White Chocolate Brownie Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides for easy removal. Lightly butter the parchment.

Melt butter and white chocolate

Place 0.75 cups (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter and 8 oz chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a pot of gently simmering water (double boiler) with the bowl not touching the water. Stir occasionally until fully melted and smooth, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 3 minutes.

Mix sugar and eggs

Whisk 1 cup granulated sugar into the warm white chocolate mixture until combined. Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, whisking briskly after each addition so the eggs temper and incorporate. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Fold in dry ingredients

Sift or whisk together 0.75 cup all-purpose flour and 0.25 tsp kosher salt. Fold the dry mixture into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.

Bake

Pour batter into the prepared 8x8 pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven 20–25 minutes, or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (do not bake until fully dry).

Cool and portion

Remove brownies from oven and place on a rack. Let cool in pan 15 minutes, then lift the brownie out using parchment overhang and transfer to the rack. Cool an additional 10 minutes (brownie should be warm but not piping hot) before slicing into 4 squares. Dust lightly with 1 tbsp powdered sugar if desired.

While brownies are baking or after removing them from oven, make the sauce. Place 4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate finely chopped in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer and small bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit 1 minute to soften.

Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth and glossy. Add 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tsp light corn syrup (if using) and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract; whisk until incorporated and sauce is silky. Keep warm over a very low heat or in a thermos; if it thickens, stir in a teaspoon of warm cream to loosen before serving.

Plate warm brownie: place one warm brownie square on each dessert plate.

Top each brownie with one generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream (about 1 scoop per serving as listed, 4 scoops total for 4 servings).

Spoon warm chocolate sauce over and around the brownie and ice cream so sauce cascades slightly over the edges.

Add a dollop (about 1/4 cup) of freshly whipped real cream beside or on top of the ice cream. Optionally pipe for presentation.

Finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt (about a pinch, 1/4 tsp distributed across 4 plates) and serve immediately while brownie and sauce are warm and ice cream is cold.