One-Bowl Jammy Strawberry & Brown Butter Blondie Slab
I love the Bay Area in spring, but the sudden avalanche of local strawberries always leaves me scrambling. Growing up in Paris, strawberries were treated with reverence—barely glazed on a tart. Here? I buy them by the flat. I needed a vehicle that respected the fruit without demanding my entire afternoon. We're not suffering for brunch, and we're definitely not suffering on a Tuesday.\n\nEnter the slab.\n\nThis blondie batter comes together in the exact saucepan you use to brown the cultured butter. Butter is not a garnish, it’s the foundation. Browning it adds a toasted, nutty depth that balances the sweet fruit.\n\nHere is the trick: push the halved berries directly into the top of the batter. Don't fold them in. Folding introduces too much moisture, turning the crumb tight like a bad alibi. Roasting them on top creates concentrated, jammy pockets while keeping the base dense and chewy.\n\nCami’s shortcut note: Use any seasonal fruit—apricots or late-summer plums are brilliant here. You want a fruit that holds its shape.\n\nDon’t skip this: Wait for the blondie center to stop its wobble before pulling it, and hit it with flaky salt while warm. Let time do the work as it cools for the cleanest slices.
Featured Recipe
One-Bowl Jammy Strawberry & Brown Butter Blondie Slab
A weeknight sweet that demands almost zero active time but delivers café-level nuance. We’re making a dense, chewy blondie batter directly in the saucepan we use to brown the butter. Pushing fresh spring strawberries into the top—instead of folding them in—means they roast into concentrated, jammy pockets without making our crumb tight like a bad alibi.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted cultured butter((113g))
- 1 cup light brown sugar((200g), packed)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar((50g), toasted if you have it)
- 1 large egg(room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk(room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour((125g))
- 1/4 cup almond flour((25g))
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup fresh strawberries((150g), hulled and quartered)
- 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds((30g))
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt(for finishing)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
5 min
Tip: Metal gives crisp edges; glass insulates and steams your bake.
- 2
In a medium light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup unsalted cultured butter. Swirl constantly until it foams, subsides, and smells like toasted nuts—about 5 minutes. Butter is not a garnish here—it’s the entire flavor backbone, so take it to a deep amber. This is your beurre noisette (browned butter). Remove from heat immediately.
6 min
Tip: Using a light-colored pan lets you actually see the milk solids browning so you don't burn them.
- 3
While the butter cools slightly, prep the 1 cup fresh strawberries. Hull and quarter them so they are ready to go.
4 min
Tip: Quartering them ensures they jam up in the oven rather than releasing too much water in one spot.
- 4
Right into the warm butter saucepan, whisk in 1 cup light brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. It will look gritty—that's fine. Vigorously whisk in 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, and 2 tsp vanilla extract until the batter turns glossy, pulls away from the edges, and emulsifies. We're not suffering for a weeknight sweet, so we're making the batter right in the pot to save a dish.
3 min
Tip: The extra yolk is the secret to a fudgy center instead of a cakey one.
- 5
Switch to a spatula. Fold in 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup almond flour, and 1 tsp kosher salt just until no dry streaks remain. Stop stirring immediately. Overmixing activates gluten and ruins the fudgy texture. We want lacy crumb, not tight like a bad alibi.
2 min
Tip: Almond flour adds a beautiful nutty depth that plays perfectly off the browned butter.
- 6
Scrape the thick batter into your lined pan, spreading it evenly to the corners. Scatter the quartered strawberries and 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds across the top, pressing them gently into the batter.
3 min
Tip: Keeping the fruit exclusively on top prevents the batter from weeping and getting soggy.
- 7
Bake for 25-28 minutes. You’re looking for golden, crisp edges that pull away from the pan, and a center that still has a slight wobble when nudged. Let time do the work—it will set as it cools.
28 min
Tip: Pull them when you think they need two more minutes. Trust the wobble.
- 8
Remove from the oven and immediately scatter 1 pinch flaky sea salt over the hot jammy fruit. Let cool entirely in the pan.
60 min
Tip: The salt cuts the sweetness and amplifies the roasted strawberry flavor.
Chef's Notes
Cami's shortcut note: If you’re impatient, wait 20 minutes and throw the pan in the fridge. The fridge is your friend here—it rapidly halts the residual cooking and locks in that dense, chewy center. Cut them cold, then let them come to room temp before serving.
Camille Roux
Café-level bakes, weeknight methods, zero compromise.
Camille “Cami” Roux was born in Paris with flour in her hair and a healthy skepticism of culinary dogma. She grew up around neighborhood boulangeries that treated crust and crumb like religion—but what stuck with her wasn’t rigid tradition. It was the quiet precision: good butter that actually tastes like milk, patient fermentation that builds flavor for free, and desserts that know when to stop before they get cloying. After moving to the Bay Area, Cami trained in a bread-and-pastry scene obsessed with texture, naturally leavened doughs, and seasonal fruit—Tartine energy, minus the martyrdom. She became known for loaves that sing when they cool, jammy tarts with clean edges, and “how is this so good?” weeknight pastries made with a few smart shortcuts. Her motto is high impact, low fuss: splurge where it counts (butter, salt, time), streamline the rest (sheet pans, one bowl, cold-proofing). If it doesn’t improve flavor or structure, it doesn’t earn a step.