I used brown butter in my Fudgy Brownie Recipe, and I can barely keep the secret of how it creates that famous crackly top.

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I still can’t believe how much browning unsalted butter messes with my head, it turns simple batter into something almost criminal. I made these thinking they’d be just another Best Brownie Recipe, but they came out super dense and molten in the middle with that famous crackly top that stops you mid breath.

I fold in chopped semisweet chocolate so you get pockets of goo that hit different every bite, and the texture leans totally into a Fudgy Brownie Recipe vibe. You’ll want to know whats different, and honestly I tasted one piece and went back for another.

Ingredients

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Browned butter: Deep nutty fat, makes brownies moist and complex, it’s not just buttery sweetness
Bittersweet chocolate: Gives rich cocoa flavor, you’ve also got some protein and iron
Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and crisp top, mostly simple carbs, little to no nutrition
Brown sugar: Adds moisture and caramel notes, it’s from molasses so tiny mineral trace
Eggs: Binders that add protein, fat and structure, they help the fudgy chew
All purpose flour: Provides bulk and gluten, mostly carbs so don’t overdo if you want fudgy
Unsweetened cocoa powder: Intense chocolate without fat, gives bitterness and antioxidants, it’ll make it dark
Instant espresso powder: Tiny boost of depth, enhances chocolate, negligible calories or nutrients, but worth it
Semisweet chips: Extra pockets of melty chocolate, adds sweetness and texture, mostly fat and carbs
Toasted nuts: Toasted nuts add crunch, healthy fats, protein, fiber and a toasty flavor, yum

Ingredient Quantities

unsalted butter, 1 cup (226 g), browned

bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, 8 oz (225 g), chopped

granulated sugar, 1 cup (200 g)

light brown sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) packed

large eggs, 3

vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons

all purpose flour, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (about 100 g)

unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup (25 g)

fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon

instant espresso powder, 1 teaspoon optional

semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup (90 g) optional

toasted chopped walnuts or pecans, 1/2 cup optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment leaving an overhang for easy lifting, lightly grease the parchment so it wont slide.

2. Brown the butter: melt 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter in a light saucepan over medium heat, swirl the pan as it melts, it will foam then the milk solids will turn golden brown and smell nutty, remove from heat the moment you see amber bits and transfer to a heatproof bowl — watch it closely it goes fast.

3. Add 8 oz (225 g) chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate to the warm brown butter, let sit 30–60 seconds then stir until completely smooth; stir in 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder now if using, let the mixture cool just until warm to the touch so it wont cook the eggs.

4. In a separate bowl whisk 3 large eggs with 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar until pale and thick about 3–5 minutes, this step helps give you the crackly top so don’t skip or skimp.

5. Stir 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into the egg-sugar mixture, then pour the warm chocolate-butter into the eggs in a steady stream while stirring gently until glossy and uniform, if the chocolate is too hot stop and let it cool a little so the eggs dont scramble.

6. Sift or whisk together 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (about 100 g) all purpose flour, 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; fold the dry mix into the chocolate batter just until no streaks remain, dont overmix or you’ll lose fudginess.

7. Fold in 1/2 cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips and/or 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans now if using, or reserve a handful to sprinkle on top before baking.

8. Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and give the pan a couple gentle taps on the counter to pop large air bubbles.

9. Bake 22–28 minutes until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly or a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs, rotate pan halfway if your oven runs hot; remember underbake a touch for dense fudgy brownies.

10. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (at least 2 hours) to set, lift out with the parchment and if you want cleaner slices chill 20–30 minutes before cutting, sprinkle a tiny pinch of extra fine sea salt on top if you like the sweet-salty contrast.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (set to 350 F)
2. 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper leaving an overhang
3. Parchment paper plus nonstick spray or extra butter for greasing
4. Small heavy‑bottomed saucepan for browning the butter
5. Heatproof bowl to melt the chocolate into
6. Two mixing bowls (one for eggs/sugars, one for dry ingredients)
7. Whisk or electric hand mixer for whipping the eggs and sugars
8. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for flour and cocoa powder
9. Rubber spatula for folding and scraping
10. Measuring cups and spoons plus a digital kitchen scale (recommended) and oven mitts

FAQ

Q: How do I brown the butter without burning it? A: Use a light colored pan so you can see the color change, melt on medium heat, swirl or stir often. It will foam then the milk solids turn golden and smell nutty, once you see brown flecks take it off the heat and pour into a cool bowl to stop cooking. Don’t leave it in the hot pan or it’ll keep darkening.

Q: Do I need to let the brown butter and melted chocolate cool before adding to the eggs? A: Yes, cool them to warm, not piping hot. If the chocolate mix is too hot it can scramble the eggs. Best trick is to whisk eggs and sugars, then slowly stream the warm chocolate-butter in while whisking to temper. Or wait 5 to 10 minutes for it to drop temp.

Q: How do I keep these fudgy and not cakey? A: Use the weight for flour, don’t overmix once flour is in, and underbake a little – pull them when center still has a tiny jiggle or a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cooling completely (or chilling) firms them up and gives that ultra-fudgy texture.

Q: Can I swap ingredients or add mix-ins? A: Yes. Use equal weight chocolate chips if you don’t have chopped chocolate. The espresso powder is optional but it boosts chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee. Nuts or extra chips fold in last, about 1/2 cup. For gluten free use a cup-for-cup GF flour blend but expect slight texture changes.

Q: My chocolate got grainy or “seized” when I mixed it with butter, what now? A: If it looks grainy, warm it gently over a double boiler or microwave short bursts and stir until smooth. If it’s seized from water, try adding a tablespoon of warm cream or butter at a time to bring it back together.

