Description
Dense and chewy, made with brown butter, sea salt, and butterscotch morsels, these sweet and salty bars hit the spot when you need a simple yet satisfying dessert!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter (browned or melted, see note)
- 1 and 3/4 cup (350g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (270g) butterscotch morsels
- optional: 3/4 cup (95g) chopped walnuts
- coarse/flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-inch square pan or line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished blondies out (makes cutting easier). Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the browned or melted butter and brown sugar together. Once completely combined, whisk in the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk or stir until combined. Batter is pretty heavy and thick, so I usually use a rubber spatula. Fold in the butterscotch morsels and nuts, if using.
- Evenly spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out *mostly* clean. A couple moist crumbs are ok, as long as it’s not wet. Remove from the oven and cool blondies completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Cover and store leftover blondies at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: To freeze, cool blondies completely. Cut into squares and layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Rubber Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Butter: Butter should either be melted or browned before using in this recipe. Melt on the stove or in the microwave. For enhanced butterscotch and nutty flavors, I prefer using browned butter in these blondies. To brown the butter: slice the butter into pieces and place in a light-colored skillet. (Light colored helps you determine when the butter begins browning.) Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Keep stirring occasionally. After 5-8 minutes, the butter will begin browning– you’ll notice lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan and it will have a nutty aroma. Once browned, immediately remove from heat, and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before using in step 3.
- What Pan to Use: A 9-inch square pan is best. An 8-inch square pan is a little too small. Blondies may not cook evenly. You can spread the batter into a 9×13 inch pan for thinner blondies. Do your best to spread the batter to each edge of the pan. Bake time will be around 30 minutes.