Duff’s Brown Butter Blondie

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This brown butter blondie is rich and buttery, with hints of rich caramel flavor. These blondies are soft, chewy, and are a great as a base recipe or stand alone blondie.

I watch a lot of food shows on television.  One of my favorite hosts is Duff Goldman.  I’ve followed Duff for years as he is from Baltimore and living in Maryland he was a bit of a local celebrity.

About 13 years ago I also got to meet Duff Goldman at a food blogging event and was even able to take a cake decorating class with him!   One thing I’ve learned about him is that he loves a good blondie and I have to agree with him; I’d prefer a blondie over a brownie any day!

What is a Blondie?

A blondie is a dessert bar that’s similar to a brownie but it is made without cocoa or chocolate in the batter. Instead of the rich chocolate flavor of brownies, blondies have a caramel flavor thanks to brown sugar and butter. They often include mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or butterscotch chips. The texture is chewy and dense, just like a brownie, but the flavor is more buttery.

Since I’m a big blondie fan I’ve made my share of them over the years. For an easy to make recipe these Cake Batter Blondies are always super popular. If you are looking for a gooey blondie with lots of spice then Cinnamon Roll Blondies are the best. Peanut butter fans will rejoice when they try these Peanut Butter Cup Blondies. My personal favorite are Cadbury Creme Egg Blondies with sprinkles on top.

Since butter and brown sugar are essential ingredients for a blondie it’s important to prepared them correctly.   For the brown sugar you want a light brown sugar that is firmly packed when measuring.

I prefer salted butter but you can definitely use unsalted.   I also love to brown my butter because it gives the blondies a deep caramel flavor with a hint of nuttiness.  It adds so much flavor that you don’t actual need any additional flavors in the mix.

How do you brown butter?

To make brown butter you should use a light colored skillet so that you can see when the butter is changing color. Cut the butter into 1 inch pieces and add to the pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. The butter will begin to foam. Then it will begin to change color. Watch closely because it can go from light colored to burn in a few seconds. You will notice brown specks forming and a nutty smell. The butter will begin to turn golden. As soon as it is a golden brown remove it from the heat and pour it into a heat safe container to stop it from cooking.

I like that these blondies have very minimal ingredients and they are all things that I have in my house on a regular basis.  I also like have soft and flavorful they are.

Ingredients:

• salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer)
• light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar if you prefer)
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt

To make the blondies preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Brown the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat.  Use the directions above if needed.   Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Cream together the brown butter and brown sugar.  Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix well.   Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined.   Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool completely and cut into squares.

The smell of these blondies baking was incredible.  It smelled like caramel and butter baking in the oven. I couldn’t wait to try them!

Can I add ingredients to the blondies?

Yes!   Add in up to 3/4 cup of your favorite chips, nuts, dried fruit, or coconut.  Some of my favorite add ins are butterscotch chips, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips.

The blondies were super soft and almost melted in the mouth.   They were buttery and had a rich caramel flavor.   They were delicious with a cup of coffee and perfect for an after dinner sweet.

How do you store Brown Butter Blondies?

Store the blondies in an air tight container for up to 5 days.  I found that they stayed soft for 3 or 4 days then started firming up.  You can put a piece of bread in the container with them to help them stay softer for longer.

Duff’s Brown Butter Blondies

Rich and buttery blondies are soft and chewy.

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Servings: 20 blondies

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 9 x 13 Baking Dish
• 1 Mixing Bowl
• 1 medium saucepan

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups salted butter
• 3 cups light brown sugar packed
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt optional

Instructions

• Brown the butter by placing it in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Allow the butter to melt and foam. Stir occasionally but watch the butter carefully. As soon as it begins to turn an amber color stir until it is golden then remove it from the heat immediately. Cool for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl cream together the brown butter and brown sugar. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt (if using).
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely then cut into 20 bars.

Notes

Recipe from Duff Goldman’s cookbook:  Duff Bakes.

Best Blondie Recipes

• Carrot Cake Blondies from Creative Cynchronicity
• Duff’s Brown Butter Blondie from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Frosted Maple Pecan Blondies from That Recipe
• Gochujang Blondies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

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