A browserify plugin that precompiles handlebars templates .

handlebarify.js

function handlebarify(bundle) {
  var precompile = require('handlebars').precompile;
  function handlebarsPlugin(body, file) {
    return 'var Handlebars = require(\'handlebars\');\nmodule.exports = ' + precompile(body) + ';';
  }
  
  // browserify doesn't allow passing an array of extensions, so we register each separately
  bundle.register('.handlebars', handlebarsPlugin);
  bundle.register('.hbs', handlebarsPlugin);
}
 
// use as follows
var bundled = browserify({ debug: true })
  .use(handlebarify)
  .addEntry('myentry.js')
  .bundle();

Copying @domenic's comment from the anonymous gist:

Domenic:

Ember encourages ".handlebars" extensions; might as well register those too. See e.g. https://github.com/wycats/handlebars.js/issues/174

Ok, I'll add that in and possibly will include a way to have your helpers included, although they could also be required as separate modules.