Brown butter chocolate chunk blondies are the perfect indulgence. Imagine a cross between a chocolate chunk cookie with the texture of a fudgy brownie. Now amp up the flavor by throwing brown butter into the mix and it’s practically sinful.
Is there anything better than brown butter? I ask in all honesty. I’ve practically made it my life’s mission to sneak brown butter into as many things as possible. Brown butter cake? Yes! Brown butter cookies? Naturally Brown butter cinnamon rolls? Haven’t tried it yet, but challenge accepted.
So when it cam time for me to work on this recipe, I knew I want to enhance as much of that flavor profile as possible. These in particular take a little prior planning, as the dough will need time to chill. This step is crucial in allowing the flour to really absorb the moisture. The payoff at the end is huge. Also, we’re toasting the flour…more details on that fun step down below! 🙂
Tips for making Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies:
- Browning butter is fairly simple. You want to melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. As the butter heats, the milk and fat particles will begin to separate. Eventually, the milk particles begin to brown and you’re left with a deep nutty flavor. You’ll also see a noticeable change in the butters color as well.
- Toasting the flour may seen excessive, but it adds another layer of yummy flavor. It is actually pretty common to toast flour for edible cookie dough (looking at you cookie dough ice cream). It helps to kill any harmful bacteria that may be lingering in the flour. In addition, it also gets a nutty flavor that enhances the brown butter. Win win!
- There are two ways to toast the flour; either in a pan on the stove or baked in the oven. I find it easier to throw it in the oven, as it’s a little gentler than cooking on the stove.
- Chill the dough. I believe wholeheartedly that chilling the dough, any dough for that matter, will yield a better end result. In this case it’s necessary, as we have a high fat content. Chilling the dough allows the butter to also set and the flour to absorb any additional moisture
- I highly recommend using dark chocolate chunks. Milk chocolate will be overpowered by the brown butter flavor. Also, if you’re able to, take the time and chop your chunks from an actual chocolate bar. It will melt beautifully.
These take a bit of prior planning but they’re absolutely worth it. They’re rich, chewy, and utterly delicious. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Enjoy! 🙂
Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondie
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup chocolate chunks dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Sprinkle the flour evenly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake the flour for 10 minutes, stirring once, halfway through the bake. The flour will smell nutty and will have browned slightly, Set to the side to cool completely at room temperature.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Melt the butter completely and continue to cook over low until it browns in color and has a slightly nutty flavor. Remove the butter from the heat and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the brown sugar and cooled brown butter using the paddle attachment. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix until a thick batter starts to form that is lighter in color and has doubled in volume. Working in batches, add the toasted flour, baking soda, salt and mix until combined.
- Using a spatula, stir in the chocolate chunks until combined. Place the dough in a greased 9×9 pan and press into one even layer. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 3 hours.
- Once the dough has chilled, bake the blondies at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the brownies are golden brown in color.