Krolls Korner - 1 Side view of three stacked blondie bars on a wooden board with parchment paper. The blondies are thick, golden, and studded with large chocolate chunks, with a bottle of milk in the soft-focus background. - 2

If you invite me to any party, potluck or get together, I am for sure bringing these chocolate chip blondies!

They have the most delicious crunchy tops, chewy centers, and the toasted flavor of the brown butter is a total game changer.

I’m kind of in love with brown butter. I love it in cookies and in frostings and I’d probably drink it if that were an acceptable thing to do…?

Side-angle of a pan of sliced blondies, with a serrated knife and one blondie missing a bite in the foreground. Flaky salt and gooey chocolate chips are visible in the chewy center. - 3 blogger tawnie graham in a kitchen with an instant pot and several dishes of food - 4

Table Talk with Tawnie

Traditional blondies already have a caramel-y flavor thanks to the brown sugar but I’ve found adding the brown butter gives it a rich, nutty flavor and simply elevates the entire dessert. These Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies are essentially a blank canvas. Feel free to fold in walnuts or pecans, dried apricots or white chocolate chips into the batter before turning over into the pan. Use whatever you have or feel like adding in – you really can’t go wrong! Thin and chewy, buttery and soft in the middle and the best crinkly tops and edges – I know you’re going to love them!

If you’re a super fan of brown butter like I am, you’ll probably also like my Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies , these fun Chocolate Dipped Brown Butter Cookies , and my Brown Butter Caramel Snickerdoodles . If you’re searching for more easy bar dessert recipes, be sure to check out my Peanut Butter Blondies , my Biscoff Scotcheroos , and my Millionaire Shortbread Bars !

Overhead view of a large rectangular pan of golden brown blondies studded with melty chocolate chips and sprinkled with flaky sea salt. The edges are slightly crisp, and the surface is lightly wrinkled, indicating a soft, chewy center. - 5

Ingredient Notes

(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)

Overhead image of labeled ingredients for brown butter blondies arranged on a light marble surface. Items include a bowl of all-purpose flour, a small dish of vanilla extract, a bowl of chocolate chips, a small scalloped dish of vanilla bean paste, a bowl of granulated sugar, a bowl of rich golden brown butter, a bowl of brown sugar, two whole eggs, a pinch dish of flaky sea salt, a small wooden dish containing baking powder and salt, all neatly styled for baking preparation. - 6
  • Flour: All-Purpose Flour is perfect for this recipe! I haven’t tried any alternative flours but I am sure a gluten free 1-1 replacement flour would work well.
  • Brown butter : Don’t overthink it. Brown butter is simply taking a stick of regular butter and then melting and toasting it on the stove until the milk solids turn brown. The end result is magical, nutty, heavenly brown butter. Once you start baking with brown butter you won’t be able to stop! Plus, melted butter as opposed to softened butter gives these chocolate chip blondies a soft and chewy texture. Check out my post on How to Brown Butter for my tips!
  • Brown Sugar: I recommend using all dark brown sugar because it adds more of a rich, sweet taste and helps add moisture and chewiness to the blondies
  • Eggs: Adds structure, fudginess and the combination of the sugars and eggs gives the bars their beautiful crackly tops!
  • Flaky sea salt : While optional, I love topping these Chocolate Chip Blondies with flaky sea salt that balances the sweetness of the blondies, creating a nice balance of sweet and salty in every bite.
  • Other ingredients : granulated sugar, semisweet chocolate chips, vanilla bean paste , vanilla extract , baking powder and salt
Scene of sliced blondies in a pan, with a hand lifting one square piece. A serrated knife rests on the pan, and scattered plates and chocolate pieces add a cozy, homemade vibe. - 7

Step by Step Directions

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions.

Side-by-side images showing the beginning stages of blondie batter. On the left, a hand whisks vanilla bean paste into brown butter in a white bowl. On the right, another hand whisks dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt—in a separate bowl. - 8

Brown butter & whisk dry ingredients

Brown the butter and let it cool for ~10-15 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla bean paste and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

Split image showing two eggs and vanilla added to the sugar-butter mixture on the left, and the fully whisked, glossy batter on the right. - 9

Mix wet ingredients

Add both sugars to the slightly cooled brown butter and whisk until incorporated, making sure all the large brown sugar clumps are broken up. Then, whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.

