Browned Butter Blondies with Pretzel Toffee
Chewy, butterscotch-deep blondies studded with shards of homemade pretzel toffee. Sweet, salty, crunchy, and dangerously snackable.
Blondies live or die by their butter. Browning it pushes the flavor toward caramel and butterscotch — the same trick that makes brown butter chocolate chip cookies so addictive.
The pretzel toffee comes together while the butter cools, so the whole project lands in under an hour.
Ingredients
Pretzel toffee
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Blondies
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Flaky salt, to finish
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang.
- 2
Spread the pretzels in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet pan. Melt the 1/2 cup butter with the 1/2 cup brown sugar in a small pan, then simmer 2 minutes without stirring. Pour over the pretzels and bake 8 minutes. Cool completely, then break into shards.
- 3
Brown the remaining 1 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling until the milk solids turn deep amber and the kitchen smells like toasted nuts. Pour into a large bowl.
- 4
Whisk the brown sugar into the warm butter until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes, then whisk in the eggs, yolk, and vanilla.
- 5
Sprinkle the flour, salt, and baking soda over the top. Fold in with a spatula just until no streaks remain.
- 6
Fold in half of the pretzel toffee. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Press the remaining toffee shards into the surface.
- 7
Bake 24 to 28 minutes, until the top is set, golden, and just barely jiggling in the center. Sprinkle with flaky salt while warm.
- 8
Cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing into 16 squares.
Tips
- → Underbake by a minute rather than over — these set up as they cool and stay chewy.
- → Want them gooier? Use bread flour in place of all-purpose for extra chew.
- → Wrap individual squares in parchment and stash in the freezer — they thaw in 20 minutes.
FAQ
Can I skip the toffee step?
Sure — fold in 1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels plus 1 cup butterscotch chips for a shortcut version.
Do I have to use a 9x13?
A 9x9 works but bake 35 to 40 minutes. The bars will be thicker and fudgier.
How long do they keep?
Airtight at room temperature for 4 days. The pretzel pieces soften by day 3 but the flavor only improves.
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