Did you know it is possible to combine all the best cookie flavors into an extra thick, dense, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth, gooey-centered, crackly-topped, crumbly-sided cookie bar?
You can call these “blondies,” but the term doesn’t really do them justice…These bars are way more than just “blond” brownies. They start with nutty browned butter, all brown sugar, and scrumptious Biscoff cookie butter. They have a hint of cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and bourbon (if you’d like). Then they’re loaded up with rich butterscotch chips and dark chocolate chips that melt into little puddles of heaven. To complete the full-bodied flavor profile, finish them off with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt right out of the oven.
When you take them out of the oven, trust and patience are key. They should come out under-done–still jiggly and noticeably wet in the center. But I promise you, as they cool in the pan, they will continue cooking. The last thing you want is to sacrifice moisture, chew, and melt-in-your-mouth texture by over-baking them. After cooling for at least 30 minutes to an hour in the pan, transfer them to a wire rack. Cool for about 30 more minutes, then you can slice them into bars.
The centers will still be soft and gooey, the chocolate will be melty, and you’ll get that super satisfying crunch & crumble at the edges. The flavors are warm, comforting, and balanced with toasty and nutty browned butter and Biscoff, sweet & molassesy butterscotch, intense dark chocolate, and a pop of sea salt. For me, it’s the crackly top that makes these so irresistible. These bars are consistently a huge hit among friends and family and the perfect treat to blow everyone away at a party. Without a doubt, this is my favorite cookie/bar recipe of all time. Seriously.
Any leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the microwave for soft melty texture, or at room temp for a chewier texture.
Biscoff, Butterscotch, & Browned Butter Cookie Bars
Notes
Recipe inspired by The Batter Thickens.
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1-1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 2 yolks
- 6.5 Tbsp Biscoff cookie butter spread
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp bourbon (optional)
- 3/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 144g (1 cup + 3 Tbsp) all-purpose flour
- scant 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/3 cup bittersweet and/or dark chocolate chips
- pinch coarse sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line an 8x8 inch brownie pan with parchment paper.
- Brown the butter: Melt the butter slowly over medium-low heat in a saucepan or skillet. Continue heating until it foams, stirring occasionally. Let it foam over low heat until nutty and the color of graham cracer crumbs. Careful not to burn. Transfer to a bowl to cool for a few minutes before adding remaining ingredients.
- Add the sugar, Biscoff cookie butter spread, egg and yolks, vanilla, bourbon, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl with the browned butter. Whisk until smooth. Add the flour and baking powder and stir to evenly combine. Fold in the butterscotch and chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until set around the edges and still jiggly in the center. (They SHOULD be underdone when you take them out, as they will continue cooking as they cool in the pan. Don't over-bake them!)
- Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire rack. Immediately sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt over the bars. Leave them in the pan to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour, undisturbed. Then, lift the parchment paper to transfer the bars to a wire rack to finish cooling. (Be patient! If you try to take them out or slice them too soon, they'll fall apart.)
- When completely cooled, slice 4x4 into 16 bars. Serve immediately.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen up to a month. I recommend thawing or reheating in the microwave until warm and melty throughout the center.
Margaret, these cookie bars look absolutely delicious!!! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful recipes!! Love you, Aunt “B”
You are the sweetest, Aunt B. Thank you and hope you get to make them! Love you!