Q: How should I store and reheat leftovers? A: Keep brownies in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days, refrigerate up to a week, or freeze slices up to 3 months. Reheat single pieces in the microwave 8 to 12 seconds for gooey warmth or 5 to 7 minutes at 300°F in the oven from frozen.

Brown Butter Fudgy Brownies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

unsalted browned butter
- Ghee or clarified butter (use equal weight, 1 cup). It gives rich fat but wont have the same nutty browned milk solids flavor.
- Neutral oil like canola or vegetable (use about 3/4 cup for 1 cup butter). Texture stays fudgy but flavor is less buttery.
- Solid coconut oil (1 cup). Adds a faint coconut note and can change the crumb a bit.
bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
- Equal weight of chocolate chips or another dark chocolate bar (use 8 oz). Easiest swap, same sweetness and texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder plus extra fat and sugar (if needed). A practical combo is 3/4 cup (75 g) cocoa powder + 6 tbsp (85 g) butter + about 1/3 cup sugar to mimic 8 oz chocolate, but this takes a little taste adjustment.
granulated sugar
- Coconut sugar (use 1:1). Gives deeper caramel notes and slightly less sweetness.
- Use all light brown sugar instead of the white plus brown mix (use a total of 1 1/2 cups brown in place of the 1 cup white + 1/2 cup brown). Brown brings more chew and molasses flavor.
all purpose flour
- 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend (use equal weight, about 100 g). Good for gluten free versions without big changes.
- Almond flour (use about 3/4 the amount by weight and expect a denser fudgy brownie, you may want an extra egg or a tablespoon or two of oat flour to help bind).

Pro Tips

1) Brown the butter like a hawk. It goes from golden to burnt in seconds so pull it off the heat the moment you see amber bits, then transfer it to a cool bowl so the residual heat stops the browning. If you want extra nutty flavor, scrape those browned bits into the bowl, but dont leave the butter in the hot pan or it will keep cooking.

2) Never pour very hot chocolate into the eggs. Temper it slowly by adding a little chocolate to the eggs first, stir, then add the rest. If the chocolate feels too hot, set the bowl briefly over an ice bath and stir to bring it down so the eggs dont scramble.

3) Do not skimp on whipping the eggs and sugars. Beat until pale and thick, about 3 to 5 minutes with a hand mixer. That step gives you the shiny crackly top and better texture, so yeah it matters. Scrape the bowl once or twice while you go.

4) Measure flour correctly and fold gently. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off dont pack it, or weigh it if you can. Fold just until streaks disappear, overmixing will make cakey brownies not fudgy ones.

5) Cool and slice the right way. Let the pan cool fully before unmolding, then chill 20 to 30 minutes if you want clean slices. For neat pieces warm a sharp knife under hot water, wipe it dry between cuts. If youre adding nuts or chips, toast the nuts in a dry pan first and reserve a few chips to sprinkle on top so they look nice after baking.

Brown Butter Fudgy Brownies Recipe

Recipe by Louise Nightin

0.0 from 0 votes

I used brown butter in my Fudgy Brownie Recipe, and I can barely keep the secret of how it creates that famous crackly top.

Servings

servings

Calories

344.5

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (set to 350 F)
2. 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper leaving an overhang
3. Parchment paper plus nonstick spray or extra butter for greasing
4. Small heavy‑bottomed saucepan for browning the butter
5. Heatproof bowl to melt the chocolate into
6. Two mixing bowls (one for eggs/sugars, one for dry ingredients)
7. Whisk or electric hand mixer for whipping the eggs and sugars
8. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for flour and cocoa powder
9. Rubber spatula for folding and scraping
10. Measuring cups and spoons plus a digital kitchen scale (recommended) and oven mitts

Ingredients

unsalted butter, 1 cup (226 g), browned
bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, 8 oz (225 g), chopped
granulated sugar, 1 cup (200 g)
light brown sugar, 1/2 cup (100 g) packed
large eggs, 3
vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons
all purpose flour, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (about 100 g)
unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup (25 g)
fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon
instant espresso powder, 1 teaspoon optional
semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup (90 g) optional
toasted chopped walnuts or pecans, 1/2 cup optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F and line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment leaving an overhang for easy lifting, lightly grease the parchment so it wont slide.
Brown the butter: melt 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter in a light saucepan over medium heat, swirl the pan as it melts, it will foam then the milk solids will turn golden brown and smell nutty, remove from heat the moment you see amber bits and transfer to a heatproof bowl — watch it closely it goes fast.
Add 8 oz (225 g) chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate to the warm brown butter, let sit 30–60 seconds then stir until completely smooth; stir in 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder now if using, let the mixture cool just until warm to the touch so it wont cook the eggs.
In a separate bowl whisk 3 large eggs with 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar until pale and thick about 3–5 minutes, this step helps give you the crackly top so don’t skip or skimp.
Stir 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into the egg-sugar mixture, then pour the warm chocolate-butter into the eggs in a steady stream while stirring gently until glossy and uniform, if the chocolate is too hot stop and let it cool a little so the eggs dont scramble.
Sift or whisk together 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (about 100 g) all purpose flour, 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; fold the dry mix into the chocolate batter just until no streaks remain, dont overmix or you’ll lose fudginess.
Fold in 1/2 cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips and/or 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans now if using, or reserve a handful to sprinkle on top before baking.
Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and give the pan a couple gentle taps on the counter to pop large air bubbles.
Bake 22–28 minutes until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly or a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs, rotate pan halfway if your oven runs hot; remember underbake a touch for dense fudgy brownies.
Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (at least 2 hours) to set, lift out with the parchment and if you want cleaner slices chill 20–30 minutes before cutting, sprinkle a tiny pinch of extra fine sea salt on top if you like the sweet-salty contrast.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.