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With nutty browned butter and mix-ins of your choice, these Brown Butter Blondies are soft, chewy, and have the most incredible toffee-like flavor.
I've been making blondies for years, but once I tried them with browned butter, there was no going back to regular butter. With less than 10 minutes of added effort, the brown butter adds rich caramel notes turning these easy cookie bars into a treat worthy of any bakery. These will forever be my favorite version.
Kristen's Tips for Perfect Blondies
With a crinkly top, crispy edges, and a soft and chewy texture, these blondies are reminiscent of a brownie without the addition of cocoa powder. They are flavorful, forgiving, and easy to customize, but a few tips ensure the best resultshieve the results you are looking for.
- Add What You Like. Chocolate chips, white chocolate, nuts, candies, shredded coconut, or toffee bits are all great options to fold into the blondie batter before baking. Alternatively, omit the add-ins altogether.
- Use dark or light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar further enhances the nutty undertones of the brown butter, but will make your bars a bit darker.
- Fine sea salt is best. It complements the butter's nutty undertones and melts beautifully into the batter.
- Baking powder is optional. Omit the baking powder for a dense, gooey blondie OR add a bit of baking powder for a more cake-like texture. I like adding just a tiny bit to strike the perfect balance between the two.
- The type of pan matters. A metal 8x8 pan delivers the crispiest edges, which contrast the soft and chewy center perfectly. Using glass? Add 3-5 extra minutes to the bake time. And ALWAYS line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
How to Make Blondies with Brown Butter
I promise this brown butter blondie recipe is incredibly easy to make, but I want to walk you through the steps to ensure perfect results.
Step One: Brown the Butter
Browning butter sounds complicated, but it is SO easy! If you've made my brown butter whipped sweet potatoes, it's the same technique.
- Melt butter over medium heat. Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Once melted, the butter will begin to foam.
- Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the foam subsides, the butter turns golden, and smells nutty. You will see little brown flecks on the bottom of the pan. That is exactly what you want--those are the milk solids that have toasted and give the browned butter its nutty quality.
Short on time? You can certainly melt the butter in the microwave and proceed with the recipe, but you'll miss out on the rich, nutty notes browned butter adds to these blondies.
Step Two: Let Butter Cool
After removing the saucepan from the heat, immediately transfer the butter to a large heat-safe mixing bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. This prevents the egg from scrambling.
Step Three: Add Remaining Ingredients
You don't need to mix the wet and dry ingredients in a separate bowl, saving on an extra dish to wash. That said, pay attention to the order you add the ingredients so the dough combines evenly without overmixing.
- Whisk in brown sugar, vanilla, egg, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Gently fold in the flour and mix-ins of choice until just combined.
Step Four: Spread in Pan
The blondie dough is thick, much like chocolate chip cookie dough. Use a spatula to gently press the dough into an even layer in a baking dish lined with parchment paper.
Step Five: Bake
The blondies are done when the edges are set and golden, and the center is set but still a bit jiggly. They will continue to set and firm up as they cool, so don't be tempted to bake until the center is fully set.
Step Six: Cool and Slice
Let the baking dish cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then lift the bars out of the pan, using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes on Yield & Storage
This recipe makes 16 small squares, which are perfectly satisfying as these Brown Butter Blondies are incredibly rich. But if you are feeling decadent, plan for only 9 servings.
If you happen to have leftovers, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Perfect for bake sales, potlucks, or just a decadent after-school snack, you can never go wrong with a blondie. But if you need a few more easy dessert recipes, check out some favorites below.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Brown Butter Blondies
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar, dark or light
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder, OPTIONAL (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, 120 grams
- 1 cup add-ins of choice, chocolate chips, candies, chopped nuts, dried fruit, shredded coconut, etc. (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch metal baking dish with parchment paper.
- Place ½ cup unsalted butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring constantly. It will foam at first, the foam will begin to subside, and then little browned bits will begin to float to the bottom as the butter bubbles. Remove from the heat IMMEDIATELY once the butter smells nutty and is deep, golden brown. This will take anywhere from 3-8 minutes.
- Pour the browned butter into a large heat-safe bowl and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Add the ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon sea salt to the browned butter and whisk well to combine.
- Add the 1 cup all-purpose flour and up to 1 cup add-ins of choice and gently fold together with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it in an even layer.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set, but still just a bit jiggly. They will continue to set up as they cool, so don't overbake.
- Let the blondies cool in the pan for 10 minutes, remove the parchment paper and continue to cool. Slice and serve.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was a tasty recipe. However, it was a bit greasy. Maybe a bit more flour would make this a 5 star for my tastebuds. Thank you for sharing it.
Hi Belinda! These bars are definitely soft and gooey. For a bit more structure that may make them feel less greasy, try adding the baking powder.
Absolutely delicious! I only had a 9x9 in. square pan, but they still turned out wonderfully. I used the baking powder and loved the chewy texture.
Thanks for sharing Candace! I am thrilled you enjoyed!
Thanks for the recipe Kristen,
extremely good, tasty, creamy, just right.
I added chocolate chips and it turned out great....
You are so incredibly welcome, Ligia! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.