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Brown Butter Brownies are deeply rich and fudgy. They have a cracked top and are decadent, thick and chewy.

Browned Butter Brownies
Seven Layer Bars Stacked
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Browned butter makes everything better like these brown butter pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, caramel stuffed browned butter snickers cookies, and even brown butter cardamom snickerdoodles! I even put it in the rum raisin banana bread! These brownies are no exception. The butter adds a richness and nutty note that compliments the chocolate.

These brownies are an excellent candidate for adding all the mix-ins. Top them with M&M’s, chopped Reese’s cups, a salted caramel sauce swirl or a cream cheese swirl!

Browned Butter Brownies

Sometimes the best is simple, but sometimes being the best takes a little more work!

Browned Butter Brownies

To break it down, we are going to beat the eggs and the sugar together (called a whole egg foam) until the ribbon stage and then we’ll pour the melted butter and chocolate into whipping egg foam. A touch extra all in the name of extra rich and chewy brownies!

Browned Butter Brownies

Tips for amazing Browned Butter Brownies:

  • Brown that butter. Get all that nutty, rich flavor into the brownie batter. The key is stirring the heating butter every now and again to get a nice even brown rather than just a few burned bits.
  • Make sure the chocolate mixture is melted but not hot. I usually brown the butter and pour it over the chocolate while I scale the rest of my ingredients. If it gets too hot, just wait and let it cool down.
  • It is important that the eggs and sugar are at ribbon stage. This is the main leavening in the brownie and it will give you that chewy texture. You know you’ve reached ribbon stage when you let the egg foam run off the whisk as you move it over the bowl and it sits on top of the rest of the batter briefly before disappearing back into the foam.
Browned Butter Brownies
Browned Butter Brownie stacked detailed texture
5 from 2 ratings

Brown Butter Brownies

Brown Butter Brownies are deeply rich and fudgy. They have a cracked top and are decadent.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 16 people

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Preheat an oven to 350°F. Spray and line a baking dish with crisscrossed parchment.
  • Whisk together cocoa powder and flour. Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Place butter in a sauce pot and heat over medium until the butter solids begin to brown and have a lovely nutty aroma; stir occasionally or nonstop if you have the time and patience. God bless you.
  • Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Allow the chocolate to melt and the stir to combine.
  • Whisk sugars, salt, eggs and vanilla in stand mixer until ribbon stage. This is just fancy-pastry speak for a test of tripling the volume. Beating the eggs until you can take the whisk and allow the egg foam to fall on top of the rest of the mixture in the bowl. When it reaches “Ribbon Stage” it will sit for a few seconds on top of the mixture before falling back in. It looks like drawing ribbons on top.
  • Reduce speed to medium and add chocolate/butter combination. Mix well. Add sifted flour and cocoa powder until roughly combined. Finish by hand with rubber spatula.
  • Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

Presentation Let the brownies cool completely before cutting for a clean edge! 
Flavor Tips – Because chocolate is the flavor co-star in these brownies (they share the stage with the browned butter), you should use the highest quality chocolate you can find. I wholeheartedly support you whatever you decide, but an extra drizzle of salted caramel at the end is just divine. I spoon some caramel sauce into a ziplock baggie, cut a corner off and then squeeze the caramel out!
TechniqueWhisk sugars, salt, eggs and vanilla in a stand mixer until ribbon stage. This is just fancy-pastry speak for a test of tripling the volume. Beat the eggs until you can take the whisk and allow the egg foam to fall on top of the rest of the mixture in the bowl. When it reaches “Ribbon Stage” it will sit for a few seconds on top of the mixture before falling back in. It looks like drawing ribbons on top.
Helpful Tools Lining your pan with parchment paper is going to be a key detail for these, since it makes your brownies easy to take out of the pan!
Variations You can make variations with types of chocolate based on your preference!
Storage – These brownies are not ideal for shipping cross-country or anywhere for that matter. There are treats that travel well, but these most certainly aren’t one of them. Store baked brownies in an air-tight container at room temperature, refrigerated or frozen. Zip-top plastic bags also work nicely. These brownies will keep 3 days at room temperature, a week in the refrigerator or 2 months frozen.
Yield: 9×9”

Nutrition

Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 199
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Hi, I’m Chef Lindsey!

I am the baker, recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Chef Lindsey Farr. I believe in delicious homemade food and the power of dessert!

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