We’ve mastered the chocolate brownie world. My homemade brownies recipe is perfected, untouchable, and cherished. But we haven’t entered the white chocolate brownie world. A fudge brownie’s not-so-innocent twin. And by the end of this post, we will have conquered it.
But wait, isn’t a white chocolate brownie… a blondie? No, not at all. Blondies aren’t made with white chocolate as the base. So today… you’re in for something completely different.
Making white chocolate brownies is no different from whipping up a batch of regular chocolate brownies. It’s still very much a scientific project—and delicious one, at that. Only a few basic ingredients, carefully chosen, to create the best possible structure, texture, and flavor. With only 7 ingredients, quality and ratios are imperative. If you want a white chocolate brownie that tastes good, use ingredients that taste good. And, like any science project, don’t stray from the recommended measurements.
Here’s The White Chocolate Story
When testing white chocolate brownies in the kitchen, I used my 1 bowl homemade brownies as the starting point. It’s not a simple switch from regular chocolate to white chocolate. No, that would make our lives too easy! But I found that only a couple tweaks were necessary.
We’re using the same exact ingredients today, but ditching the cocoa powder for a little extra flour (to maintain structure) and subbing white chocolate for semi-sweet. Since we’re using more flour, a completely flavorless addition, I added more butter and white chocolate. The butter and white chocolate are melted together first, then the rest of the ingredients go into the bowl.
Since white chocolate is sweeter than semi-sweet chocolate, I reduced the sugar in the brownie recipe. Though reducing down to 1 cup was a giant mistake. The brownies were flavorless; the flavor just got up and walked away. See ya, tootaloo! There simply wasn’t enough white chocolate to make up for that extra cup of sugar. My second attempt proved much more successful at 1 and 1/2 cups sugar. I was temped to use some brown sugar, but felt it would take away from the pure white chocolate flavor.
Vanilla extract? We’re sticking to the same amount. Eggs? Let’s add an extra one. White chocolate simply isn’t as flavorful as regular chocolate. It’s rich, yes, but doesn’t have nearly as much lasting power as its darker counterpart. I found using 4 whole eggs proved to yield rich tasting, major dense white chocolate brownies.
Remember what I said about using ingredients that taste good? Well the most important would have to be the white chocolate. Use quality white chocolate that is made for melting and baking—steer super clear of white chocolate morsels. Which aren’t even technically real white chocolate! Reach for the real deal. You’ll need 6 ounces for the brownies and if you make the frosting (highly recommended!), you’ll need an additional 2 ounces. So that’s two 4-ounce white chocolate bars. I like either Ghirardelli, Baker’s, or Lindt. They’re in the baking aisle.
For added texture, however, we can definitely add white chocolate morsels to the brownie batter. Chunks of chips inside the baked brownies are phenom. As an alternative, here are some additions we should try next: white chocolate chips + macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips + dried cranberries, toffee chips, cinnamon chips, toasted pecans, shredded coconut, butterscotch morsels, a mix of it all!
Can never get enough of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
The batter is made entirely in 1 bowl. It’s thick and silky smooth. A thick brownie batter yields a pretty dense brownie, which is exactly what we’re looking for. Dense and compact. Make sure the batter is evenly spread into your lined pan. Like always, I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. This way you can lift the cooled brownies out as a whole, making cutting SO MUCH EASIER.
The white chocolate brownies looked a little naked without a topping, so I whipped up a quick white chocolate cream cheese frosting. It’s not overly sweet. Rather, it’s the perfect amount of tang to balance the sweet white chocolate brownies. The frosting is completely optional and I think they’d be just as irresistible with the strawberry compote from my brown butter pound cake or lemon glaze drizzled on top. Heck yea.
We landed upon our master recipe and now let me present you with 1 bowl white chocolate brownies. 🙂
Print1 Bowl White Chocolate Brownies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 18 brownies
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Instead of chocolate, try these homemade 1 bowl white chocolate brownies. The flavor is unbelievable and they’re so simple!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter
- 6 ounces (170g) pure white chocolate, coarsely chopped*
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1 cup (180g) white chocolate chips
Frosting
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ounces (56g) white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled*
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished brownies out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and chopped white chocolate. Melt in 30 second increments, whisking after each, until completely smooth. Whisk in the sugar until completely combined, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the flour and salt, then fold in the white chocolate chips until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes, covering loosely with aluminum foil halfway through. Test the brownies with a toothpick at the 30 minute mark. Insert it into the center of the pan. If it comes out with wet batter, the brownies are not done. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the brownies are done. Keep checking every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs. My brownies take 32 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the white chocolate, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste, then add a pinch of salt if desired. Spread the frosting on the cooled brownies, then slice and serve.
