Brown Butter Blondies

Ingredients

Blondie Base

• 150g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter — Browned, then cooled slightly
• 300g (1½ cups) light brown sugar, packed — The high brown sugar ratio is the chew, don't cut it back
• 110g (2 large) large eggs
• 12g (2½ tsp) pure vanilla extract
• 200g (1⅔ cups) all-purpose flour
• 4g (1 tsp) baking powder
• 5g (¾ tsp) fine sea salt

Pick One Mix-In

• 130g (1⅛ cups) toasted pecans, chopped — Brown butter pecan, the year-round version
• 130g (1 cup) diced apple and chopped walnuts — The fall version
• 130g (¾ cup) dried cranberries and white chocolate chips — The holiday version

Equipment

• 9x9-inch Baking Pan
• Light-Colored Saucepan
• Digital Scale
• Parchment Paper
• Rubber Spatula

Method

Brown the Butter

Past melted, until it smells nutty and the milk solids turn golden. This is the flavor of the bar.

1. Brown the Butter. Melt the butter in a light-colored pan and keep cooking, swirling, until it smells nutty and the milk solids turn golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Cool Slightly. Pour it into a mixing bowl and let it cool a few minutes so it doesn't cook the eggs.

Tip: Once the foam settles, stay close. Brown butter goes from perfect to burnt fast.

Mix the Batter

Sugar into warm butter, then eggs, then the dry. Fold, don't beat.

1. Stir in the Brown Sugar. Stir the brown sugar into the still-warm butter until smooth.
2. Add the Eggs and Vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until the batter looks glossy.
3. Fold in the Dry Ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and fold just until combined. Don't overmix.
4. Fold in the Mix-In. Fold in your chosen mix-in, holding back a small handful to scatter over the top.
5. Pan and Level. Line the pan with a parchment sling, spread the batter, and level the top.

Tip: Warm butter plus brown sugar is what gives blondies that shiny, crackly top.

Bake, Cool, and Cut

Pull them early for a chewy center, then chill before cutting. Cold bars cut clean, warm ones tear.

1. Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 24 to 28 minutes, until the top is set and golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
2. Cool in the Pan. Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.
3. Chill, Then Cut. Chill 30 minutes, lift out with the parchment sling, and cut a clean 4 by 4 grid.

Wait: Cool and Chill

Tip: Wipe the knife between cuts and every bar looks like it came off a bakery tray.

Bake the Blondies

A moderate oven sets the edges while the center stays fudgy.

Oven: 175°C / 350°F.

Bake time: PT26M

Equipment: 9x9-inch pan with a parchment sling

1. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 24 to 28 minutes. Pull when a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs.

Storage

• Room temperature: Wrapped or in a sealed container for 5 to 7 days, still chewy.
• Refrigerated: Up to 10 days, though they firm up. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
• Frozen: Freeze wrapped bars up to 2 months.
• Refresh: Ten seconds in the microwave brings the chew right back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I just melt the butter instead of browning it?

You can, and the bar still works, but you lose the nutty caramel depth. Browning takes five extra minutes and it's the difference between a blondie and a flat sugar bar.

Why chill before cutting?

Warm bars tear and smear. Thirty minutes in the fridge firms the slab so the knife goes through clean, which matters if you're wrapping them individually.

Can I use an 8x8 pan?

Yes. The bars come out thicker, so add 3 to 5 minutes and check with a toothpick.

How do I know when they're done?

The top should be set and golden with a slight sheen, and a toothpick in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Clean toothpick means you went too far.

Can I swap the mix-in?

That's the point of the recipe. Keep the mix-in at 130g total and rotate it: pecan year-round, apple walnut in fall, cranberry white chocolate for the holidays.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 bar (about 57g)): 265 calories, 35g carbohydrates, 3g protein, 13g fat, 1g fiber, 160mg sodium.