Butterscotch Blondies That Will Knock Your Socks Off
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Are you looking for those classic butterscotch blondies with crisp cookie-like edges and soft, fudgy interiors? Does butterscotch remind you of your childhood for some odd reason? You’re in the right spot.
Starting with browned butter, the scents stack up to perfume your house better than any Yankee Candle. You’ll be fighting yourself not to eat this whole pan. I mean, you don’t have to fight yourself. Eat the whole pan anyway. Ha!
Boozy Butterscotch Blondies
I can tell you that I just made this recipe again a couple of nights ago with chocolate chips, and it really does hold up. You could mix in some walnuts for a little crunch, or use white chocolate chips, pistachios, and cranberries for a prettier Christmas bar later this year.
I originally based my recipe on this little pamphlet with a Food Network magazine for bar cookies. However, I love Smitten Kitchen as well, and she has a great recipe for infinitely variable blondies. She recommends bourbon, even!
In all honesty, I kind of wish I had some Scotch on hand. Why? Because then these would be Browned-Butter, Scotch, Butterscotch Blondies. And how funny is that?
Use What You Have for Mix Ins
So, what if you don’t have butterscotch chips in your pantry? Well, I’d honestly be surprised and pleased for you if you did. I do not expect you to have these on hand regularly, though. So, if you are like 99.9% of the population and you don’t have butterscotch, here are some alternatives:
- Chocolate chips – White, milk, semi-sweet, or dark… it doesn’t matter
- Nuts – Whatever kind you have will work; just toast them beforehand
- Dried fruit – Chop up larger bits to be about the size of a chocolate chip for easier eating
- Pretzels or Chips – I mean, just go nuts. Who knows? This could be good.
Mix and Match!
Any of the above combined would even be delicious. It’d also be a great way to clear out the remnant bags of baking ingredients. Like, if you have like 1/4 cup of craisins, a tablespoon or two of pepitas, and 1/2 a cup of white chocolate chips, just dump it all in here, friend!
Combine peanuts, chocolate chips, and pretzels for a sweet and salty treat. You might also forego the chunky mix-ins and simply sprinkle in a bit of cinnamon! The base of this recipe is fairly easy to customize to what you have available.
But You Do Have to Let These Cool
The only thing that I will warn you about is cooling. I’m not even kidding when I say you have to let these cool completely before you cut into them. This is what happens.
My husband thought he’d cut these up straight out of the oven and take them over to our neighbor. Okay, so A) I need to note that he was going to be smart about it because of social distancing and all that, but B) the centers were a little molten.
This recipe is for a blondie that comes out with the same gooey texture as a brownie. Do you know how the gooey, warm center of a brownie prevents you from taking a clean-cut slice? Same thing here.
Let your blondies cool before you cut them so you can make a decent cut. Otherwise, it’ll just be a mess. So, just trust me when I tell you to wait a bit for them to cool.
Comment below if you have questions, concerns, or opinions. And tag me @ellejayathome on Instagram or Twitter if you share pictures from any of my recipes. I love to hear from you!
This blog was updated on October 27, 2020 and again on July 29, 2021.
Butterscotch Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups dark brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp whiskey
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 2 cups butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and line a 9×16 nonstick pan.
- Start by melting the butter on the stove, but then continue to let the butter simmer. It'll start with foam on top. Then, the foam will disappear as the milk solids begin to cook and sink to the bottom. Eventually, the solids will turn a pretty golden brown color. At this point turn off the heat, and continue stirring until the solids are just past amber-colored and just on the verge of burnt. Pour immediately into a heat-proof bowl and chill for 30 minutes to cool slightly.
- In your stand mixer, add the brown sugar and butter. Whip these together for 5 minutes until it goes from oily to creamy in texture. Add in the eggs while the mixer runs on medium-high speed. Then, add the vanilla and whiskey. At this point, it should be velvety smooth.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Fold in the chips and then press the dough into the prepared pan. Top with extra chips as needed.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (up to 45 minutes if you use a glass pan instead), depending on your oven's accuracy. A toothpick should come out crumby but not coated in raw batter.
- Allow them to cool completely so the center sets. Then, cut into at least 16 pieces.