- Cover and store leftover frosted brownies in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or if the brownies are not frosted, at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Unfrosted brownies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Icing Spatula
- White Chocolate: White chocolate bars are typically sold in 4 ounce bars. You’ll need two. 6 ounces will be melted down for the brownies and 2 ounces will be used in the frosting. I suggest Ghirardelli, Baker’s brand, or Lindt. Do not use chocolate chips. For the white chocolate in frosting, make sure it is melted 10 minutes prior to beating into the frosting. Otherwise, it will melt the butter in the frosting!
I actively try to restrain myself from posting on all of your recipes that I make but I couldn’t hold back here…..these are insane. Unique, incredible and easy to make. One bowl recipes are life. My only regret was not making 2 batches of these. SO good Sally!!!!
I’ve been eyeing this for quite some time so I whipped these up for an office tailgate lunch. My co-workers were over the moon! Four thumbs up. I keep telling everybody, it’s all Sally!
What can i say?! We’re one of your loyal fans now! 🙂
Me: 5 out of 5
Boyfriend: 11 out of 10..
Thanks Sally. Definitely made our relationship stronger! lol 🙂
hi sally! ive made this before and i loved it, but felt like it wasnt white chocolatey enough for me (haha) so the nxt time i made it i increased the amt of white choc. however aft baking it for close to 50 mins the centers of my brownies still werent baked (when cut the center was totally a diff colour to the edges), but the toothpick test came out totallt clean. dyou have any idea wht may have gone wrong? cld it have been the increment, or overmixing or…..?
It’s likely the extra melted chocolate in the batter. I recommend sticking with the recipe and adding more white chocolate chips for the extra white chocolate flavor.
I gave this 4 stars, but only because I’ve made your Death by Chocolate Brownies, and they’re most definitely 5 stars! Made these this morning, but added 200g of frozen cranberries instead of chocolate chips and they’re delish! Another Sally success!
I’ve made these and added frozen blueberries to the mix and then fresh ones scattered over the frosting. So good!
Hi Sally!
I was wondering if I could bake these but add the raspberry cheesecake topping to these from the raspberry cheesecake brownies and if I should double that topping since this is a 9X13?
Thanks!
Hi Beth! That should work just fine. (And it sounds delicious!) I recommend only 1.5x the raspberry cheesecake portion. Doubling would be too much. (Use 12 oz cream cheese, 6 Tbsp sugar, 6 Tbsp raspberry jam, and 1 full egg (yolk AND white).)
Oh Sally !! You’ve really outdone yourself. These are soooo good, and so rich that only a small piece is required to satisfy any sweet tooth. They were gone so quickly – crumbs and all.
Hi Sally! These brownies are tempting me soooooo much, I just wanna get in the kitchen and make them! I love anything with white chocolate (OK, anything with any chocolate). I had this idea to make birthday cake brownies; like, a funfetti white chocolate brownies with white chocolate frosting. Could I add sprinkles to this batter (and if so, how much?) I know now not to use nonpariels; you’ve taught me a lot about baking, Sally! Love your baking basics series; it’s super useful!
Yes, sprinkles would work! I recommend keeping the total amount of add-ins to 1 cup, so try half cup white chocolate chips and half cup sprinkles (and a little extra to sprinkle over the top just for looks if you want!).
Hi Sally,
I do not have a microwave. Can you please provide directions for melting the butter and chocolate together on the stovetop?
Hi Katie! Best way to do this is to use a double boiler or just a regular small saucepan. Stir constantly as the two melt together and combine.
Just made these for the second time. Gorgeous! However, I added coconut and chocolate chips this time. But the chocolate chips sank to the bottom of the mixture while cooking and are all at the base…?? What have I done wrong? I tossed them in a little flour first, I’ve had this problem a few times before with blondies. Any advice would be appreciated, I didn’t really want a chocolate chip base!!!! Whoops.
You can try using mini chocolate chips!
These came out so good. I made a few changes, in case anyone wants to try. Coconut butter instead of butter, raw sugar and palm sugar instead of sugar, and cassava flour instead of wheat flour. The brownies didn’t bake evenly so the outer ones were crunchy , cookie-like, and the inner ones were softer brownie like. Both crunchy and soft were delicious. Definite a make again.
