Indulge in a slice of moist, golden perfection with this irresistible blondie recipe! This easy-to-follow guide will have you baking up a batch of these delectable treats in no time.
For more heavenly desserts, try my homemade brownies, lemon bars, and chocolate mug cake.
Recipe Science
- Using brown sugar in blondies provides a rich, caramel-like flavor and adds moisture, contributing to their soft, chewy texture due to the molasses content.
- Melting the butter before mixing enhances the dense, fudgy consistency of blondies by minimizing the incorporation of air, unlike creamed butter.
- Baking the blondies at a moderate temperature allows the sugar to caramelize and the edges to crisp up through the Maillard reaction while keeping the center soft and gooey.
Jump To a Section
Why It Works
This blondie recipe is for you when you want the flavor of chocolate chip cookies without all the fuss of portioning and rolling. Just mix the dough, add it to a pan, and bake! It’s like making a tray of brownies but in cookie form. The crisp edges and chewy centers deliver the ultimate texture combination.
My secret to the best blondie recipe is a simple extra step- browning the butter. It only takes 5 minutes to transform standard butter into a butterscotch aroma and taste. Trust me, do not skip this step! These bars are easy to customize with mix-ins’ like chopped nuts and a variety of chocolate chips.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour because it contains a moderate protein level between 10 to 13%. This will add a delightful soft and chewy texture.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter; it will be melted down instead of creamed for a chewy bite.
- Sugar: Light brown sugar adds a hint of molasses flavor. This type of sugar is a humectant, which keeps the bars soft. Dark brown sugar can be used for a stronger molasses taste.
- Leavening Agents: Baking powder gives the blondies lift. Two eggs add richness, and whisking incorporates air so the bars aren’t too dense.
- Flavoring: Vanilla extract adds a strong sweet baked aroma. Salt enhances the butterscotch flavor of the butter and balances the sugar.
- Mix-ins: Chopped walnuts add crunch and creaminess. I like to use white chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips for variation.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
Now that you know how to make blondies, you can switch up the flavor of the base! Try these delicious options:
- Spices: Add warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, or cloves. If you have a jar of pumpkin pie spice, sprinkle some in! You can even combine cinnamon and granulated sugar and sprinkle on top before baking for a homemade churros flavor.
- Nuts: Instead of walnuts, try roasted peanuts, almonds, or pecans. Toasted coconut would be yummy too!
- Chocolate: Add white chocolate, semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or a mix. Omit the nuts entirely for chocolate chip blondies. Try butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips.
- Fruit: Stir in dried cranberries, raisins, cherries, or chopped apricots.
- Flavor: Make the vanilla base more exciting with almond extract, coconut, peppermint, or anise.
- Sauce or Jam: Swirl in Nutella or caramel, or add dollops of your favorite jam before baking.
How to Make Blondies
Step 1: Heat the Oven and Prepare the Pan
The blondie dough comes together quickly, so preheat the oven first. Set the oven rack to the center position for even baking. Heat to 350ºF (177ºC); the moderate temperature will gently bake and set the dough. The edges will have a nice crispness and the middle will be soft and chewy.
Line a 13 by 9 inch-metal baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Make sure that it overhangs along the sides. This will serve as a sling and make it easier to remove the huge bar. Grease the pan with baking spray for a nonstick surface.
Step 2: Brown the Butter
Making browned butter is easy and significantly impacts flavor! Melt slices of butter over medium heat.
After a few minutes, you’ll notice milk solids on the bottom of the pan. The toasting of those particles creates a nutty butterscotch flavor.
When added to the cookie dough, it creates undeniable dimension and complexity. I do this step for browned butter cookies; it also adds a toffee hue to the dough. Quickly transfer the butter to a bowl to cool down. It will scramble the raw eggs if it’s above 144ºF (62ºC).
Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. This ensures the fine particles are evenly distributed, which is essential for an even lift of the dough as it bakes.
Step 4: Mix the Sugar and Eggs
Once the butter has cooled down after browning (it’s okay if it’s warm, just not hot), add in the brown sugar. Mix them until just combined; this will also bring down the heat of the fat.
Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and shiny. The mixing helps to dissolve some of the sugar so that it hardens, creating a crackly and glossy surface when baked.
Step 5: Make the Dough
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Use a spatula to fold them together until no more flour streaks remain. Do not overmix the dough, or it will become tough.
Step 6: Add the Mix-ins
Add the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips once the dough is formed. Give it a good stir to distribute them. If you have time, you can toast the walnuts to intensify the nutty flavor and crunch before adding them to the dough.
Step 7: Bake the Blondie
Evenly spread the cookie dough into the lined and greased pan. Bake in the center of the oven at 350 degrees.
