This blondie recipe is chewy and buttery on the inside, with the perfect crackly tops. Imagine the best cookie dough bars you've ever had.
My easy blondie recipe gives you the options to mix in different chips and nuts to make butterscotch or chocolate chip blondies.
What is the difference between a brownie and a blondie?
Sometimes you will see blondies called blonde brownies.
While a blondie does have the same dense texture that a perfectly baked fudge brownie has they aren't chocolate. However, they aren't really vanilla brownies either.
So what does a blonde brownie taste like?
Blondies have a rich caramelly brown sugar flavor. They are buttery and dense and have a flavor that is similar to a rich and buttery chocolate chip cookie dough.
This yummy cookie dough flavor makes this recipe perfect for adding in chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and your favorite nuts. The possibilities are endless, really.
My original recipe calls for pecans and shredded coconut; but, this is just one variation.
What you need to make blondies
- Butter. This recipe calls for melted butter. Using melted butter adds to the chewy texture in this recipe.
- Sugar. Use 2 cups of sugar in this recipe. You can play around with the white sugar to brown sugar ratio. The more brown sugar you use the more moist and dense the blondies will be. Using dark brown sugar gives even more caramelly flavor.
- Eggs.
- Vanilla.
- Dry Ingredients. All-purpose flour, cocoa powder (just a smidge), fine sea salt, or kosher salt.
- Mixins. The basic blondie recipe is just the beginning. Youn can add up to 2 cups of chips and/or nuts. My original recipe calls for shredded coconut which gives this recipe a little texture.
Tips and tricks for the best blondie recipe
- Beating the sugar and the eggs. This step gives the blondies, and even brownies the signature crackly top. You can mix up this recipe in a bowl and not use a mixer but you will not get the crackly top. Take your time on this step and beat the eggs and sugar together for at least 5 to 10 minutes. You want the sugar to dissolve into the eggs and the mixture should be a light yellow color.
- Melting the butter. When you use melted butter in baking you are encouraging a chewier and denser textured baked good.
- Sugar ratios. Brown sugar contributes to the moistness of baked goods. The more brown sugar you use the more moist and dense your blondie bars will be.
Blondie Recipe Variations
You can add up to 2 cups of chips and/or nuts to this recipes. Here are a few of my favorite combos.
Butterscotch Blondies "Butterscotch Brownies". Add 1 cup of butterscoth chips and 1 cup of chopped pecans.
Chocolate Chip Blondies. Add in 2 cups of chocolate chips. OR 1 cup of chocolate chips + 1 cup of pecans.
Peanut Butter Blondies. Add in 1 cup of creamy or crunchy peanut butter. You can also add in 1 cup of chocolate chips or drizzle melted chocolate over the tops after baking.
FAQs
According to Andrew F. Smith in The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink (Oxford University Press, 2007), the blondie might actually be the original brownie. The first brownie recipes surfaced in the late 19th century got their dark hue from molasses. Chocolate wasn't as prevalent until the early-20th-century. At about mid-century, these molasses brownies became known as blonde brownies. Soon after, the name was shortened to blondies.
You can tell when blondies are done because they'll start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges will be light brown. Be sure not to overcook your blondies or they might turn out overly hard and dry. You can use a toothpick into the middle of your pan to test for doneness. However, a probe thermometer is the best way to check for accurate doneness. An internal temperature of 200-205℉ will give you a moist but fully cooked blondie.
Hungry for more brownies and bars recipes?
If you're looking for more dessert bar recipes I highly recommend my Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars or my Apricot Oat Bars.
You can never go wrong with Homemade Butter Toffee or My Brownies in Jar, which make a great edible gift.
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Blondies Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1 cup butter unsalted, melted
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups nuts or chips
- ½ cup coconut optional
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter. Melt the butter in a saucepand or in the microwave, and set aside.
- Beat the eggs and the sugar together ultil they are light and fluffy.
- Add in the vanilla and mix.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, salt and the cocoa powder. Add the flour mixture to the eggs and mix to combine.
- Add the melted butter and mix together until well combined.
- Bake. Pour into a parchement lined baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Laura's Tips + Notes
- Butterscotch Blondies "Butterscotch Brownies". Add 1 cup of butterscotch chips and 1 cup of chopped pecans.
- Chocolate Chip Blondies. Add in 2 cups of chocolate chips. OR 1 cup of chocolate chips + 1 cup of pecans.
- Peanut Butter Blondies. Add in 1 cup of creamy or crunchy peanut butter. You can also add in 1 cup of chocolate chips or drizzle melted chocolate over the tops after baking.
- Beating the sugar and the eggs. This step gives the blondies, and even brownies the signature crackly top. You can mix up this recipe in a bowl and not use a mixer but you will not get the crackly top. Take your time on this step and beat the eggs and sugar together for at least 5 to 10 minutes. You want the sugar to dissolve into the eggs and the mixture should be a light yellow color.
- Melting the butter. When you use melted butter in baking you are encouraging a chewier and denser textured baked good.
- Sugar ratios. Brown sugar contributes to the moistness of baked goods. The more brown sugar you use the more moist and dense your blondie bars will be.
Jennifer
For the peanut butter version you say to add 1 c peanut butter, do I need to adjust anything?
Laura Reigel
Jennifer, I usually don't adjust anything. Just keep in mind that the texture will be even fudgier. If you want to keep them less dense you could add an extra egg.
Lisa Hatfield
My go-to blondie recipe, and love the variations. Going to try the butterscotch ones for sure.
Laura Reigel
Thank you so much Lisa! Let me know which variation is your favorite.