Bakery-Style Brown Butter Brownies

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Next-level, rich, decadent brownies. They have the dreamiest, fudgy texture and you guessed it — taste like they’re from a bakery!

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The second recipe in my “bakery-style” series does not disappoint. These brownies are made with brown butter, loaded with high quality chocolate, and have the dreamiest gooey, fudgy texture. I’m a girl who LOVES cookies, and I have to say, these brownies are making a run for being one of my top favorite recipes of all time.

As with my Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, my goal with these “bakery-style” recipes is to reach that unreal, sophisticated, bakery-level flavor profile and texture, but to simplify it (as much as possible) and make them easy to bake at home. And, I feel 100% confident saying that this recipe does exactly that. I went through multiple iterations of this recipe to get it just right and since finalizing the recipe, I’ve made these brownies the past three weeks — they’re THAT good.

If you love thick, fudgy brownies, you’re going to need to add this recipe to your baking list ASAP, trust me.

Read on for the full recipe for these delicious Bakery-Style Brown Butter Brownies.

I seriously cannot contain my excitement to share this recipe with you all. It’s just SO perfect — the perfect flavor profile, the perfect amount of chocolate, the perfect texture…I could go on and on. I just can’t get enough of these brownies.

For this particular recipe, I opted to brown the butter. Why? Because brown butter helps make that chocolate flavor even stronger. And, hey, if you’re eating a brownie, you clearly like chocolate. At least I would hope so.

Similar to other brownie recipes that I have on my blog, we will be using both cocoa powder and melted chocolate to make the brownie batter. Not only do both help intensify that chocolate flavor, but together, they create the dreamy, fudgy texture that we’re going for.

Now, if you’ve never browned butter before, let’s take a moment to walk through the process. Place a light-colored saucepan or pot over medium heat on the stove. Unwrap your butter and place it in the pan. Allow the butter to completely melt, stirring occasionally to prevent any sticking or burning. Once the butter is fully melted, stop stirring for about 30 seconds. The butter will begin to bubble — as soon as the butter begins to bubble, start stirring again and don’t stop. The butter will keep bubbling and begin to get foamy on top. It will also start changing in color from its original yellow color to a more golden, amber color. You will also see brown dots/flecks at the bottom of the pan — these are toasted milk solids and are what give brown butter its delicious, nutty flavor.

Once the butter has reached that nice golden, amber hue (it should still have a little yellow color in it), remove it from the heat immediately. Transfer the butter to a heat-safe glass bowl or measuring cup and let it cool for 10 minutes before moving on to the next step. And, that’s it! You’ve successfully browned butter. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will get with the process and you’ll become more familiar with certain cues that you look for to know when the butter is done.

The rest of the recipe is fairly straightforward and does not require a mixer (yay!). As always, I like to keep recipes as simple as possible without sacrificing on taste and quality, and I’m confident that this recipe accomplishes exactly that. I’ve included some Tips for Success and answers to FAQs below, so be sure to scroll down and read through those. If you still have questions, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram and I will do my best to answer any questions you may have!

Other recipes you may like:

• Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
• The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (uses brown butter!!)
• Brown Butter Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Mini Chocolate Dipped M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peanut Butter Stuffed Kitchen Sink Cookies

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter
• Semisweet chocolate bar (I used Ghirardelli)
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs, egg yolk
• All-purpose flour
• Cocoa powder
• Salt
• Semisweet chocolate chips (I used Guittard)
• Mini semisweet chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt

Kitchen tools you’ll need:

• Light-colored small to medium saucepan or pot
• Spatula
• Mixing bowls
• Dry ingredient measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Whisk
• 8-inch square baking pan
• Parchment paper

Tips for Success

Use high quality chocolate! For the semisweet chocolate bar (to make the brownie batter), I used a Ghirardelli semisweet baking bar. To mix into the brownie batter, I used Guittard semisweet chocolate chips. Of course, you can always use any semisweet chocolate chips that you have, but if you really want to achieve that bakery-level taste, I recommend splurging on the chocolate — it’s worth it. Plus, the Ghirardelli baking bar melts so much more smoothly and easily. I highly recommend!

Measure your dry ingredients correctly! This tip is in every single one of my recipes because it’s SO important, but it’s especially important with brownies. Cocoa powder can be extremely drying, so it’s important that it’s measured correctly. Always use dry ingredient measuring cups to measure out your flour and cocoa powder. When measuring out these ingredients, take a spoon and run through them (gently) to fluff them up and remove any clumps. Then, take the spoon and spoon the ingredients directly into the measuring cup. Use a flat top tool to level off the top and remove any excess. You should never scoop up these ingredients directly with the measuring cup as they will be compacted and you’ll end up with too much. Too much flour or cocoa powder will lead to dry, crumbly brownies and nobody wants that!

Be careful to not overmix your brownie batter! When adding the dry ingredients, gently fold them in with a rubber spatula until a few flour streaks remain. Then, add in the chocolate chips and fold until just combined. Overmixing will greatly impact the texture of the brownies.

Use the baking time listed as guide, not a set rule! Oven temperatures vary. I made these brownies twice in my kitchen and both times, they took between 25 to 27 minutes to bake. I made the same exact brownies at my parents’ house and they took 20 minutes to bake. Ovens are weird and finicky. Therefore, it’s extremely important that you keep a close eye while your baked goods are in the oven and always go by how they look to determine if they’re done baking. For brownies, I also highly recommend doing the toothpick test. Once your brownies look fully set and have a nice tissue-paper texture on top, remove them from the oven and use a toothpick to see if they’re done baking. I like to do one in the middle and a few on the sides, if there are moist crumbs or even a few dry streaks of chocolate, the brownies are done baking and should be removed from the oven. However, if you remove the toothpick and it’s fully liquid batter, place the brownies back in the oven for another 1-3 minutes and check again with a toothpick until you only see moist crumbs or dry chocolate streaks.

FAQs

How long do I have to whisk the sugars, vanilla, and eggs/egg yolk for?

Two to three minutes! If you want that beautiful, crinkly, tissue paper layer on top of your brownies, this is how you achieve it. You must whisk these ingredients together for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is a thick (still liquid and runny, but more thick), yellowy-white color. Do not just mix until these ingredients are combined, you must whisk for longer.

Do I have to use the Ghirardelli and Guittard chocolate?

While I highly recommend it, regular semisweet chocolate chips will work just fine.

Can I bake these brownies in a 9 inch pan?

Absolutely! Baking temperature will remain the same, but you will need to reduce the bake time. I recommend checking on the brownies at around the 17 to 18 minute mark and add time, as needed.

Can I double this recipe?

You sure can, just be sure to use a 9×13 inch pan. Baking temperature will remain the same. Baking time should also be the same, but again, I recommend keeping a close eye and checking at around the 17 to 18 minute mark.

How to store

Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Set the brownies out for, at minimum, 30 minutes to an hour and allow them to soften and come to room temperature prior to consuming.

Bakery-style brown butter brownies — I’m telling you, they are ELITE! They’re soft, fudgy, perfectly chewy, and full of chocolate. I’m so happy with how these turned out and know that you’ll love them too! Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!

If you try this recipe, share and tag me on socials using @itsbrunchoklock or #itsbrunchoklock. Or, leave a review below — these reviews help me out so much!!