Brown butter blondies are thick and chewy blondie brownies with delicate crackle tops. These simple blondies are filled with nutty browned butter flavor which pairs perfectly with the caramel, butterscotch and vanilla that is classic in the best blondies. Add a handful of chocolate chips for even more drool worthy flavor.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
Blondies are one of those easy to make and way too easy to eat sweet treats. They’re endlessly customizable and just plain delicious. A few of my favorite blondie recipes from the blog are my Gingerbread Blondies, Chai Tahini Blondies and Birthday Cake Blondies. I know you’ll love this brown butter blondie recipe just as much because:
- Simple pantry ingredients: You only need a handful of basic ingredients to make a batch of quick, simple, thick and chewy butterscotch flavored blondies.
- You love non chocolate brownies. These buttery browned blondies are thick and fudgy like the best brownie, but the have taste of a cookie. With strong flavor notes of nuttiness, butterscotch and vanilla, they really do taste like a blondie brownie!
Ingredients
Before I show you how to make brown butter blondie bars, make sure you have these simple ingredients ready to go!
Brown Butter Blondies
- Dry Ingredients: Gather your flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Wet ingredients: Gather your butter, light brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or white chocolate.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make this recipe for buttery blondies if you need them.
- All purpose flour: To make this recipe gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour or oat flour. Replace the amount of flour based on weight rather than cups.
- Baking Powder: Replace the baking powder with ? teaspoon baking soda. The texture of the blondie bars will be different but will still taste delicious.
- Brown Butter: Brown butter gives a wonderful nutty background to these chocolate chip blondies. It takes 15 - 20 minutes to make, but is more than worth the extra time. If you would like to use regular unsalted butter instead of browning the butter, melt ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, vegan or plant based butter and cool in the fridge for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
- Light Brown Sugar: This blondie brownie recipe calls for both light brown sugar, but maple sugar would also work well to make it refined sugar free.
- Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This provides an essential background flavor that pairs perfectly with the brown butter and light brown sugar. Use vanilla bean paste if you don’t have vanilla extract.
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips: A more traditional blondie recipe uses butterscotch chips. However, the taste of butterscotch is prominent in this recipe for brown butter blondies. To balance out the caramel taste, I love using chocolate. Feel free to use about a cup of any chips or chocolate chunks you like.
Variations
- Mix Ins: Feel free to add in ½ - 1 cup of chopped nuts such as walnuts or hazelnuts. White chocolate, toffee pieces, small candies like M&Ms or butterscotch chips are all excellent choices to mix into this blonde brownie dough.
- 9 x 13 pan: To make enough brown butter blondies to feed a crowd, double the recipe as written. Make sure to extend the baking time by 5 - 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the blondies comes out with a few moist crumbs, but not a smear batter.
How To Make
Learn how to make brown butter blondies in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper along the bottom and two sides. In a sauce pan or pot, melt the butter on low heat until the butter to begins to foam. Once it starts to foam, whisk or stir the liquid butter frequently. The butter will begin to smell nutty and very fragrant. Once the foam has subsided, the butter should have some brown, lightly toasted bits floating at the bottom. Pour the brown butter in a heat safe bowl to cool for about 15 - 20 minutes to room temperature.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk in the cooled brown butter with the light brown until well combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. I like to do this about ½ of the dry ingredients at a time. Fold in any mix-ins such as chopped nuts or chocolate chips.
4. Smooth the blondies batter into the prepared pan. Use a flexible spatula to smooth the blonde brownie batter evenly across the pan. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes or until the sides of the chocolate chip blondies are firm and set and the top is crisp with some cracks forming across the top. Cool the buttery blondie bars in the pan to room temperature, slice and enjoy!
How To Make Ahead Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: The easiest component to make ahead is the brown butter. Simply make the brown butter according to the recipe directions and pour the butter into a heat and fridge safe container. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. When you are ready to use the brown butter in this chocolate chip blondie recipe, heat the butter to melting, stir and use as written in the recipe.
- Store: Place the blondie bar cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 -4 days. If you would like to store the brown buttery blondies for longer, I recommend freezing them.
- Freeze: Make sure the chewy blondies with chocolate chips are completely cooled to room temperature. Place the blondie squares in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: The easiest and tastiest way to thaw the brown butter bars is to let them sit out at room temperature until fully defrosted.
M’s Expert Tips
- Brown the butter: I highly recommend taking the time to brown the butter. Browning butter creates a more flavorful cookie. If you want to skip this step and use regular melted butter, melt ¾ cup (12 tablespoons, 170 g) butter and follow the recipe directions as written.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in deliciously brown sugar blondie bars.
- Look for the signs the blondie bars are done. Use the baking time as a guide rather than a strict rule. Signs a this pan of blondies is finished baking is a light golden brown, crispy top with cracks forming across the top and firm, set edges that have slightly pulled away from the edge of the pan.
- Choose your favorite chocolate (or not): Brown butter blondies are so delicious all on their own, no chocolate needed. However, feel free to add 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate, butterscotch chips, chopped nuts or even mini candies!
- Sprinkle a bit of flaky salt on top. Just a pinch of flaky salt, like Maldon salt enhances the flavor of these buttery blondie brownie bars.
FAQs
Blondies use light brown sugar and vanilla extract to create a butterscotch flavor while brownies use cocoa power or melted chocolate and granulated sugar to create their signature fudge flavor. As far as texture, many people liken blondies to a cross between a thick cookie bar and a fudgy brownie.
The classic texture of the best blondies is slightly gooey. This texture is achieved by slightly underbaking the blondies in the oven and allowing them to continue “baking” through the residual heat from the pan once pulled from the oven. The blondies will continue to set for a hour or two after being taken out of the pan.
This can happen when the blondies are overbaked. Look for the signs the blondie bars are done. Signs the blondies are finished baking are a light golden brown, crispy top with cracks forming across the top and firm, set edges that have slightly pulled away from the edge of the pan.
Other Cookie Bar Recipes to Try
If you try this Brown Butter Blondies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Brown Butter Blondies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 small sauce pan
- 1 8x8 or 9x9 metal pan
- 1 parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cups (350 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (US), room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- In a sauce pan or pot, melt the butter on low heatuntil the butter to begins to foam. Once it starts to foam, whisk or stir the liquid butter frequently. The butter will begin to smell nutty and very fragrant. Once the foam has subsided, the butter should have some brown, lightly toasted bits floating at the bottom. Pour the brown butter in a heat safe bowl to cool for about 15 - 20 minutes to room temperature.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan with parchment paper along the bottom and two sides.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined.2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk in the cooled brown butter with the light brown until well combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.1¾ cups (350 g) light brown sugar, 2 large eggs (US), room temperature, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. I like to do this about ½ of the dry ingredients at a time. Fold in any mix-ins such as chopped nuts or chocolate chips.1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips
- Smooth the blondies batter into the prepared pan. Use a flexible spatula to smooth the blonde brownie batter evenly across the pan. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes or until the sides of the chocolate chip blondies are firm and set and the top is crisp with some cracks forming across the top.
- Cool the buttery blondie bars in the pan to room temperature, slice and enjoy!
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