Sweet Potato Brown Butter Blondie Squares
Mashed sweet potato and nutty brown butter make soft blondie squares with cinnamon, toasted pecans, and a caramel edge.
Prep: 10 · Cook: 30 · Total: 40 · Serves: 9 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.7/5 (132 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
Inspired by sweet potato pie, classic blondies, and the warm spice of a fall bakery counter.
Story
Casey likes a dessert that makes the kitchen smell finished before the timer rings. Sweet potato keeps these bars soft, while brown butter adds that toasted, almost caramel-like note. The pecans give each square a little crunch without taking over. They are just right with coffee after dinner.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F, line an 8-inch square pan with parchment, and leave two sides overhanging.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until nutty and amber; cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the brown butter, brown sugar, sweet potato, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pecans, and flaky salt just until combined.
- Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the center is set and the top is glossy.
- Cool completely in the pan, lift out by the parchment, cut into nine squares, and serve.
Chef Tips
- Use plain mashed sweet potato with no added butter or sugar for the best balance.
- Brown the butter slowly and watch closely because the milk solids can move from golden to burnt quickly.
- Chill the bars for 30 minutes before cutting for especially neat squares.
- Replace the pecans with walnuts if you prefer a softer crunch.
Cook's Notes
- **Sweet potato:** Roast or steam it, then mash until smooth before measuring.
- **Cooling:** Let the brown butter cool briefly so it does not scramble the egg.
- **Cutting:** A chilled blondie slab gives cleaner edges.