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Ultimate Gooey Brown Butter Bars

Two rich, dark brown butter ooey gooey bars with a crackly top and melted chocolate chunks, served on a white plate.
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Make rich, deeply flavored brown butter bars with an irresistibly soft, gooey center. This recipe focuses on achieving the perfect nutty flavor from the butter and a wonderfully chewy texture.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
  2. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams, then subsides, and brown bits form at the bottom. The butter will smell nutty. This takes about 5 to 8 minutes. Immediately pour the brown butter into a large, heat-safe mixing bowl, scraping in all the browned milk solids. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the slightly cooled brown butter. Whisk vigorously for 1 minute until well combined.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the batter is smooth and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or by hand until just combined. Do not overmix.
  7. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
  8. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
  9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. For the best ooey gooey texture, the edges should be set, but the center should still look slightly soft and underbaked.
  10. Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting them out using the parchment overhang. Cooling fully is key to setting the texture.
  11. Cut into squares.

Notes

  • To achieve perfect brown butter, use a light-colored pan so you can clearly see the milk solids turning golden brown.
  • For extra chewiness, slightly reduce the baking time by 2-3 minutes and rely on the residual heat to finish cooking while cooling.
  • Store the cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days to maintain the soft texture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingzenith.com/brown-butter-ooey-gooey-bars-recipe/