I’m game day ready with these One Bowl Homemade White Chocolate Brownies- Literally, the BEST BROWNIES EVER!!! They literally beat all other brownies in my book! Can’t wait to share them with everyone at the game day party and see their reaction! My favorite part is watching their face light up with delicious joy! These brownies are literally MELT IN YOUR MOUTH GOOD!!! Thank you God for giving me and Sally the gift of baking and thank you Sally’s Baking Addiction for all of these MELT IN YOUR MOUTH Recipes!!! ❤️❤️
Brooke Johnson and Fallon Auguiar you would LOVE these!!!
Omg!!! These are so delicious. I needed a recipe for cake pops I usually make them with brownies but my friend wanted vanilla. I found this recipe and they came out amazing!!! Thank you!!! For sharing
A classmate made these for a potluck. I was obsessed. However same as a previous comment, my brownies we’re not anywhere near ready at 30 mins. I end up having to bake them for almost double the recommended time. Any idea why that might be?
Hi Cecilia! Are you using the same size pan? It could really be anything from the oven rack position to the type of pan. Regardless, I’m so glad you tried and loved the brownies.
I made these over the weekend and frosted them with peppermint cream cheese frosting. They were a hit and taste really good fresh or refrigerated. The only change I would make is decrease the sugar by about 50% – 75%, because with the white chocolate, the chocolate chips, and the frosting, they were too sweet.
These were amazing!! I love white chocolate and feel that there are not enough recipes that really feature it. This is white chocolate all the way. Needless to say, they’ve all disappeared.
I cook all the time, but have never commented on a recipe that I have obtained from the internet. These brownies were so incredible, I felt compelled to post a comment. Everyone who has tasted them swoons at first bite. I didn’t have white chocolate chips in the house, so I toasted some pecans and added those. No cream cheese either, so no frosting. They were still absolutely perfect! I see myself (and all my friends and relatives) making these for many years to come! Thanks you so much!
I made this for a few friends visiting this weekend – wow it was incredibly delicious!! How do you come up with this Sally? I made half the batter with cranberry and left the remaining half plain. My sister ate half of the entire brownies within one hour (I’m not kidding, she had never tried white chocolate brownies before) I was only able to serve the remaining half. At first, I wasn’t sure it would turn out quite similar to the typical chocolate brownies (will you ever let me down? never!) I am making another batch next weekend but I’ve also got my eye on your dark chocolate coconut blondie next. Thank you for this recipe. Hope you’re keeping well and have a great week.
Hi Sally, I halved this recipe in a square pan but my batter came out very thin. Not sure why, I weighed my ingredients. I took it out of the oven when it passed the toothpick test but the center cut of brownies were very custardy, instead of a brownie texture. Not sure what went wrong!
Hi, mine also turned out like that (most of it) even though it passed the toothpick test. I was worried it didn’t bake enough but it tasted fine. I am quite interested in Sally’s view on it. Nonetheless, my sister and friends ate it all and didn’t care about the ‘custardy’ texture.
This recipe is PERFECTION! Everyone was calling them little pieces of heaven, haha. Thank you!
I was thinking of using the frosting recipe here as the filling for the Oatmeal Creme Pies, do you recommend? If so, would I need to modify the frosting recipe at all for it? Thanks again!!
You can use this frosting for oatmeal creme pie frosting! no changes necessary.
Used this frosting recipe on a white cake today (tripled it). My mother loved it. Thanks for helping me create her perfect cake.
Could you mix raspberries into the batter? Would that change the cooking process? White chocolate and raspberry is a delicious mix. Let me know what you think
I can’t see why not– I wouldn’t overdo it on the raspberries as they’re quite wet. The bake time may be longer.
Hi Sally! These brownies look AMAZING! Your recipes never disappoint! I wanted to know if I could use white chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate in your chocolate mousse pie recipe?
Thank you!
I haven’t attempted that before, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work.
What did I do wrong with these? They came out so flat and cakey. I followed your print directions exactly. Am I missing a leavener or was I supposed to use a smaller pan than 9×13?
Hi Christa! Usually I find that cake means airy and not dense, which is odd if there is no chemical leavener– yep, none in these brownies. Is that how yours taste? Mine are very flat, as you can see in the pictures.