Brown Butter Brownies
Posted Jul 22, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These brown butter brownies are rich and fudgy with a deep nutty caramel flavor that’s effortlessly imparted by using brown butter. With crackly tops and gooey centers, they’re the ultimate, elevated brownie recipe.
If you want to effortlessly elevate any baking recipe, use browned butter. And these brown butter brownies are seriously going to change your life.
I took my famous fudgy brownie recipe and used brown butter (and tweaked a few other things), and let me tell you, I may never go back. They are some of the very best brownies I’ve ever made, which is saying a lot because brownies are my favorite dessert.
Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top, take a bite and you will be in dessert heaven, guaranteed.
Brown Butter Brownies: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Semisweet chocolate. You can use chips, bars, discs, etc. because in both the brownie layer and the ganache layer, it’s being melted. You can use dark chocolate or milk chocolate for a richer, sweeter flavor.
- Salted brown butter. Unsalted butter works great as well. Don’t forget to check out my in-depth tutorial on how to brown butter perfectly!
- Granulated sugar. Or use organic cane sugar.
- All-purpose flour. Use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour to make these brownie bites gluten-free.
How to Make Brown Butter Brownies
Let’s walk through this recipe together step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video for further guidance!
Start by greasing an 8×8″ (20×20 cm) baking dish and preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
Brown the Butter
Then, brown the butter. Like I said previously, I have a full tutorial on how to brown butter, but we’ll still talk about it here. Start by cubing the butter. This ensures it melts and browns evenly.
Then, cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. First, the butter will melt.
Then, it will begin to foam on top and start bubbling.
Next, it will start turning light brown with light brown flecks.
Then, it will start turning a darker brown, amber color. At this point the butter is browned and cooking is complete.
More Brown Butter Recipes
If you love browned butter in baked goods, you need to try these recipes!
- Brown butter chocolate chip cookies
- Brown butter oatmeal cookies
- Brown Butter Blondies – so easy and so good!
Make the Brownies
As soon as the butter is done browning, remove the pan from the heat, add the semisweet chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set the mixture aside to cool.
Then, beat the eggs together on high speed for 1 full minute.
Add the sugar and beat again for another full minute. Set a time so you beat it long enough. This is what makes the shiny crackly top.
Then, stir in the melted chocolate and brown butter mixture and vanilla.
Once the wet ingredients are combined, add the flour, salt, and cocoa powder and beat. The batter should be thick and not runny.
At this point you can add mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, caramel bits, etc.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top and edges are set and the brownies are only very slightly jiggly.
Place brownie pan on a wire cooling rack to cool completely, sprinkling the top with flaky sea salt as soon as they come out of the oven.
Serve
Let the brown butter brownies cool completely before cutting into 9 or 16 squares and serving.
If desired, you could frost them with chocolate buttercream frosting or peanut butter frosting, but I truly don’t think they need anything extra because they’re amazing as they are!
To Get Clean Cuts
To get clean cuts, make sure the brownies are completely cooled and firm. Then dip a sharp knife in very hot water, dry it quickly with a towel, then make a cut. Then, wipe the knife off and repeat with each cut.
Store/Freeze
Sore browned butter brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheat for 5 seconds in the microwave if desired.
More Must-Make Brownie Recipes
Since brownies are my favorite dessert, you can trust me that all of these brownie recipes are the very best!
- The best fudgy brownies of all time.
- These raspberry brownies are another summer favorite.
- Cookie dough brownies are insanely decadent.
- Coffee brownies are perfect for the espresso lover in your life.
- Coconut brownies are so delicious with homemade coconut frosting!
- With a layer of creamy caramel in the middle, these caramel brownies are next-level.
- For the peanut butter lover in your life, you need to try these peanut butter cup brownies and chocolate peanut butter brownies.
- M&M Brownies can be festive for any occasion using different colored candies.
Brown Butter Brownies Recipe FAQS
Yes, double the ingredients (brown a full 1 cup of butter) and bake them in a 9×13″ glass baking dish.
In this recipe, stirring the chocolate into the browned butter helps it cool faster. But yes, you need to let that mixture cool slightly before using it in this recipe.
Use high-quality chocolate or cocoa powder. Semi-sweet or dark chocolate pairs especially well with the nutty flavor of brown butter.
Yes, you can add chocolate chips, caramel bits, nuts, etc.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Brown Butter Brownies Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup browned butter
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate (1 ½ cups)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup mix-ins (optional; chocolate chips, nuts, etc.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius), grease a 8×8” (20×20 cm) baking dish, set aside.
Brown the Butter
- Cut butter into ½ “cubes.
- Put butter in a thick-bottomed pan (preferably in an even layer).
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally,
- First, the butter will melt.
- Then, it will begin to foam on top and start bubbling.
- Next, it will start turning light brown with light brown flecks.
- Then, it will start turning a darker brown, amber color. At this point the butter is browned and cooking is complete.
Make the Brownies
- As soon as the butter is done browning, remove the pan from the heat, add the semisweet chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set the mixture aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat eggs for 1 minute or until pale and thick.
- Add sugar and beat for an additional 1 minute, until sugar is dissolved.
- Add melted chocolate/butter mixture and vanilla and stir on low speed until batter is smooth and homogenous (uniform throughout).
- Then, add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix on medium speed until just incorporated and there are no lumps.
- Stir in chocolate chips or other mix-ins by hand (if desired).
Bake, Cool and Serve
- Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until the top is set and the brownies are only very slightly “jiggly”, 25 to 30 minutes.**
- Place brownie pan on a wire cooling rack to cool completely, sprinkling the top with flaky sea salt as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- Semisweet chocolate. You can use chips, bars, discs, etc. because in both the brownie layer and the ganache layer, it’s being melted. You can use dark chocolate or milk chocolate for a richer, sweeter flavor.
- Salted brown butter. Unsalted butter works great as well.
- Granulated sugar. or use organic cane sugar.
- All-purpose flour. Use an all-purpose gluten-free baking flour to make these brownie bites gluten-free.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