Side-by-side images of combining wet and dry ingredients for blondie batter. On the left, a hand uses a spatula to mix flour into the thick, golden batter. On the right, a hand pours chocolate chips into the fully mixed batter, ready to be folded in. - 10

Fold in dry ingredients & chocolate chips

Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet until most of the flour is incorporated, then fold in the chocolate chips.

Side-by-side images of thick blondie batter being spread into a parchment-lined metal baking pan on the left, and the pan fully smoothed out and ready for baking on the right. - 11

Spread into pan & bake

Pour batter into prepared quarter sheet pan and bake at 350°F for ~17-20 minutes (do not over bake!). The blondies will seem underbaked, but they’ll continue to cook in the pan once removed from the oven. (See section below for instructions on baking in a smaller pan .)

Two-part image: the left shows a close-up of the golden, crinkly blondie top with melty chocolate chips and salt; the right shows a sliced pan of blondies with a knife and a hand lifting one square piece. - 12

Cool, slice, enjoy!

Allow them to cool for ~15-30 minutes, garnish with flaky sea salt, then slice into the blondies. ENJOY!

Expert Tips

  • Making the brown butter is an extra step but it’s worth it and I wouldn’t recommend skipping! 🙂
  • Be sure to line the pan with a parchment paper sling so it’s easy to remove the bars when you’re ready to cut.
  • Choose a high quality vanilla extract. You can also play around with adding in a little almond extract too!
  • Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for up to 3 months.

Variations

  • Fold in walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, dried fruit, white chocolate chips, etc.
  • I love baking my blondies for ~17-20 minutes for a chewy, gooey blondie. If you like a more cakey blondie, bake a few additional minutes. (Don’t forget that they will continue to bake as they cool in the pan.)
  • If you want thicker blondies, use an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan and bake for ~23-25 minutes. (See this section to compare the difference in blondie thickness.)
Extreme close-up of the blondie surface, showing gooey melted chocolate chips, a golden-brown crumb, and visible flakes of sea salt for texture. - 13

How to Make Thicker Blondies

This recipe is written to bake the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies in a quarter sheet pan which produces thin and chewy blondies. If you prefer a thicker blondie, follow the same instructions for making the batter, then pour into a parchment paper lined 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 23-25 minutes (maybe a touch longer) then let them cool before slicing because they’ll be gooey!

Below are some comparisons of the blondie thickness following the recipe in a quarter sheet pan (left) versus baking in an 8×8 pan (right).

Overhead comparison of two pans of chocolate chip blondies. On the left, a rectangular pan with a larger batch of golden brown blondies topped with sea salt and chocolate chips. On the right, a smaller square pan with a slightly thicker, darker batch, also topped with salt flakes and scattered chocolate chips. - 14 Side-by-side close-up shots of a single chocolate chip blondie bar with a bite taken out. On the left, the blondie sits in a pan with a serrated knife nearby, showcasing a golden chewy texture and visible chocolate chunks. On the right, the bitten blondie is placed on parchment over a wooden board, with gooey melted chocolate and flaky sea salt on top. - 15 Two vertical side views of stacked blondie bars. On the left, three blondies are neatly stacked on a wooden board with a bottle of milk blurred in the background. On the right, a close-up of multiple blondies standing upright, revealing their rich interior packed with melty chocolate chips and golden edges. - 16

How to Make Brown Butter

It may sound intimidating, but it’s really easy, only takes a few minutes and is the backbone of these cookies. The nutty flavor compliments the caramel beautifully and I love it’s culinary use in baking so much! Let’s do it:

