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4.6 from 99 votes

Browned Butter Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk Blondies

The combination of browned butter, salted caramel, chocolate, and sea salt is INCREDIBLE!! A complex-tasting salty-sweet dessert that is EASY to make and a guaranteed FAVORITE!!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 270 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter browned
  • 1 large egg
  • 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 chunks chips may be substituted
  • 5 ounces salted caramel sauce about 1/2 cup, store bought or homemade
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes such as Maldon, or to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
  4. Add the flour, salt, and stir to combine; don't overmix.
  5. Add the chocolate chunks and stir to combine. See NOTE 1 below.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Evenly sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
  10. 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.
  11. Bars will keep airtight at room temp for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Notes

  • The chocolate chunks melt into the dough as the blondies bake and the chocolate is literally interwoven in every bite. Chocolate chips will remain much more intact and will not become nearly as dispersed into the dough like chunks will.For this recipe, I was going for a melted, dispersed chocolate effect, and used Trader Joe's Chocolate Chunks but use what you prefer. 
  • Half of one 10-ounce jar of Salted Caramel Sauce from Trader Joe's works perfectly for this recipe. Or make your own Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce in 15 minutes using my scratch recipe. When adding the salted caramel sauce to the pan, make sure not to get too close to the edges of the pan, at least 1/2-inch margin, because this is what will cause extreme sticking.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 270kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 15g (23%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 48mg (16%) Sodium 296mg (12%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 22g (44%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 270

% 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.