, flour begins to loose its 
thickening power, requiring more roux to thicken a 
given amount of liquid.

Dark Brown Roux
Even darker than the preceding brown roux, dark brown 
roux is cooked approximately 45 minutes until it is 
the color of melted milk chocolate. Its aroma is 
mellower than the strong, roasted flavor of brown roux, 
and will actually smell a little like chocolate. 
This stage has the least thickening power of all four; 
its main purpose is as a flavoring agent with thickening 
secondary.