Description
My Auntie Allyson’s classic blondie recipe is famous amongst everyone who’s ever tried a batch of her bars. I’m so lucky to have enjoyed many over my lifetime – they’re one of my absolute favorite treats.
If blondies are a new-to-you dessert, then boy are you in for a treat. A blondie bar has the same chewy texture of a fudgy brownie but its flavor is more like the best chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever had. You get the best of both worlds!
This Brown Butter Blondies recipe is inspired by Auntie Allyson’s famous recipe, with the twist of swapping regular melted butter with browned butter to create an extra rich & nutty flavor in the bars. They’re thick, chewy, & absolutely irresistible.
My family also loves to add in chocolate, nuts, & fruit – it’s a really versatile base recipe in that way. While a combination of chocolate chunks & walnuts is pictured, you can add whatever you love – check the Recipe Notes, below, for more inspiration to get you started.
I hope you love this treasured family recipe just as much as we do. Happy baking! ♡
Ingredients
Scale
- nonstick cooking spray
- 2 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- optional: 3 cups add-ins of choice (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter (3 sticks or 24 tablespoons), diced into small cubes
- 2 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, creating a sling to help in lifting the blondies from the pan once they’re baked. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray & set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Add 2 ½ cups of the flour to a medium mixing bowl, along with the baking powder, salt, & nutmeg. Whisk to combine well & set aside. If using, combine optional add-ins of choice in a small bowl. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon flour over top, then toss to coat well. Set aside.
- Brown the butter: Add the butter to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. If available, a skillet with a lighter colored cooking surface is preferred; its light cooking surface makes it easier to observe the changing colors of the butter as it browns. Once the butter is completely melted, you’ll notice foam develop on the surface of the butter & you’ll hear it begin to sizzle & pop – this is completely expected & a good indication that you’re on the right track! Cook 3-4 minutes, swirling the pan or gently stirring the butter as it cooks to prevent burning. As the butter nears a perfectly browned state, it turns from a golden color to a beautiful dark amber; you’ll also notice the foamy appearance & sizzling noise begin to disappear. Remove from the heat & transfer to a large mixing bowl, taking care to scrape any of the browned bits at the bottom of the pan along with it – these toasted milk solids are where all the flavor is!
- Mix the wet ingredients: Stir the brown sugar into the hot browned butter. Mix well to help cool down the butter & meld it with the sugar, creating a thick, caramelly mixture. Set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes. To a second large mixing bowl, add the eggs & vanilla. Whisk well, until combined. While whisking, slowly pour a little of the cooled brown butter mixture into the egg mixture. It’s important to add in small increments & whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling in the hot butter. Continue until the butter & eggs are combined well, creating one wet mixture.
- Prepare the brown butter blondies batter: Add the flour mixture from Step 2 to the wet mixture from Step 4. Using a large spatula, fold the flour into the wet ingredients, until just combined. If using, add the prepared add-ins from Step 2 to the batter. Use a rubber spatula to fold the add-ins into the batter, until just combined. Take care to avoid overmixing the batter, as doing so results in tough, dry blondies. Transfer the brown butter blondie batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading into a uniform layer. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="36460,36465"]
- Bake the blondies for 40-45 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out relatively free of crumbs. Do not overbake – fresh-baked blondies appear underbaked but cool to doneness.
- Serve: Allow to cool in the pan completely before cutting into 12-15 squares. For even cleaner slices, you may want to transfer the cooled pan of blondies to the refrigerator to chill completely. Finish with a generous sprinkling of flaky sea salt, as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Brown butter blondie add-ins: The brown butter blondie base is naturally rich & caramelly, taking to any number of different add-ins beautifully! Pictured is my family’s favorite – 1 ½ cups bittersweet chocolate chunks + 1 ½ cups chopped walnuts. I also sprinkle about ½ cup each on top of the blondies before popping them in the oven, ensuring they’re showstoppers from every angle. So long as the total amount of add-ins does not exceed 3 cups, feel free to use whatever combination you’re craving! Some extra ideas to get you started:
- Chocolate: White, milk, semi-sweet, bittersweet, or dark chocolate chips/chunks. Feel free to also chop your favorite bar of chocolate into bite-sized pieces.
- Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, pistachios, macadamia nuts, etc.
- Fruit: Dried cranberries, dried cherries, apricots, golden raisins, etc.
- Storage: We like these blondies fresh, a day or two within baking, but you can store any cooled leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 5 days…if they happen to stick around that long! 😉 I happen to love enjoying a leftover blondie with hot coffee – delicious!