Brown Butter Blondies

Nothing gets more buttery, nutty and toasty than these thick brown butter blondies with macadamia nuts and white chocolate chunks.

I don’t think I ever could turn down a brownie. All that rich, decadent goodness is impossible to resist.

Chocolate is my dessert ingredient of choice, and something is just unbelievably satisfying about a no-fuss, fudgy square.

Brownies or any bar cookie are a cinch for last minute baking. They require maybe 2 bowls max. Also, there’s usually no waiting for butter to get to room temperature.

When my sweet tooth is in overdrive and I don’t have any treats on-hand, I always reach for a square or rectangular pan.

Portioning out individual cookies on baking sheets is just too complicated. It involves multiple rounds in the oven to work through all that dough.

They may be simple, but bar cookies deliver on flavor for an indulgent craving. Plus they are easily transported to a potluck or friend’s house.

If given the choice between brownie or blondie, I would typically choose a brownie without much hesitation. Again, I have an obsession with chocolate.

This time I went for its pale cousin instead. 

How To Make Brown Butter Blondies

I baked a batch of brown butter blondies with a couple key additions. Blondies need other things mixed in. A brownie can stand on its own.

Nuts are optional, but not with blondies. 

I melted the butter in small skillet until it turned brown.

That extra effort with the butter gave the bars an unmistakable nuttiness that paired perfectly with pricey macadamia nuts. They were well worth the splurge.

Of course the nuts weren’t enough. I couldn’t resist throwing in chocolate, but I did stick to the light palette and used white chocolate chunks.

The bars were very buttery from the actual butter and the macadamia nuts.

They were less intense than chocolatey brownies; however, they still satisfied my sweet tooth.

I wasn’t the only one who was a fan. The blondies were gobbled up just as quickly as the usual brownies.

Brown Butter Blondies

• Author: Paige Adams
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
• Total Time: 45-50 minutes
• Yield: 16 blondies 1x

Nothing gets more buttery, nutty and toasty than these thick brown butter blondies with macadamia nuts and white chocolate chunks.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter plus more for pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup roughly chopped white chocolate
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 inch square baking pan.
2. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter until it turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. The butter will continue browning once it is off the heat.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Pour the brown butter through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Add both sugars and beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined and then add the white chocolate chunks and nuts.
5. Spread the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the blondies are golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
6. Store in an airtight container.