Name: Brown Butter Maple Blondies with Smoked Sea Salt
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 9 squares
Ingredients: For the Blondies; 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 tablespoon tahini; 1 tablespoon maple syrup + extra for glaze after baking; 1 teaspoon Mary's Cognac Barrel-Aged Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract; ¾ cup, packed dark brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1¼ cups all-purpose flour; ½ cup mini marshmallows, freeze before using; ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips; ½ cup pecans, finely chopped, toasted; ½ teaspoon smoked sea salt; ½ to ¾ cup mini marshmallows; Smoked sea salt

Sweets

Brown Butter Maple Blondies with Smoked Sea Salt

Author: Mary DiSomma

There’s nothing like the moment when a fresh-baked dessert hits the countertop and everyone starts reaching for their first helping. This maple blondies recipe has a little bit of everything I love in a dessert: homemade brown butter, maple syrup, crunchy pecans, chocolate chips, toasty marshmallows, and a sprinkle of smoked sea salt to balance out all that sweetness.

The brown butter takes a few minutes to make, but it makes a big difference here. It gives these maple syrup blondies a rich, nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the dark brown sugar and smoked salt. Then you get the chewy, fudgy center, and the varied texture from nuts, chocolate, and marshmallows. Seriously, they are so good!

Ingredient Tips

The recipe calls for freezing the mini marshmallows that get folded into the batter. The marshmallows for the topping can stay at room temperature. Freezing the marshmallows for the batter helps them hold their shape—otherwise they will break up and start to dissolve. Pop them in the freezer an hour or so before you start making the batter. That way, they’re ready when you get to the folding step.

Browning butter usually takes about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on how hot your pan is. As soon as you see those golden-brown bits and smell that nutty aroma, take the pan off the heat. Brown butter can go from beautifully toasted to burnt pretty quickly.

The aroma tells you a lot here. You’re waiting for a nutty smell and a golden color, and for the foam to settle down. The trick is to stay close to the stove and keep the butter moving by swirling it around in the pan frequently. The heat is toasting and caramelizing the milk solids, which is what gives brown butter its deep, distinct flavor. Swirling it prevents burning.

It’s so much fun to add a toasted marshmallow on top of your homemade dessert. I find the best way to toast them is to use a kitchen torch, which is easier than it might appear! Just use medium or medium-low flame. It’s a torch, after all. Your dessert is almost ready, so of course you don’t want to burn it.

Another good tip is don’t get the torch too close to the marshmallow. Let the outer part flame do the work for you! The blue part of the flame is the hottest part and can easily scorch your topping. Finally, keep moving: use continuous motion, moving your hand and turning the dish as you go. Take your time and work in sections, and you’ll have a beautiful marshmallow topping in no time!

Preparation & Preservation Tips

One of the biggest things to watch with a chewy blondie recipe is how much you mix after adding the flour. Once the flour goes in, fold the batter just until everything is combined. Mixing too much can change the texture of your blondies. I like to use a spatula and treat the dough gently. As soon as you stop seeing dry flour, stop stirring. The dough does not have to be smooth.

Baking time matters, too. These moist blondies should have set edges, but the center will still have a fudgy quality. If you bake them too long, you can lose some of the soft, chewy texture that makes a good blondie so irresistible. So if your blondies came out too dry or hard, over-mixing and over-baking are the most common culprits. They’ll probably still taste good—and don’t be afraid to try again!

Once your blondies have cooled completely, remove them from the pan and wrap them up in plastic wrap. This recipe calls for refrigerating them overnight, which helps develop their chewy texture. It makes them easier to cut as well. Before serving, bring them all the way back up to room temp. That's when they’ll be the most enjoyable!

Blondies make a nice bake-ahead dessert, especially if you're entertaining. You can bake and refrigerate them ahead of time. Slice and add the toasted marshmallow topping just before serving.

Yes, these maple blondies are totally okay to freeze! I would wrap them in plastic wrap and then store them in an airtight freezer-safe bag to protect their texture and flavor, then thaw before serving. For the best finished presentation, wait to add and torch the marshmallow topping until you’re ready to serve them. Don’t forget an extra sprinkle of the smoked salt if you like that!

Extra Tips

Brownies get most of their flavor from chocolate, usually cocoa powder. Blondies let ingredients like brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and maple take center stage. They’re called blondies because they’re basically “blonde” brownies. This recipe does use a bit of chocolate, but brown butter, dark brown sugar, maple syrup, and pecans make the profile more caramelly than chocolaty. If you enjoy the chewy texture of a brownie and sweet buttery flavors, blondies are right up your alley.

Don't overmix the batter, don't overbake it, and let the blondies cool properly. Just follow the directions below and keep an eye on them during baking and you shouldn’t have any problems.

They can have a soft, fudgy center, but you don't want the middle to be raw. The edges should be fully set and pull slightly away from the pan, but the center should still have some softness. Remember that the blondies will continue to set as they cool. The center won't look completely firm when they first come out of the oven.

Brown butter has a much richer flavor than regular melted butter. Once the milk solids toast, the butter takes on a nutty, buttery, almost toffee-like character. That flavor is sooo good in these brown sugar blondies because it adds depth to the maple and dark brown sugar. It also pairs beautifully with chocolate and pecans. If you like this flavor profile, make sure to check out my Brown Butter Maple Glazed Scones recipe too!

Oh my gosh, where do I even start? Brown butter is delicious in both sweet and savory dishes. You can see I love it in desserts, but it’s amazing with vegetables and other savory dishes, too. This Delicata Squash and Farro Bake with Sage Brown Butter recipe is a prime example. Once you start browning butter, you might find yourself looking all over for new ways to use it. It’s that good!