Brown Butter Brownies

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These Brown Butter Brownies are super fudgy with chewy edges. They have an extra level of richness thanks to the brown butter!

These decadent Brown Butter Brownies are super rich, fudgy and easy to make. They’re flavored with nutty brown butter and filled with plenty of chocolate chips!

Looking for more brown butter recipes? Try my Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls, Brown Butter Apple Blondies or Brown Butter Pumpkin Snickerdoodles!

Ingredient Breakdown

Brown butter – provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Granulated sugar and brown sugar – both sugars are necessary for sweetness and texture.

Cocoa powder – gives the brownies their chocolate flavor! I always use natural unsweetened cocoa powder.

Eggs – binds the ingredients and provides structure.

Vanilla extract and salt – enhances flavor. Always use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation for best flavor.

All-purpose flour – just a bit of flour gives the brownies structure while still keeping them fudgy.

What Is Brown Butter?

Brown butter is just regular butter that has been cooked until the water evaporates which allows the milk solids to become toasted. This process gives the butter a delicious nutty flavor (and smell) that makes any dessert extra delicious.

What Makes A Brownie Fudgy?

• Use melted butter instead of softened butter – creaming softened butter incorporates too much air into the batter which makes brownies cakey.
• Brown sugar – brown sugar adds extra moisture.
• No leavening agents – the lack of baking powder/soda prevents them from rising and keeps them dense.
• Small amount of flour – using too much flour results in brownies with a cakey texture.
• Shorter baking time – brownies should still be a little gooey when you take them out of the oven.

How To Make Brown Butter Brownies

1. Brown the butter: Cut the butter into cubes and place into a small pot. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally. The butter will bubble and foam until it reaches a light brown color, has little browned bits on the bottom and smells nutty and delicious. This happens quickly so don’t walk away from it!

2. Make the Brownie Batter: Remove the brown butter from the heat then immediately add the granulated sugar, brown sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk until smooth and well combined.

3. In a medium bowl whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and salt. Slowly whisk the sugar mixture into the egg mixture until very smooth.

4. Fold in the flour until almost combined leaving a few streaks of flour. Then fold in the mini chocolate chips until just combined and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

5. Bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes or until the center is just set. Cool to room temperature or chill before slicing for cleanest cuts. Store Brown Butter Brownies in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge.

Pro Tips For Brown Butter Brownies

• Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate; baking is a science after all!
• Don’t overmix the batter after adding the flour. There should still be streaks of flour when you add the mini chocolate chips.
• Don’t be tempted to over bake these. They will still be a little gooey when you remove them from the oven but they’ll continue to bake as they cool.
• Use a metal pan! Glass pans retain heat for longer resulting in unevenly baked brownies.
• Make sure your parchment paper hangs over the sides of the pan for easy removal after baking!

If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