In my book, if you are going to bake with booze, no need to be wimpy about it; the alcohol should be the star.... these Bourbon Browned Butter Blondies do not disappoint.
These rich, gooey, caramelized brown butter blondies are a worthy treat. The sweet, oaky bourbon rounds out the brown butter base. White chocolate chips studded throughout make this a damn near perfect bite. Move over chocolate chip cookies, we have a new house favorite in town! (no dogs got drunk in the production of these bars 🙂
Looking for a summery treat? Check out my zesty Lemon Squares.
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Recently, I brought a batch of these goodies to a pool party (don't worry, it was adults only; I wasn't getting the neighborhood kids tipsy). These were the first dessert to disappear, even beating out the promising Oreo-Cookie, Rice-Krispy treats. Whether you are trying to win the potluck or not (am I really the only crazy person out there turning potlucks into competition?!?), I assure you these will be a hit.
Dessert Perfection
How will you love these blondies? Let's count the ways:
- Made with a whopping ⅓ cup bourbon, these treats bring the party to your mouth.
- An easy dessert to pack and transport to an event; a few bumps in the back of the car won't phase these guys.
- Quick and easy to make; you can enjoy these in just over 30 minutes.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bourbon - well, they wouldn't be bourbon blondies without it, but you could certainly leave it out if you want a non-alcoholic version. Use top notch bourbon; this is the dominant flavor profile, so the good stuff is worth it.
- White chocolate chips - the chips complement the sweetness of the bourbon. Butterscotch chips would be great too.
- Browned butter - taking the time to brown the butter adds a depth of flavor that would be missed with just plain, ol' butter. If you don't have time for brown butter, plain ol' butter certainly works.
- Brown sugar - like the brown butter, the molasses in the sugar adds depth of flavor. I haven't tried coconut sugar, but that has a nice nutty flavor which could work here, as well.
- Salt - salt livens up all the flavors on the tongue. Don't skimp on the salt.
Browned Butter Blondie Questions
Bourbon adds a dark color to these blondies, so they are much darker than a typically blondie. And, scrumptious.
One of my food blogging goddesses, Smitten Kitchen, has a fantastic recipe for blondies. I have been riffing on this for years to come up with my big batch of browned butter blondies that include baking powder (one of the few areas in life I may disagree with Deb Perelman!)
The texture of these treats is similar; where they differ is key ingredients. Brownies are made with cocoa (or melted chocolate). You won't find chocolate in a blondie. In a traditional blondie flavor comes from brown sugar and vanilla extract. My blondies go to 11, with white chocolate (which isn't actually chocolate) and bourbon.
A soft, gooey center is definitely not a bad thing when it comes to a blondie. A good blondies should have a soft, fudge-like center. Blondies are done when the top starts to crackle and the edges are lightly browned, pulling away from the edge of the pan.
Storage
- These can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
Equipment
You've probably got everything you need in your kitchen to whip up a blondie batch:
- Baking pan: a large rectangular shape is good for the amount of batter
- Parchment paper: to prevent sticky sides on the pan
- Cooking spray: to prevent sticky bottoms on the parchment paper
- Mixing bowl: I'm like a big ceramic bowl but stainless steel works too
- Whisk: Use a big one to get the job done right
Cook's Tip
If you think about it, bake blondies the day before you want to indulge (yeah, I realize we can't alway pre-plan an indulgence). The bourbon, though, shines through even more on the second day.
Did you enjoy these Browned Butter Blondies? Please share a rating and comment below with me and your fellow Kitchen Intention setters. Cheers!
Bourbon Browned Butter Blondies
- Total Time: 39 minutes
- Yield: 30 depending on how you cut them 1x
Description
Bourbon, brown butter, and white chocolate chips go hand-in-hand in these gooey blondies with a crackly top. The booze is the main flavor profile here so use your top shelf brand.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 170 g (12 T) unsalted butter
- 300 g (1.5 c) brown sugar
- 80 g (⅓ c) bourbon
- 2 t vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 210 g (1.5 c) all purpose flour
- 1 t. baking powder
- ¼ t. salt
- 255 g (1 ½ c) white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Lay 2 sheets of parchment paper into 9x13 pan in opposite directions, so there is overhang on all 4 sides.
- Spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
- Over medium-low heat, swirl butter in large sauce pan until nutty and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Remove butter from heat and whisk in brown sugar.
- Add bourbon and vanilla and whisk until less grainy (it won't get completely smooth)
- If butter mixture is still hot, set aside to cool to lukewarm. When no hotter than lukewarm, whisk in eggs.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Fold flour into butter bourbon mixture.
- Stir in white chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan. Batter will be thick (I usually need an extra set of helper hands)
- Bake until top is crackly and firm to the touch, about 23 - 25 minutes.
- Cool in pan on wire rack.
- Once cooled, remove from pan with parchment handles.
- Cut into desired serving size; I like them a little smaller than average.
Notes
- If blondies look like they might break as you lift them out of pan, pop them in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- The bourbon flavor is prominent, use the good stuff.
- Nutritional information below is provided as a courtesy only and is estimated by Nutrifox.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Category: Indulge, Dessert, Cookie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 blondies
- Calories: 325
- Sugar: 29.6 g
- Sodium: 71.3 mg
- Fat: 15.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 40.8 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 52.7 mg
Chet Baddeley says
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Nancy says
Okay, I am bias but this is one of my the most favorite recipes I've worked on. And, they get devoured when I bring them to parties!