These brown butter blondies are chewy, fudgy, and so easy to make! It is a one bowl recipe - all you need is a hand whisk and a spoon (and a medium saucepan to brown the butter). They will satisfy all your chewy and fudgy cookie cravings. Imagine the butteriness of a brown butter cookie with the texture of a chewy and fudgy brownie, then you have a brown butter blondie! The fillings can be so versatile and you can adjust them to your preference. I used candy coated chocolates and chopped toasted almonds to make them the perfect easy one-bowl treat for Valentine’s Day. You’ll agree with me that these are the best brown butter blondies!
Customize the fillings
The best thing about these is that you can fill them with chocolate bars, chocolate chips, toasted nuts, pretzels, or dried fruit. I like to add half chocolate and half toasted nuts because the toasted nuts help cut out the sweetness of the chopped candy bars.
In this recipe, I used 1 cup candy coated chocolate bits (smarties or m&m’s) and 1 cup toasted almonds. Here are some other great combinations:
- Chocolate chip: 2 cups of your favourite chocolate chips
- Toffee: 1 cup chopped Skors (toffee bars coated in milk chocolate) and 1 cup chopped toasted almonds
- Cowboy Brown Butter Blondies: ⅔ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ⅔ cup chopped pecans, and ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Triple Chocolate: ⅔ cup white chocolate, ⅔ cup milk chocolate, ⅔ cup and semisweet chocolate chips
- White chocolate macadamia: 1 ½ cup white chocolate chips and ½ cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts
Brown butter or melted butter
If you want to simplify the recipe even more, you can substitute the brown butter in the blondies with melted butter. But browning the butter really brings this recipe up to a whole new level. It gives the brown butter blondies a deeper caramel flavour with warm nutty undertones. And browning butter is surprisingly easy, especially since you need to melt the butter anyways. Just try it!
Why I add almond extract (optional)
I like to add a little bit of pure almond extract to give the brown butter blondies a bit of a sweet almond flavour. It is slightly reminiscent of a sugar cookie. I recommend giving it a try, or you can just leave it out if you aren’t a fan. The best part about baking is that you’re the boss!
Check out my other recipes:
- Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Cookies – Soft & Chewy
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Edible Cookie Dough
Now let’s get baking!
In a medium saucepan on low heat, melt the butter. Keep stirring as the butter froths up. The foam will subside as the butter browns. Keep stirring for a few minutes, watching the whole time. The white bits at the bottom (milk solids) will slowly caramelize, turn a golden brown colour, and smell toasty. Be careful because it is very easy to take it from brown to burnt butter.
Remove the butter from heat immediately. Transfer the butter into a large heatproof bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line the bottom of a 9”x12” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving two long flaps on the sides to help lift out the brown butter blondies when they are baked. Grease the sides of the pan by rubbing a small piece of cold butter over the edges.
Add the brown sugar into the brown butter and stir until even. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking in between each addition. Whisk vigorously until the batter forms long ribbons and becomes lighter. Whisk the vanilla and almond extract (optional) until incorporated.
Stir the flour into the batter, folding until almost fully incorporated. Fold in the fillings of choice (I used 1 cup candy coated chocolate bits and 1 cup chopped almonds). Stop folding as soon they are evenly incorporated.
Transfer the thick batter into the prepared baking pan, using a spoon to smooth it out. Sprinkle some extra chocolate chips or candy on top.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the edges are golden, and the center is slightly underdone. Let cool until warm in the pan, lift out by the parchment paper “handles” and cut into twelve pieces.
Enjoy! They are best served warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat before serving and they will taste as if they were just baked.
Happy baking! xx
Did you make this recipe? I would love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments!
Share your creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen
Brown Butter Blondies
Equipment
- 9”x13” baking pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)
- 2 cups all purpose white flour (240g)
- 2 cups favourite fillings (reserve ¼ cup to sprinkle on top) chopped candy bars, chocolate chips, nuts…
Instructions
- Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan on low heat, melt the butter. Keep stirring as the butter froths up. The foam will subside as the butter browns. Keep stirring for a few minutes, watching the whole time. The white bits at the bottom (milk solids) will slowly caramelize, turn a golden brown colour, and smell toasty. Be careful because it is very easy to take it from brown to burnt butter.¾ cup butter
- Remove the butter from heat immediately. Transfer the butter into a large heatproof bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line the bottom of a 9”x12” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving two long flaps on the sides to help lift out the blondies when they are baked. Grease the sides of the pan by rubbing a small piece of cold butter over the edges.
- Add the brown sugar into the brown butter and stir until even.2 cups brown sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking in between each addition. Whisk vigorously until the batter forms long ribbons and becomes lighter. Whisk the vanilla and almond extract (optional) until incorporated.2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
- Stir the flour into the batter, folding until almost fully incorporated. Fold in the fillings of choice (I used 1 cup candy coated chocolate bits and 1 cup chopped almonds). Stop folding as soon they are evenly incorporated.2 cups all purpose white flour, 2 cups favourite fillings (reserve ¼ cup to sprinkle on top)
- Transfer the thick batter into the prepared baking pan, using a spoon to smooth it out. Sprinkle some extra chocolate chips or candy on top.2 cups favourite fillings (reserve ¼ cup to sprinkle on top)
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the edges are golden, and the center is slightly underdone. Let cool until warm in the pan, lift out by the parchment paper “handles” and cut into twelve pieces.
- Enjoy! They are best served warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat before serving and they will taste as if they were just baked.
Notes
- Bring the eggs to room temperature by running them under warm tap water.
- This will help them incorporate completely and create a very smooth batter.
- Make sure to beat the batter with your whisk really well after adding the eggs.
- You want to beat until the batter lightens a little bit and falls off the whisk in ribbons.
- Do not overmix the batter after the flour is added: stir the flour into the batter until it is just incorporated, then add the chocolate and chopped nuts. Stir just until everything is even.
- Be careful not to overbake! It is always better to underbake brownies and blondies. You want them to be slightly golden on the edges and a bit underbaked in the center when you take them out.
- Chocolate chip: 2 cups of your favourite chocolate chips
- Toffee: 1 cup Chopped Skors (toffee bars coated in milk chocolate) and 1 cup chopped toasted almonds
- Cowboy Brown Butter Blondies: ⅔ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ⅔ cup chopped pecans, and ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Triple Chocolate: ⅔ cup white chocolate, ⅔ cup milk chocolate, ⅔ cup and semisweet chocolate chips
- White chocolate macadamia: 1 ½ cup white chocolate chips and ½ cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!