Sourdough Browned-Butter Blondies
These sourdough browned-butter blondies are rich, chewy, and deeply flavorful in a way regular blondies just aren't. Browning the butter adds a nutty, caramel-like depth, while sourdough discard keeps the bars soft and balanced instead of overly sweet. If you love using up discard in ways that actually feel special, this is one recipe you'll make again and again.
This recipe was inspired by my fudgy sourdough discard brownies, which use the same idea of turning extra starter into a truly indulgent dessert.
If you love the deep chocolate flavor in brownies but want something a little lighter and more buttery, these blondies are the perfect companion recipe.
Quick Look
- Prep time: 15 mins
- Cook time: 35-40 mins
- Rest time: 5-10 mins (for cooling)
- Servings: 16 squares
- Main ingredients: Butter, sourdough discard, flour, chocolate chips, walnuts
- Cooking method: Oven 🡢 Baking
- Difficulty: Easy
- Serving ideas: Serve warm with ice cream, dusted with extra sugar, or as-is for a snack
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Sourdough Browned-Butter Blondies
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Sourdough Browned-Butter Blondies
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Sourdough Browned-Butter Blondies
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Dessert Recipes You'll Love
- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Rolls
- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Brioche Wreath
- Sourdough Star Bread
Important Ingredients
- Browned butter adds nutty flavor and depth to the blondies.
- Sourdough discard keeps the blondies moist and gives a subtle tang.
- Chocolate chips & toasted walnuts add sweetness, texture, and a little crunch.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Nut-free: Skip walnuts or replace with seeds like sunflower or pumpkin.
- Chocolate variation: Use white or milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate.
- Extra fudgy: Add an extra egg yolk or reduce flour by 15 g for a softer center.
How to Make Sourdough Browned-Butter Blondies
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
Add the butter to a light-colored pan over medium heat. Swirl until it foams, darkens slightly, and smells nutty. Pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool slightly, then chop. (You can also toast them for about 5 minutes in a cast iron skillet.)
Whisk the white sugar and brown sugar into the warm browned butter (Image 1).
Step 2: Add the eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla (Image 2). Whisk until smooth.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. Stir to mix evenly (Image 3).
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (Image 4) and mix just until no flour streaks remain.
Step 5: Fold in the chocolate chips and toasted walnuts (Image 5).
Step 6: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared 8×8 pan (Image 6).
Step 7: Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the blondies are set, the edges are golden, and the center no longer jiggles (Image 7).
Step 8: Cool completely in the pan before cutting to keep them soft, chewy, and not gummy. Serve and enjoy (Image 8).
Hint: For the best texture, don't rush the cooling time. Cutting too early can make the blondies seem gummy instead of chewy. Letting them cool fully allows the crumb to set while keeping the center soft and tender.
Baking Schedule
- Prep & browning butter: 10-15 mins
- Mixing & folding: 5-10 mins
- Bake: 35-40 mins
- Cooling: 5-10 mins
- Total: 55-75 mins
💭Crucial Success Tips
The most important thing to get right is the bake time. Overbaking will dry out the blondies and mute the browned butter flavor. Pull them when the edges are golden and the center no longer jiggles, even if a toothpick doesn't come out perfectly clean. Slightly underbaked is exactly what you want here.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Active starter works just fine in this recipe. Because these blondies aren't relying on fermentation for structure, you won't notice a big difference in rise or texture.
No. The sourdough discard adds moisture and balance, not a strong flavor. The dominant flavors are browned butter, caramelized sugar, and chocolate.
Yes. Double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13 pan. The bake time may increase slightly, so start checking around the 40-minute mark.
How To Store Sourdough Browned-Butter Blondies
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. They can also be frozen for longer storage, up to 3 months.
Other Delicious Recipes
- Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
- Soft Sourdough Italian Milk Rolls
- Honey Oat Sourdough Sandwich Loaf
- Cinnamon Raisin Sourdough Bread
If you tried these sourdough browned-butter blondies or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Browned-Butter Blondies
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 150 g unsalted butter to brown
- 135 g white sugar
- 135 g light brown sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 100 g sourdough discard
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract about 6 g
Dry ingredients
- 270 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g baking soda
- 2 g baking powder
- 5 g salt
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 120 g chocolate chips
- Optional but highly recommended: 45 g toasted walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Add the butter to a light-colored pan over medium heat. Swirl until it foams, darkens slightly, and smells nutty. Pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 5–7 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool slightly, then chop. (You can also toast them for about 5 minutes in a cast iron skillet.) Whisk the white sugar and brown sugar into the warm browned butter.
- Add the eggs, sourdough discard, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. Stir to mix evenly.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until no flour streaks remain.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and toasted walnuts.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared 8×8 pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the blondies are set, the edges are golden, and the center no longer jiggles.
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting to keep them soft, chewy, and not gummy.