It’s ready when the top looks shiny, the edges set, and the surface is light golden brown. The process takes about 20 to 22 minutes.
You don’t want to overbake blondies; otherwise, they will become hard and crispy when they cool down. You can press extra chocolate chips or nuts on top while the surface is soft and warm.
Step 8: Cool, Then Cut
It’s crucial to allow blondies to cool to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack. This creates edges with a delicate crunch on the sides as the sugar hardens. The center of the bar continues to cook and set gently.
If you try to lift the blondie out when it’s still hot, it will bend and break in the center. If you want to serve it hot with vanilla ice cream, slice it in the pan and then use a spatula to remove it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blondies are lighter in color because they contain light brown sugar and vanilla as the base. The ingredients in the recipe create more of a cookie texture. Brownies have cocoa powder and possibly additional chocolate. They can be dense and fudgy or cakey in texture.
Yes! The butter can be melted and then cooled down. It will have a lighter color and a more robust vanilla flavor than butterscotch.
Since the butter is melted, you can use a liquid fat like a neutral vegetable oil or margarine. However, you cannot brown those fats because they don’t contain milk solids. The best flavor comes from browned butter.
Blondies store well in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days. They can be covered in plastic wrap, placed in a freezer bag, and frozen for up to 3 months.
Use melted butter to achieve a soft and chewy texture with crisp edges. If the butter is softened and creamed together with the sugar, air will be trapped. When baked, the dough will be lighter from the air pockets, giving a more cakey texture. Blondies with a thick chocolate chip cookie texture have a more interesting taste.
Serve This With
If you tried this Blondie Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Easy Blondies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into slices
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the middle position. Heat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line a 13×9 metal cake pan with foil or parchment paper. Leave some overhang on the sides to make the blondie easy to lift out. Lightly grease the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Brown the butter – Heat the butter slices in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, swirling to melt evenly. Stir and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula, until butter is golden brown and nutty in aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a large bowl, scraping all of the bits from the pan. Cool to below 144ºF (62ºC).
- Mix the Dry Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix the Sugar and Eggs – To the cooled browned butter, add the brown sugar. Whisk until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and shiny.
- Make the Dough – Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Fold together until no flour streaks remain. Do not over mix!
- Add the Mix-Ins' – Add the walnuts, white chocolate chips, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir until combined in the dough.
- Bake – Evenly spread the dough in the prepared baking pan. Bake in the center of the oven until the surface is lightly golden brown, and the edges are set, 20 to 22 minutes.
- Cool then Slice – Transfer the blondie to a wire rack to cool in the pan until it's room temperature. This can take about 1 hour. If removed when hot, it will break in the middle. To serve warm, slice in the pan and remove the pieces with a spatula.Carefully use the foil or paper overhang to lift the blondie out of a pan. Place on a cutting board and slice into 2-inch-sized pieces.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Using Melted Butter: The butter can be melted and not browned. It will yield a lighter color and a stronger vanilla flavor instead of butterscotch.
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Wrap the blondies, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Jeff says
Quick question: would this be similar to the Ruby Tuesday ‘Blondie’ (not sure if Ruby Tuesday still has it on their menu)? That was my favorite chain restaurant dessert, and I’ve been looking for a copycat recipe.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Jeff- I haven’t had the joy of trying a Ruby Tuesday blondie. However, looking at the photos, if you served it warm with ice cream, I think the recipe could be similar! Let me know if you give it a try.
Jeff says
Geesh. I never realized you took the time to respond like 9 months ago, so it’s appreciated. I’m not very good in the kitchen, but I did make these (1× ingredients), and they were delicious. I hadn’t had the Ruby Tuesday blondie in over a decade, but it was certainly close to what a remember–it seemed thinner–but the same flavor profile. Believe it or not, microwaving on low (power-2) for a few minutes and then topping w/ vanilla ice cream and drizzling w/ caramel was when it reminded the most of the Ruby version. Very happy. Thank you.
Quick question: if I wanted to make these thicker (using the 2x or 3x ingredients you have above) would I…
#1 – still use the same 13×9 pan, and
#2 – how would the baking temp/ time be adjusted, if at all?
Jessica Gavin says
Microwaving the blondies to warm them up then adding ice cream sounds delicious! If you would like thicker bar, I would either use an 8×8 pan but will yield less bars, or double the recipe and use a 13×9 pan. You will likely need more bake time, I would check every few minutes after the 20 minute mark to look for how the edges are set and turn golden brown. If you can loosely cover the top with foil towards the end of baking if the center needs more time but your want to reduce browning. Let me know how it goes!
Jeff says
Thanks again.
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome!