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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Bars & Brownies / Browned Butter Blondies with Walnut Crumble

    Browned Butter Blondies with Walnut Crumble

    November 2, 2016 By Sam 29 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Decadent, chewy blondies made with browned butter and maple syrup and topped with a crisp walnut crumble.

    Brown Butter Blondies || SugarSpunRun

    I like to spend my autumns holed up in the kitchen, tapping my foot to the rhythm of my KitchenAid, warming the kitchen to a comfortable 350 degrees, and burying myself in baked goods.

    Fall weather is baking weather.

    Technically, all weather is baking weather in my house, but I don’t know if I ever enjoy it as much as I do during the Fall.

    Brown Butter Blondies || SugarSpunRun

    During the summertime, I feel mostly limited to no-bake recipes and fruity desserts, but right now I don’t feel so bad about warming up the kitchen with the oven (especially since Zach doesn’t believe the heat should be turned on until January!), and fall flavors are so much fun to bake with.

    I’ve captured some of the best flavors of fall here: browned butter, brown sugar & walnut crumbles, and a hint of maple, all topped off with vanilla bean ice cream and homemade salted caramel sauce.

    Brown Butter Blondies || SugarSpunRun

    Let’s talk about browned butter for a second.  Have you ever made it before?  I’ve used it both here and here, but haven’t ever used it in blondies (…or anything else, for that matter) before.

    Browned butter is made by heating butter in a saucepan until most of the water cooks out of it (in a snappy little orchestra of pops and sizzles) and it begins to brown.  It takes only five minutes or so, and fills your whole kitchen with a buttery, nutty aroma that I have no idea why Yankee Candle hasn’t yet incorporated into their collection (I would buy so many brown butter scented candles!).

    Brown Butter Blondies || SugarSpunRun

    The browned butter helps make these blondies nice, soft, and chewy (and, of course, rich with a next-level depth of buttery flavor), but that’s not the only factor at play.  Brown sugar and maple syrup also are key factors in keeping things nice and soft.  The maple syrup is subtle (and you can definitely use maple-flavored pancake syrup, if you don’t want to spring for the pure stuff), but it helps with the chewiness and adds to the flavor.

    I topped everything off with a walnut crumble (the same one I used in my sour cream apple pie, in case you were trying to remember why it looked so familiar) which adds a nice crunch in contrast to the soft chewiness of the blondie.

    Then, if you’re feeling extra indulgent, warm your blondie before enjoying (these taste good at room temperature, sure, but please do yourself a favor and try them warm!), top it off with vanilla ice cream, and drizzle with some homemade salted caramel sauce.

    Brown Butter Blondies || SugarSpunRun

    Enjoy!

    Brown butter maple bar with scoop of ice cream

    Browned Butter Blondies

    Decadent, chewy blondies made with browned butter and maple syrup and topped with a crisp walnut crumble.
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 16 blondies
    Calories: 268kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter (142g)
    • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (255g)
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup brown sugar tightly packed (200g)
    • ½ cup sugar (100g)
    • ⅓ cup maple syrup (80ml)
    • 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Walnut Topping

    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
    • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar tightly packed
    • 2 Tablespoons butter (28g)
    • ½ cup chopped walnuts (60g)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and grease and flour a 9x9 pan.
    • Cut your butter into Tablespoon-sized pieces and place in a medium-sized saucepan.  Melt over medium-low heat.
    • Once butter has melted, increase heat to just above medium heat.
    • Swirl and scrape the sides of the pan frequently with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula - the butter will bubble and pop.  Once the bubbling/popping  slows, the butter will begin to turn brown.  Watch it carefully,  and once it begins to brown and you smell the nutty aroma of browned butter, remove from heat and pour into a large, heatproof bowl.  
      Overhead of browned butter in sauce pan
    • Allow butter to cool at least 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare your dry ingredients.
    • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
    • Once butter has cooled at least 15 minutes, stir in sugars and maple syrup.  Stir well.
    • Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.  Stir until well-combined.
    • Gradually stir your dry ingredients into your wet and pour evenly into your prepared pan.
    • Prepare your topping by pulsing flour and brown sugar in small food processor.
    • Add butter, and pulse just until coarse crumbs form.
    • Add walnuts, pulse once again, briefly, and then turn food processor off and carefully remove blade.
    • Sprinkle the walnut topping evenly over the prepared blondie batter.
    • Bake on 350F (177C) for 35 minutes.  Serve warm, preferably topped with ice cream and salted caramel sauce.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1blondie | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 293IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    CLICK TO PIN IT:

    brown-butter-blondies-with-walnut-crumble-sugarspunrun

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Patti

      May 25, 2022 at 11:39 am

      Could I double this recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan?

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 26, 2022 at 9:29 am

        Hi Patti! They will probably be a little bit thicker if the recipe is doubled, but that should work just fine. Your bake time will be a bit longer. 🙂

        Reply
      • Patricia Gibson

        September 25, 2022 at 10:40 pm

        5 stars
        I made these last week and I made another batch today. I luv the taste from the brown butter. My new favorite blondie recipe. So chewy and delicious. Thanks Samantha.

        Reply
        • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

          September 26, 2022 at 11:13 am

          We are so happy you like them so much, Patricia! Brown butter is the best secret ingredient ❤️

    2. Amy

      December 09, 2021 at 10:52 am

      These sound amazing, but my husband is allergic to nuts. Would it hurt anything to just leave off the crumble?

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 12, 2021 at 9:25 pm

        Hi Amy! You may need to reduce the bake time by a couple of minutes but that’s it. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Dan

      June 23, 2021 at 1:19 pm

      I’m gonna try this recipe tomorrow! We don’t have maple syrup in Argentina, but I think I’m gonna try with Amarula instead! Or should I go with honey?
      Another question: should I store it in the fridge once it’s done?
      Thanks in advance! Your carrot cake recipe is the best one I found, nothing tops that.

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 30, 2021 at 9:35 pm

        Hi Dan! I’m not sure how the Amarula will work, but they honey should be ok. You can store them in an air tight container at room temperature after they have finished baking. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Sydney

      December 29, 2020 at 11:16 pm

      I followed the recipe exactly, but after even 50 minutes of baking, it was still totally unbaked in the middle, but the edges were crisp. Any thoughts on what I could’ve done wrong!!! Smelled amazing though.

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 30, 2020 at 10:47 am

        Hi Sydney! Sounds like an oven temperature issue. Did you bake them on the center rack? Is your oven temperature accurate? The edges shouldn’t be burning before the center is done. I hope this helps. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Konnor

      September 26, 2020 at 12:45 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome recipe! I used powdered sugar in place of regular sugar and replaced the maple syrup with butterscotch schnapps… absolutely Devine! I make my chocolate chip cookies with powdered sugar instead of regular cane sugar as well… I like the texture of the cookies better when made with powdered sugar. I thought I would see if these blondies would have the same soft chewy texture. When using the schnapps, I browned my butter and then added the schnapps to cook out the alcohol … once I had done that, I mixed in the brown sugar while the butter and schnapps was still a little warm so that the brown sugar would be silky and smooth… after letting it cool a little, I finished mixing in the rest of the ingredients. These blondies were delicious and disappeared super fast! I think I will call these, Browned Butter Scottie Bars!

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 28, 2020 at 2:06 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Konnor! Thank you so much for your feedback. They sound delicious. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Isabel

      May 12, 2020 at 12:36 pm

      5 stars
      These are the best blondies I’ve ever had. I’m going to make them this afternoon with chocolate chips and a pecan crumble instead of walnut. Thnak you for creating the most wonderful recipes!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        May 12, 2020 at 12:52 pm

        Thank you so much for trying my recipe! I am so glad that you enjoyed them, Isabel! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Jane

      March 01, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      How do these compare to your “best blondies ever!” recipe? I’m deciding which to make!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        March 02, 2020 at 7:10 am

        Hi, Jane! Both are delicious in my opinion. The brown butter gives a rich toffee-like taste compared to the best blondie. I would say that the best blondie recipe has been more popular, but you can’t go wrong with either one. I hope that helps. Keep me posted on which one you try and how it turns out. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Becca

      October 04, 2019 at 10:19 pm

      What would you recommend changing for cooking in an 8×8? Lower the temp and longer time? We don’t have a 9×9 so I made them in a 8×8 tonight and can’t get the middle to cook! We finally pulled them out because the edges we’re getting too cooked. The flavor is absolutely amazing (especially with that caramel sauce! 😍) but bummed I couldn’t get them cooked well!

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 05, 2019 at 6:43 pm

        I would just think they would need a bit more time in the oven, it shouldn’t be necessary to lower the oven temperature but if yours was starting to brown on the outside it might be worth trying dropping the oven temperature a few degrees as well. I also seem to have better luck using a metal baking pan rather than a glass one, for what that is worth! I am glad to hear you enjoyed the flavor otherwise, though!

        Reply
    9. Renea

      February 05, 2019 at 11:41 am

      Hi Sam! I want to make these with pecans rather than walnuts. Will that change the flavor profile significantly?

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 05, 2019 at 3:52 pm

        Hi Renea! No it won’t change it significantly. It sounds delicious! 🙂

        Reply
    10. Tracey

      October 30, 2018 at 11:51 pm

      5 stars
      These are truly AMAZING!! I made them for a Halloween party, and they were a huge hit! My daughter was eating the sauce right out of the pan…she couldn’t wait for me to dish it up for her.

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 31, 2018 at 12:11 pm

        😂 My husband does the same thing! I am so glad everyone enjoyed them. 🙂

        Reply
    11. LPG

      April 02, 2018 at 1:08 pm

      5 stars
      These blondies taste Amazing! on my favorite dessert list for sure!!! thanks

      Reply
    12. puja

      November 04, 2016 at 4:28 pm

      This looks gorgeous Sam. My daughter would love this recipe. Lovely share. 🙂

      Reply
    13. Medha

      November 03, 2016 at 4:49 pm

      That walnut crumble sounds so delicious! I am a huge walnut fan, and with the richness of the browned butter, these are next level 🙂

      Reply
    14. Sues

      November 02, 2016 at 4:38 pm

      Oh man, our heat has already been on for a couple weeks! Not every day, but some days it is needed! However, I think these would warm me up quite nicely, too 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 02, 2016 at 7:58 pm

        They definitely help! We’re having a bit of a warmer streak right now but I’m still cold!

        Reply
    15. Amanda

      November 02, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      I’ve had browned butter cookies before, but never browned butter blondies. These look too good!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 02, 2016 at 3:02 pm

        I bet you would love these, Amanda! 🙂

        Reply

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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