Brown Butter Brownies

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This Brown Butter Brownies Recipe literally came to me in a dream.

The image of exactly how I wanted them to look came to my mind, and I knew I immediately had to get to work on creating this recipe.

It took over 7 trials until I had these brownies *just* how I pictured them.

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The most important part I wanted to nail was that shiny crust on top.

I knew I could achieve the most picture-perfect shiny crust, while simultaneously creating fudgy, moist, and incredibly flavorful brownies, elevated by that brown butter.

If you follow me at all, you know that browning butter is one of my secret tricks to improving the flavor of just about every classic baked good – and these brownies are no exception!

This brownie recipe is definitely a little more labor-intensive than my crazy-popular Chewy Brownie recipe, but they’re worth it if you have a little more time on your hands and want something deliciously special.

In the pink box below, I’ve included tons of tips and information, so you can nail these delicious brownies every time.

I truly hope you’ll give them a try!

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Fudgy Brown Butter Brownies

Below are tips and insights into the HOW and WHY of brownie baking. I recommend reading through these tips before making the recipe! And if you want even more info on the science of brownies, check out my original Ultimate Brownie Guide here.

How to Brown Butter for Brownies

A skillet works better than a saucepan for browning butter because there’s more surface area for the brown bits to develop. Whatever you do, never use nonstick for browning butter.

1. In a medium skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter.
2. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises.
3. Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom.
4. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl, ensuring you get all little browned bits at the bottom – that’s where the flavor lives!.
5. Now your brown butter is ready to fold into the batter!
6. Learn all my tips and tricks for browning butter in my How to Brown Butter article here.

How to Make Brownies with Shiny Thin Crust

This is arguably the best part of any brownie, but also often the most elusive to achieve. These Brown Butter Brownies have an incredible crust, thanks to these steps:

• If you follow the directions in this recipe exactly by using an electric mixer to whip the eggs and sugar, you will get that beautiful tissue-thin crust on top.
• The key here is to allow the sugar to completely dissolve into the eggs to create an ultra-light, pale, and fluffy foam.
• The amount of time this takes will completely vary depending on your kitchen environment and your mixer, so pay attention to the visual clues over the time listed in the recipe.
• An electric mixer with the whisk attachment works best, but you may be able to get away with a hand mixer too.
• Whatever you do, just don’t stop beating until the eggs are ultra-light in color and thick and foamy in texture.
• More tips for achieving those perfectly tissue-thin, crinkly crusts in brownies in my How to Make Brownies with a Thin Shiny Crust article. I also share some surprising mistakes you may be making which prevent the brownie “skin!”⁠

How to Make Chewy Fudgy Brownies

• Whipping the eggs and sugar helps incorporate air into this Brown Butter Brownies recipe.
• That means we don’t need to use any baking soda or baking powder.
• The result are brownies that are rich and fudgy without being so dense you can only have two bites.
• Brown sugar and high-fat Dutch Process cocoa powder also help contribute richness not just in flavor but in that moist fudgy texture.
• Don’t reduce the sugar. Learn more about sugar’s many roles in baking brownies here.
• A very small amount of flour is used to also help achieve a fudgy brownie. Too much flour and brownies become cakey or dry. Make sure not to over-measure the flour or cocoa powder.

Do I Have to Use Dutch Process Cocoa Powder?

• Since there’s no leavener (baking soda or powder) in this Brown Butter Brownies recipe, you can use Dutch Process OR natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
• I find Dutch process creates a deeper chocolate flavor and richer, fudgier texture.
• My absolute favorite cocoa powder for brownies is Penzey’s high-fat Dutch process or the King Arthur Bensdorp Cocoa Powder.
• Both options make for insanely rich & fudgy brownies (and ultra-moist chocolate cake!).
• If you only have natural cocoa powder, that will work just fine – but keep in mind that the higher the fat content of your cocoa powder, the more delicious your baked goods will be! Learn more about the fat content of cocoa powder here.

The BEST Brownie Pan (so important!)

• For this Brown Butter Brownies recipe, I highly recommend using an 8 by 8-inch light-colored metal baking pan. I like this baking pan.
• Dark metal pans will dry out the edges, often before the center can cook through.
• Glass or ceramic baking pans will take LONGER to bake these brownies, and the texture may become more gummy.
• If you must use glass, reduce the temperature and add about 10 to 15 minutes to the baking times.
• Check out my Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans article for more tips.
• I like to line my pan with two sheets of parchment, leaving about a 2-inch overhang so I can easily lift out the entire pan of brownies to cut and serve.

Can I Double the Recipe?

You can easily double this recipe by simply doubling all ingredients and baking in a 9 by 13-inch metal baking pan for about 30 minutes.

How to Tell when Brownies are Done Baking?

• You never want to overbake brownies.
• There should absolutely be moist crumbs attached to a tester by the end of the baking time.
• With a recipe like this, however, the gooey chocolate chips make it hard to tell when the brownies are done baking.
• I always err on the side of underbaking brownies.
• The residual heat of the oven will continue to cook them even after you place the pan on a cooling rack.
• I wouldn’t bake much longer than the recipe suggests unless you’re using a glass pan (see above), or your oven runs cold.

How to Cut Brownies Cleanly

Science has shown our visual perception of food actually influences how tasty we perceive food to be. If you want to get perfectly clean, neat, and even brownie slices, check out my How to Cut Brownies Cleanly in 5 Steps article. Don’t worry – even if you don’t follow all these tips, your brownies will taste just as delicious!

How to Store Brown Butter Brownies

Brown Butter Brownies taste best the day they are baked, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to 4 days in the fridge. They are even more fudgy when they’re chilled! You can microwave them for a bit to serve them warm and gooey, if preferred.

Can I Freeze Brown Butter Brownies?

Brownies freeze beautifully. Simply wrap slices of brownies in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or for a couple hours at room temperature, before serving.

More Amazing Brownie Recipes:

• Best CHEWY Brownies (perfect if you love box mix texture!)
• Best Easy Brownies (1 bowl, no mixer, less than 1 hour)
• Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies (for serious PB lovers only!)
• Copycat Cosmic Brownies (better than Lil Debbie!)
• Toffee Brownies (so much fun!)

How to Make

Brown Butter Brownies

By: Tessa Arias

4.80 from 90 votes

Yield: 9 brownies

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Review Print SaveSaved!

Brown Butter Brownies are ultra rich, chewy, and fudgy with that classic shiny crinkly crust on top and gooey chocolate chips inside.

Ingredients 

• ▢ 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter
• ▢ 4 ounces (113 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup (64 grams) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup (43 grams) cocoa powder*, preferably Dutch Process
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• ▢ 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a metal 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
• In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter, increasing the heat to medium. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises. Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl, scraping the brown bits into the bowl.
• Immediately add in the chopped chocolate and stir until melted.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat mixture on high speed until completely thickened and fluffy in texture and lightened in color, about 8 minutes. On low speed, gradually pour in the warm brown butter chocolate mixture.
• Use a rubber spatula to stir in flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Pour into prepared pan and smooth out with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until set but not overbaked. Let cool in pan completely before slicing and serving.
• Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for 4 days.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

*Since there is no leavener (baking soda or powder) in this recipe, you can use Dutch Process OR natural unsweetened cocoa powder. I recommend Dutch processed, for a deeper chocolate flavor and richer fudgier texture. Use a cocoa powder with a high fat content for best results.

This recipe was created in 2020 and has been updated with additional baking tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.