Simplest Butterscotch Brownies

Five ingredients. One bowl. The chewiest butterscotch brownies you can make with this little effort. Brown sugar and melted butter are the entire flavor engine here, creating that deep caramel-toffee taste that defines a blondie.

The ratio is what makes these work: a full cup of brown sugar to just ¾ cup of flour. That heavy sugar-to-flour balance is why they bake up dense, chewy, and almost candy-like rather than cakey. One egg holds it all together without adding too much lift.

Cut them while they’re still warm. They firm up as they cool, and warm cuts give you cleaner edges with less crumbling.

Kitchen Tips

• Use melted butter, not softened. Melted butter blends more evenly with the brown sugar and creates a chewier texture than creamed butter would.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them at 25 minutes even if they look slightly underdone in the center. They’ll continue to set as they cool in the pan.
• Pack the brown sugar firmly when measuring. Loosely scooped brown sugar means less sweetness and less chew.
• An 8×8 pan is key for thickness. A larger pan spreads the batter too thin and they’ll bake up crispy instead of chewy.

Variations

• Fold in a handful of chocolate chips or butterscotch chips before spreading into the pan.
• Add chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
• Swap half the brown sugar for dark brown sugar for an even deeper molasses flavor.