Brown Butter Blondies with Sea Salt - Sugary & Buttery

Can we all agree that gooey, buttery blondies are some of the best things on the planet? I would take a blondie over most other baked treats at anytime, even chocolate! And if you know me, you’ll know that means a lot. But what takes these blondies to the next level is browned butter, and sea salt. The nutty, rich flavor of the browned butter in combination with the chewy consistency and the sweetness of the blondie is just divine. Add a pinch of sea salt and you’re in heaven.

These blondie bars are so easy to make and only require one bowl and under an hour of time. And just like that, you’re left with a batch of gooey and chewy blondies. I used sea salt in this recipe but I would challenge you to try smoked sea salt instead, if you can find it at your local grocery store (you can also get it on Amazon). The smokiness really goes sooo well with the nutty browned butter.

I am so excited to team up with Challenge Dairy again this year. Their European Butter – which is what I used in this recipe – is hands down my favorite one of their products. Compared to traditional American butter, it has less moisture and a slightly higher butterfat content which makes it extra smooth and creamy. Challenge Butter is churned daily in California from the freshest 100% real pasteurized sweet cream! No preservatives or unnecessary additives, which is just up my alley.

Secret to making the best blondies

In addition to using high quality butter, here are some crucial tips on how to get the chewiest, yummiest blondies:

Use melted butter to create a much more tender and chewy blondie.
Do not overmix your batter, give it just a few stirs until the flour is incorporated. If you work it too much, you end up with a gummy, tough, gross blondie.
Do not overbake, otherwise you end up with a dry blondie, who wants that? The edged should be just golden and the center should be puffed up, but still slightly underdone. Make sure to check frequently as every oven bakes differently.

Brown Butter Blondies with Smoked Sea Salt

Author: Melina Thompson
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 35
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 9 1x

Scale

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted Challenge butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt (optional: smoked sea salt)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
Make the brown butter: In a small pan set over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it turns brown and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Try not to walk away from the butter, as it can go from brown to burned very quickly. Pour the brown butter into a large mixing bowl and let it cool slightly.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and ¾ teaspoons of the sea salt to combine.
Add both sugars to the brown butter and mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until well combined, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes, until the mixture has lightened in color.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is fully mixed in.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining sea salt.