Homemade Brown Butter Brownies

Here is my favorite brown butter brownie recipe, with rich cocoa powder, brown sugar for extra depth, and chocolate chips stirred right into the batter for pockets of melty chocolate goodness.

These brownies are what I make when I really want to impress someone, or honestly, when I just need a serious chocolate fix. The brown butter adds this nutty, caramel-like flavor that takes regular brownies to a whole new level without any extra work.

What Kind of Butter Should I Use?

For brown butter brownies, you’ll want to use unsalted butter so you can control the salt level in your recipe. Regular supermarket butter works perfectly fine – there’s no need to splurge on fancy European-style butter for this recipe. The browning process is what really matters here, and that works with any quality of butter. Just make sure your butter is fresh and doesn’t have any off smells, since browning it will concentrate the flavors. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can still use it, but I’d suggest cutting back on the added salt in the recipe by about half.

Options for Substitutions

These brownies are pretty straightforward, but here are some swaps you can make if needed:

• Butter: The brown butter is really what makes these brownies special, so I’d recommend sticking with butter here. However, if you need a dairy-free option, you can use plant-based butter – just know the flavor won’t be quite the same.
• Brown sugar: You can use granulated white sugar instead, though you’ll lose some of that caramel-like depth. If you only have white sugar, add 2 tablespoons of molasses to mimic the brown sugar flavor.
• Cocoa powder: Dutch-process or natural cocoa both work fine here. Just stick with unsweetened cocoa powder, not hot chocolate mix.
• Chocolate chips: Feel free to use whatever chocolate you have – dark chocolate chunks, milk chocolate chips, or even chopped chocolate bars all work great. You can also leave them out entirely for a more classic brownie.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is best here, but you can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if needed. The texture might be slightly different, but they’ll still turn out tasty.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making brown butter brownies is not watching your butter closely enough – it can go from perfectly nutty and golden to burnt and bitter in just 30 seconds, so stay by the stove and remove it from heat as soon as you see brown specks and smell that toasty aroma.

Overbaking is another common issue that leads to dry, cakey brownies instead of fudgy ones, so start checking at the 20-minute mark and pull them out when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not completely clean).

Make sure to let your brown butter cool for about 5 minutes before adding it to the egg mixture, otherwise the heat can scramble your eggs and ruin the texture.

Finally, resist the urge to cut into your brownies right away – letting them cool completely in the pan helps them set properly and makes for cleaner slices.

What to Serve With Brown Butter Brownies?

These brownies are rich and fudgy on their own, but they’re even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top while they’re still warm. The cold ice cream melting into the warm brownie creates this amazing contrast that’s hard to beat. If you want to get fancy, drizzle some caramel or hot fudge sauce over everything, or add a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries like raspberries or strawberries. A glass of cold milk is always a solid choice too, especially if you’re enjoying these as an afternoon snack.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your brownies fresh by storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you want them to last a bit longer, pop them in the fridge where they’ll stay good for about a week. They taste great cold too, almost like fudge!

Freeze: These brownies freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just cut them into squares, wrap each one in plastic wrap, and store them in a freezer bag. This way you can grab one whenever you need a chocolate fix without thawing the whole batch.

Serve: Let frozen brownies thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or if you’re impatient like me, microwave them for 15-20 seconds for that fresh-baked warmth. They’re also delicious straight from the fridge if you like a denser, fudgier texture.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3200-3400
• Protein: 32-36 g
• Fat: 190-210 g
• Carbohydrates: 370-390 g

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup cocoa powder (sifted to remove lumps)
• 1.5 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 large eggs (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60% cacao gives better texture and moisture)

Step 1: Prepare Your Setup and Mise en Place

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang on the sides for easy removal later.

Sift the cocoa powder into a small bowl to remove any lumps—this ensures smooth texture throughout your brownies.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.

Remove your eggs from the refrigerator so they can come to room temperature (this helps them incorporate air more efficiently when beaten).

Step 2: Brown the Butter and Bloom the Cocoa

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1.5 tsp vanilla essence

Cut the butter into chunks and place in a small saucepan over low heat.

Let it melt slowly, swirling occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until it develops a deep golden-brown color with a nutty aroma—watch carefully toward the end as browning can happen quickly.

The milk solids will settle and darken at the bottom, which is exactly what you want for flavor.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in the sifted cocoa powder and vanilla essence until smooth.

This blooms the cocoa and infuses it with the rich brown butter flavor.

Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 3: Create the Egg-Sugar Base

• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature eggs with the brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and noticeably increased in volume.

This incorporates air, which creates a fudgy yet tender crumb.

I find that properly beating this mixture is key to getting the right texture—don’t rush it.

Step 4: Fold and Layer the Batter

• brown butter and cocoa mixture from Step 2
• egg-sugar mixture from Step 3
• dry ingredient mixture from Step 1
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Carefully pour the cooled brown butter-cocoa mixture from Step 2 into the beaten egg mixture from Step 3, then fold gently using a spatula with broad, sweeping strokes rather than stirring—this preserves the airiness you worked to create.

Fold until just combined without overmixing.

Then fold in the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 until no flour streaks remain, and finally fold in the chocolate chips.

Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and smooth the top evenly.

Step 5: Bake and Cool

Bake at 350°F for 20-35 minutes, checking at the 20-minute mark by inserting a toothpick near the center—it should have just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, not be completely clean (brownies continue cooking slightly as they cool).

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before lifting out using the parchment overhang.

I prefer to let mine cool completely before cutting, as warm brownies are delicate, but if you love them warm, you can cut into squares while still slightly warm.

Homemade Brown Butter Brownies

Delicious Homemade Brown Butter Brownies recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 16 pieces

Calories: 3300

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup cocoa powder (sifted to remove lumps)
• 1.5 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 large eggs (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60% cacao gives better texture and moisture)

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang on the sides for easy removal later. Sift the cocoa powder into a small bowl to remove any lumps—this ensures smooth texture throughout your brownies. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside. Remove your eggs from the refrigerator so they can come to room temperature (this helps them incorporate air more efficiently when beaten).
2. Cut the butter into chunks and place in a small saucepan over low heat. Let it melt slowly, swirling occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until it develops a deep golden-brown color with a nutty aroma—watch carefully toward the end as browning can happen quickly. The milk solids will settle and darken at the bottom, which is exactly what you want for flavor. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the sifted cocoa powder and vanilla essence until smooth. This blooms the cocoa and infuses it with the rich brown butter flavor. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature eggs with the brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and noticeably increased in volume. This incorporates air, which creates a fudgy yet tender crumb. I find that properly beating this mixture is key to getting the right texture—don't rush it.
4. Carefully pour the cooled brown butter-cocoa mixture from Step 2 into the beaten egg mixture from Step 3, then fold gently using a spatula with broad, sweeping strokes rather than stirring—this preserves the airiness you worked to create. Fold until just combined without overmixing. Then fold in the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 until no flour streaks remain, and finally fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and smooth the top evenly.
5. Bake at 350°F for 20-35 minutes, checking at the 20-minute mark by inserting a toothpick near the center—it should have just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, not be completely clean (brownies continue cooking slightly as they cool). Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before lifting out using the parchment overhang. I prefer to let mine cool completely before cutting, as warm brownies are delicate, but if you love them warm, you can cut into squares while still slightly warm.