Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before starting, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides. Take the egg out of the refrigerator so it comes to room temperature.

Measure all ingredients and have them ready. The butter will be melted and browned in a small saucepan, so have a large mixing bowl nearby to transfer it to.

Instructions

Brown Butter and Wet Mix

1. 1Brown the Butter
   Melt the salted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally as the butter foams and then turns golden brown with a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat immediately and pour into a large mixing bowl to stop the cooking.
   Look for The butter is ready when it smells nutty and has browned milk solids at the bottom.
   Tip Watch closely — the butter can go from browned to burnt quickly.
2. 2Mix the Wet Ingredients
   To the warm brown butter, whisk in the neutral oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Beat in the room-temperature egg and vanilla bean paste, whisking vigorously until the mixture thickens and lightens slightly.
   Look for The mixture should look shiny and hold a ribbon when the whisk is lifted.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (egg dishes)
   Tip A room-temperature egg blends more smoothly and helps create a fudgy texture.

The butter should be a deep golden brown with a nutty fragrance. After whisking in the sugars and egg, the mixture should look glossy and slightly thickened, with the sugar mostly dissolved. The texture should be smooth and almost sauce-like, ready for the dry ingredients.

Assemble the Batter

3. 3Combine Dry Ingredients
   Sprinkle the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt over the wet mixture. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Fold in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips, reserving the rest for the top.
   Look for The batter should be thick and cohesive, with no dry patches.
   Tip Do not overmix — overworking the batter can make the blondies tough.
4. 4Transfer to Pan
   Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides. Spread the batter evenly into the pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Press the remaining chocolate chips onto the surface.
   Look for The batter should be level and the chocolate chips evenly distributed.
   Tip Pressing chips on top ensures visible pools of chocolate after baking.

The batter should be thick and cohesive, with no dry flour patches. The chocolate chips should be evenly distributed, and the top should be smooth and level. The reserved chips pressed on top will create attractive pools of chocolate as they melt.

Bake and Serve

5. 5Bake the Blondies
   Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 20 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is set but still soft. The top should be shiny and slightly cracked. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
   Look for Edges are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (egg dishes)
   Tip Do not overbake — the center will continue to set as it cools.

The kitchen will smell of brown butter and chocolate. The edges will be deeply golden, and the top will be shiny with a few cracks.

A toothpick inserted near the center will come out with moist crumbs. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing to allow the center to set slightly.

Common mistakes

One common mistake is overbaking, which dries out the blondies and eliminates the molten chocolate. Start checking at 18 minutes and rely on visual cues rather than a completely clean toothpick.

Another pitfall is overmixing the batter after adding the flour, which develops gluten and makes the bars tough. Finally, do not skip the parchment paper — without it, the blondies will stick to the pan and be difficult to remove cleanly.

How to tell it’s done

The blondies are done when the edges are golden brown and pull away slightly from the pan, and the top is shiny with a few cracks. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.

The center will still look soft, but it will set as it cools. For a fully set bar, let them cool completely in the pan; for molten centers, slice while still warm.

• Egg dishes: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part