Browned Butter Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Blondies
User Reviews
4.6
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Cook Time
25 mins
-
Additional Time
3 hrs
-
Total Time
3 hrs 35 mins
-
Servings
12
-
Calories
270 kcal
-
Course
Baked Goods
-
Cuisine
American
Browned Butter Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Blondies
Description
Browned Butter Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Blondies start with melting and browning unsalted butter until it develops a nutty scent and golden color. The cooled browned butter is combined with dark brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract before being folded with flour and kosher salt for structure and flavor balance.
Chunks of chocolate are stirred into the batter, chosen to partially melt and disperse through the blondies rather than remaining solid like chips. Salted caramel sauce is dotted on top, carefully avoiding too close to the pan edges to prevent sticking. The bars bake in an 8x8-inch pan lined with heavy-duty foil sprayed with cooking spray for clean release.
Finishing with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt enhances the contrast of sweet caramel and chocolate and adds texture. The blondies are rich, tender, and slightly gooey with a complex flavor of browned butter, caramel, and dark chocolate.
Choosing large chocolate chunks creates a more melted, integrated chocolate texture. Using a heavy-duty non-stick foil is important to avoid sticking issues associated with adding the caramel sauce near the edges of the pan.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter browned, unsalted
- 1 egg large
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed (light may be substituted)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ¾ to 1 cup chocolate chips may be substituted, chunks
- 5 ounces caramel sauce about 1/2 cup, store bought or homemade, salted
- 1 teaspoon sea salt such as Maldon, or to taste, flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, line an 8x8-inch pan with heavy duty non-stick aluminum foil for easier cleanup, and spray with cooking spray. Note - Use a heavy duty non-stick foil or the foil could stick to your dessert, but if you don't use foil, the dessert could stick really terribly to your pan, you have been warned.
- To a medium high-sided saute pan, add the butter, and heat over medium-high heat to melt, stirring nearly continuously or swirling the pan. Butter will melt, foam, turn clear, golden, turn brown, and then will smell nutty. As soon at the butter begins to turn brown and there are a few brown specks (but not black), take the pan off the heat, pour butter into a large bowl, and continue to stir for about 1 minute, to ensure carryover heat doesn’t continue to cook and subsequently burn the already browned butter. Set aside to cool for 5 to 10 minutes so you don’t scramble the egg.
- Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, salt, and stir to combine; don't overmix.
- Add the chocolate chunks and stir to combine. See NOTE 1 below.
- Transfer about 60% of the batter to the prepared pan into an even flat layer, reserve the remainder of the batter, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until base layer has just barely set.
- Remove pan from the oven and evenly drizzle the salted caramel, leaving at least a bare 1/2-inch margin around the edges. See NOTE 2 below.
- Evenly add the remaining 40% of the batter to the top of the salted caramel in small blobs, about 1/4-cup each in size. Using a spatula, smooth the blobs of batter together to form a top layer, noting you will not quite have complete coverage, but this is okay because the dough spreads while it bakes.
- Evenly sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top layer of dough is set. Allow the bars to cool, uncovered in the pan, at room temp, for at least 3 hours (overnight is preferred) before slicing and serving.
- Bars will keep airtight at room temp for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Notes
- Chocolate chunks melt and disperse through the blondies, providing a gooey texture, unlike chocolate chips which remain more intact.
- Use about half of a 10-ounce jar of salted caramel sauce, avoiding pouring too close to pan edges to prevent extreme sticking.
- Heavy-duty non-stick foil lined and sprayed pan is key to prevent the blondies from sticking, especially near the caramel.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 270 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 270kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 31g | 10% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Cholesterol | 48mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 296mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 22g | 44% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
You'll Also Love
