These Brown Butter Blondies taste like caramelized shortbread with a chewy texture. They're easy to make in less than an hour and stay soft for days!
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Blondies are like brownies without the chocolate. Think of them as rich, chewy cookie bars!
They may look plain and simple, but they're far from it! Sure, these blondies are simple to whip up with only 7 staple ingredients, but the flavor will impress your taste buds!
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Why Brown Butter?
Have you ever browned butter before? It bubbles and releases a sweet, nutty aroma that leaves your home smelling amazing! When you add it to baked goods, it gives them the most delicious caramelized flavor.
It gives these blondies the best caramel flavor (without the hassle of making caramel), and it's prominent in my espresso cookies and banana bundt cake recipes too!
If you've never done it before, browning butter might sound intimidating, but I promise it's easier than it sounds! It only takes about 5 minutes and if I can do it, so can you 😉
I'll walk you through it in the instructions below, but feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter gets cooked into the main star of these blondies - brown butter.
- Light brown sugar adds sweetness and chewy texture. If you only have dark brown sugar on hand, that'll work just fine!
- Vanilla extract for extra flavor.
- Baking powder for just the right amount of rise.
- Salt to balance the sweetness of the blondies.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Chocolate toffee bar bits, butterscotch chips, and walnuts go super well with the caramel notes in this recipe!
- Sprinkle a cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the batter before baking for a snickerdoodle cookie twist.
- Drizzle cream cheese icing on top of cooled blondies for something extra special and sweet!
- Stir a teaspoon (or more) of espresso powder into the browned butter for a mini caffeine kick!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Brown Butter Blondies
Step 1: Brown the butter in a pan over medium-low heat while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar with the cooled brown butter really well. Stir in the egg and vanilla until incorporated.
Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ones until there are no streaks of flour left.
Step 4: Press the blondie dough into a parchment lined 8x8 inch metal pan and bake at 350°F. Sprinkle flaky salt on top for an extra sweet and salty combination (optional)!
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure the browned butter has cooled to room temperature so it combines well with the other ingredients and doesn't cook the egg. Feel free to speed this up by placing it in the refrigerator, but give it a stir every 5-10 minutes so it cools evenly and doesn't solidify.
- Wait to cut the blondies until they are fully cooled to avoid the warm blondies sticking to the knife.
- Don't overbake the brown butter blondies or they won't be as soft. Take them out of the oven when the edges are lightly tanned and the center is just barely set.
Recipe FAQs
If this happens, I'd recommend giving it a quick spin in the microwave (5-10 seconds) to get it back to a liquid form. Let it cool to room temperature but be careful not to let it solidify again.
This is likely because too much flour was used and/or the blondies baked for too long. Use a scale to weigh the flour for more accurate measurements, and don't overbake the blondies.
Your baking powder may no longer be active, or you may have accidentally used baking soda. Test to see if your baking powder is still active by pouring ¼ cup of hot water over ½ teaspoon of baking powder. If it bubbles, it is still active. If not, toss it and buy fresh baking powder.
This hasn't been tested, but should work if you double the recipe.
Storage
Room Temperature
Store brown butter blondies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Keep a slice of bread in the container to keep them soft for a longer time!
Freezing Instructions
Freeze fully cooled and sliced blondies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
📖 Recipe
Easy Brown Butter Blondies
Equipment
- 8x8 inch metal pan lined with parchment paper
- Skillet
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar packed (dark brown sugar works too)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cups (166.67 g) all-purpose flour weighed in grams or spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- flaky sea salt optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square metal pan with parchment paper (hanging over the sides for easy removal).
- In a skillet over medium/low heat, cook the butter while stirring constantly until brown bits form on the bottom and it gives off a nutty scent.Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and let cool to room temperature.
- In a medium/large bowl, mix together the cooled brown butter and brown sugar really well. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients until combined.
- Press the blondie batter into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack until the edges are light tan and center is barely set (about 18-21 minutes). Top with flaky sea salt (optional).
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely once they're firm enough to lift out of the pan.
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SANDY says
OMG, so easy and fast to make. I doubled the recipe, (clicked the 2 batch button) and put it in a 9x11 glass pyrex. I set my timed for 30 minutes, but checked 2 minutes before that and it was done, so mine was done at 28 minutes. I put a brown sugar/caramel frosting on it for the kids. They loved it/so did I. Thanks for the recipes.
Sharon Rose says
Can these Easy Brown butter blondies be baked in a mini muffin pan for individual little blondies or will they get too done and dry?
I haven't baked them yet but will try if they can be baked as minis
Thanks!
Kayla Burton says
Hi Sharon! I haven't tried this but I'm guessing they would take less time to bake in a mini muffin pan. Would love to hear how it goes if you try it!