  1. Use a stainless steel skillet. This is best to easily monitor the butter’s color and gauge when the butter has browned.
  2. Place the unsalted butter in the cold, stainless steel skillet. Unsalted is truly best because salted butter foams more.
  3. Melt the butter over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to help the butter melt evenly. As the butter melts, it separates into butter fat and milk solids. The milk solids will naturally sink to the bottom of the pan and begin to brown as they heat up.
  4. You’ll notice the butter begin to foam. This is good! The foam will begin to subside.
  5. Use a heat resistant spatula to continually gently stir the butter. You’ll begin to see tiny specks at the bottom of the pan, constantly stir and scrape so these don’t stick. (These are the milk solids that give brown butter its yummy flavor.)
  6. As soon as the butter turns chestnut brown and omits a nutty aroma, remove the pan from the heat and scrape the brown butter and all of the yummy brown bits into a heat proof bowl. It’s important to remove to a bowl immediately so the residual heat from the pan doesn’t burn the butter.
  7. Depending on your heat setting, this process should only take less than 10 minutes.

For more information, tips, and tricks on browning butter, make sure to check out my How To Brown Butter post !

Overhead view of a single square blondie on parchment paper atop a wooden board. A bite has been taken from the top corner, exposing a soft and chewy interior with chocolate chips and sea salt. - 17

Can I simply use melted butter instead of brown butter?

Yes, you can. BUT I think they are so much better with the brown butter!

Do I have to use dark brown sugar?

You can use light brown sugar if that’s all you have on hand! I just prefer the extra flavor and extra moisture the dark brown sugar adds. But light brown sugar will still get the job done!

Can I make these with gluten free flour?

While I haven’t personally tested it, I do believe a 1:1 swap with gluten free flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill) should work for these blondies!

Can I make these in a 9×9 or 8×8 pan?

Yes! You’ll want to bake the blondies for longer. I recommend starting with 23-25 minutes. Make sure to let them cool before removing from the pan and cutting, because they will definitely be gooey! See this section above for a comparison of using the smaller pan.

Can I double the recipe for a thicker blondie?

I haven’t doubled the recipe myself yet, but once again I think it would work out. Adjust baking time as needed.

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Mixing Bowls

silver quarter sheet pan - 19

Quarter Sheet Pan

Pick one!

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This recipe was originally posted in March 2022. It was updated with new photos and additional tips and tricks in April 2025.

📸 Photography by Marie Dubé

Side view of three stacked blondie bars on a wooden board with parchment paper. The blondies are thick, golden, and studded with large chocolate chunks, with a bottle of milk in the soft-focus background. - 20

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter browned and cooled for ~10 mins
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste optional
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose-flour spooned & leveled
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus more for garnish
  • flaky sea salt for garnish
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies - 21

Instructions

  • Prep and preheat: line a quarter sheet pan (I use this one ) with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F. (If you prefer thicker blondies, I recommend using an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan. See this section of the blog post for a comparison.)
  • Brown the butter: For a detailed tutorial, see this post on how to brown butter . Pour the butter in a large mixing bowl and allow the butter to cool slightly, ~10-15 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla bean paste, if using. 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste
  • Dry ingredients: whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside. 1 3/4 cups all purpose-flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt
  • Whisk in the sugars: Add both sugars to the slightly cooled brown butter and whisk until incorporated. It will look sandy, just make sure all large brown sugar clumps are broken up. 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • Add eggs and vanilla: whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. 2 large eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Fold in dry ingredients: use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients until most of the flour is incorporated.
  • Add chocolate chips: fold in the chocolate chips. YUM.
  • Spread in pan: Spread batter into prepared pan into an even layer. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
  • Bake: bake for ~17-20 minutes (do not over bake). It’s going to seem like they are underbaked, but they’ll continue to cook in the pan once removed from the oven.
  • Cool then slice: cool for ~15-30 minutes, garnish with flaky sea salt, then slice into the blondies. ENJOY! flaky sea salt

Video

Notes

  • Fold in walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, dried fruit, white chocolate chips, etc. as desired.
  • Choose a high quality vanilla extract. You can also play around with adding in a little almond extract too!
  • Be sure to line the pan with a parchment paper sling so it’s easy to remove the bars when you’re ready to cut.
  • If you prefer thicker blondies, use an 8x8 or 9x9 pan and bake for 23-25 minutes. Make sure to still line the pan with a parchment paper sling.
  • Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition