Easy GF Brown Butter Brownies

Going gluten free can still feel indulgent. Looking for a quick and easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth? Whip up a batch of these Easy GF Brown Butter Brownies and watch them disappear before your eyes.

Brown butter makes these Easy GF Brown Butter Brownies nutty good!

The almond flour contributes to the nutty flavor of this bake, but, it’s the brown butter that really makes these Easy GF Brown Butter Brownies so special. Brown butter is unsalted butter that has been cooked until the milk solids brown and any water has cooked off. What you are left with is something similar to clarified butter. However, brown butter takes on a rich, nutty flavor in the cooking process.

Browning butter is easy, but you do have to stick with it. It only takes 2-3 minutes to brown. However, it can go from just melted to burnt in seconds. For this reason, you need to stir the butter constantly.

When browning butter, I like to use a stainless steel saute pan and a white spatula. This allows me to see the milk solids more easily and know exactly when the butter is ready to come off the heat. By keeping the butter over medium heat and stirring constantly, you minimize the risk of burning the milk solids.

Finally, when the milk solids are a toasty brown, the butter is ready. I like to pour the butter immediately out of the pan into another container to stop the cooking. Even when you turn off the burner, there’s still residual heat in the pan. If you keep it in the pan, the butter will continue to cook. So, it’s best to transfer the butter to another container to ensure it doesn’t burn. For this recipes, you can pour the butter directly onto the sugar in your mixing bowl.

A word on the gluten free flours used in this recipe

If you look in my pantry, you’ll find a collection of flours for nearly everything imaginable. My go-to gluten free flour is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1to1 Baking Flour. I love that it takes the guess work out of converting any gluten-rich recipe into one that’s gluten free.

Another reason I like this product is because it already includes the perfect amount of Xanthan Gum, which helps with the overall crumb texture of gluten free bakes. Xanthan Gum is a stabilizer often found in gluten free baking. I often use Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum in any gluten free baking I do. Since there is no gluten in this recipe to provide structure and help the brownies rise, an alternative ingredient must be used to fill that gap. Baking powder help with the rise, but the Xanthan Gum in the 1 to 1 gluten free flour provides added volume and acts as an emulsifier. This helps bind the crumb of the bake together.

Xanthan Gum can be tricky if you’re not used to working with it, so the fact they’ve figured out the right ratio for you is a bonus in my book. To learn more about Xanthan Gum, how it works and how it can go wrong, please see my post titled, Gluten Free Lemon Thyme Cornmeal Cake.

I also prefer using Bob’s Red Mill Super-Fine Natural Almond Flour in this recipe. It has a good texture and gives these brownies a boost of nutty flavor. The result is a brownie that is a little cakey, but still toothy enough to satisfy anyone on team fudgy.

For the best texture, this recipe calls for sifting together all the dry ingredients before mixing. This helps ensure all the dry ingredients are evenly distributed and that you get the best, lightest texture out of the bake.

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Easy GF Brown Butter Brownies

Recipe by Maria Ostrander Course: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

This brownie is a little cakey, but still toothy enough to satisfy anyone on team fudgy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

• 1/4 cup unsalted, European-style butter, browned

• 3 large eggs

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

• 1 cup Almond Flour

• 1/2 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. espresso powder

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan by either lining it with parchment paper or lightly spraying the sides and bottom of the pan with a nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, salt, baking powder, espresso powder and cocoa powder. Discard any large clumps left over from the sifting process. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, brown the butter over medium-low heat until just golden brown. Approximately 2-3 minutes. Immediately transfer the butter from the saucepan to the mixing bowl with the sugars.
• In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the white and brown sugars. Add the brown butter and mix on low to incorporate. Be careful not to splatter as the butter may still be warm.
• Add the vanilla to the sugar and butter mixture.
• Increase the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition. The mixture will be thick like caramel.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
• Spread the brownie batter in the prepared cake pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes. Brownies are ready when the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. The center will still be quite soft at this point, but they will firm up as the brownies cool.
• When the brownies have cooled completely, cut and serve. Brownies will keep for one week when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes