These brown butter espresso blondies are truly addictive- they’re dense, gooey, and chocolate-y! The best part about these blondies is how easy they are to whip up- trust me.
If you’re new to blondies, they’re essentially brownies without the chocolate. There, you’re all caught up!
Now, let’s crack into these babies…
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Browning the Butter
When a recipe calls for browning the butter, it can sometimes feel a little daunting. I’m here to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT- I promise! The key to perfectly browned butter comes down to these two things:
- Constant, gentle stirring with a whisk/offset spatula
- Taking it off the heat just as it turns over into a golden amber color
Use the photos below as a loose guide for browning your butter! Once your butter has fully melted and starts to bubble, you’ll want to constantly stir it so it doesn’t burn. This also helps the mixture not to foam up too much once it starts to bubble!
The butter will: melt fully, start to bubble and foam, turn a little clear in color, then begin to brown.
The key is to take it off the heat just as you see it start to turn over into a golden, amber color! The butter will continue to brown a little once you take it off the heat. So once you do, just give it a little stir and pour immediately into a heatproof bowl to start cooling down.
That’s it- you’ve browned your butter! If you run into any issues, comment below or message me on instagram (@joshisbaking)- I’d love to help or clarify!
Materials You’ll Need:
- 8×8 baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Medium saucepan for browning
- Heatproof bowl
- Medium-sized mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Offset spatula
Baking the Blondies
When it comes to baking your brown butter espresso blondies- you’ll want to be careful not to over-bake them! Yes, they’ll still be edible, but you’ll lose some of that softer, gooey texture that makes blondies what they are!
Baking until the edges start to brown (even a little on the tops), but still has a slight jiggle to the middle. Your brown butter espresso blondies will continue to bake a little in the pan as they set!
LET THEM COOL.
Then this next part is crucial: LET THEM COOL! Give them a few hours to set and cool down. Even throw them in the fridge to continue cooling!
Cutting your bars too soon will result in them being way too loose.You want them to be gooey, but still hold their shape when you pick them up!
I promise- these brown butter espresso blondies are SO easy peasy to make! Once you’ve got the butter browning technique down you’ll be baking these babies all the time. Tag me on Instagram if you do- I want to see them!
Happy baking, friends!
Print
Brown Butter Espresso Blondies
- Prep Time: 20 Min.
- Cook Time: 30 Min.
- Total Time: 50 Min. + 3-4 Hour Chill Time
- Yield: 12 Bars 1x
Description
These easy to whip up, brown butter espresso blondies are dense, gooey, and truly addictive! You’ll be making these again and again, I promise you!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp.
- 2 tsps. vanilla bean paste (can also use extract)
- 2 cups, all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled, not scooped)
- 1 Tbsp. instant espresso
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper (cut two strips of parchment the width of the pan and lay them down in opposite directions so all sides are covered).
- Cube your cold butter and place in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts and begins to bubble, constantly stir or whisk it gently so the butter doesn’t burn. It will melt, bubble/foam and turn clear, then begin to brown (about 5-7 minutes total). Once it’s reached a dark golden color (see images above for reference), immediately take it off the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add both sugars, eggs, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl with your browned butter. Whisk until smooth and fully combined (should turn somewhat pale- see images above).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, instant espresso, and salt. Add this to your wet ingredients, folding gently together until combined with an offset spatula.
- Next, gently fold in your chocolate chips and then pour the mixture into your prepared pan (will be pretty thick). Push down mixture with a spoon so it’s level and reaches all four sides/corners.
- Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until browned around the edges and lightly browned on top, with a slight jiggle to the middle. Let cool for at LEAST 3-4 hours or overnight (once cooled completely in pan, you can cover with plastic wrap and cool in the fridge).
- Once its fully cooled and set, cut into bars and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to take your butter off the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl JUST as it turns a darker amber color. You don’t want it to burn!
- Be careful not to over bake the blondies. Every oven heats differently, so just keep an eye on them around that 30 minute mark.
- LET THEM COOL! If you don’t let them cool for several hours, they will not have had time to set and will fall apart when you go to cut them. They should still be somewhat gooey, but hold their shape when you pick them up. If you’re nervous they’re not ready, just cover the cooled pan with plastic wrap and throw them in the fridge overnight!
*Josh Is Baking is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees or commissions by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Do these have a strong taste of espresso or does the espresso just intensify the chocolate?
Hey Teresa! Sort of both really! You will definitely get the espresso coming through, but you can always dial that back to 1 or 1 1/2 teaspoons and it won’t change anything else about the recipe- still delicious. Hope this helps!
If I wish to leave out the instant espresso, should I add a little extra flour? THANKS
I should think you’ll be okay with just leaving everything else as is! Though I’ve only tested it with it, best of luck and let me know how it turns out!