Description
These brown butter salted caramel blondies are chewy, fudgy, and incredibly easy to make with just one bowl and one pan. The secret is browning the butter for a nutty depth and swirling in store-bought caramel sauce for pockets of molten sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups (300g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240ml) thick caramel sauce
- Flaky sea salt, for topping
- Optional: ½ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
- Brown the butter: Cut butter into cubes and melt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it foams, settles, and smells nutty/toasted with brown bits at the bottom. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar vigorously for 2 minutes until glossy. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle flour, baking powder, and salt over the wet mixture. Gently fold with a spatula until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
- Assemble: Scrape batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Drizzle caramel sauce over the top in dollops. Swirl gently with a knife or skewer to create ribbons. Sprinkle optional white chocolate chips on top.
- Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are golden brown and the center is just set (slightly soft). A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Cool and top: Let blondies cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes. Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top. Lift out using parchment paper and slice into squares.
Notes
Do not burn the butter; it should smell like toasted hazelnuts, not burnt popcorn. Ensure the brown butter is cooled before adding eggs to prevent scrambling. Use thick caramel sauce, not thin drizzle. Do not overbake; residual heat will finish cooking the center. For gluten-free, substitute flour with a 1:1 gluten-free blend containing xanthan gum.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
Keywords: brown butter, salted caramel, blondies, easy baking, one bowl recipe, chewy bars, dessert, beginner baking