Easy Blondies
- PREP 10min
- COOK 25min
- TOTAL 35min
We love this recipe for blondies. It makes perfectly dense, rich, and fudgy bars with a paper-thin, crinkly top. If you have it, use dark brown sugar. In our video, we use browned butter. Brown butter is not essential but adds a lovely, toasty caramel flavor. If you do not want to use brown butter, use melted butter.
You Will Need
8 tablespoons (115 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup (190 grams) lightly packed dark or light brown sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
1/4 rounded teaspoon fine sea salt, decrease a little if sensitive to salt
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (170 grams) chocolate chips
1/2 cup optional extras like toasted nuts, dried fruit, or shredded coconut
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, see tips below
Directions
Heat oven to 350° Fahrenheit (176° C). Lightly butter and line an 8-inch by 8-inch metal baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. There is just enough batter to cover the bottom of an 8×8 inch pan.
Melt the butter or, for a toasted flavor, make brown butter (here is our recipe for brown butter).
Whisk the warm butter into the brown sugar until blended. The mixture will look greasy and gritty.
When the sugar and butter mixture is warm, not hot, add the egg, vanilla, almond extract (optional), and salt. Stir until smooth and ever so slightly lighter in color.
Add the flour in two additions, gently folding it into the batter after each addition until you no longer see streaks of flour.
Stir in the chocolate chips and any additional add-ins like nuts or dried fruit.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. It just covers the bottom of the pan. The batter is very thick, so gently pressing the batter into the corners helps.
Bake the blondies until the edges look dry and the middle looks shiny and slightly underbaked; 20 to 30 minutes. We consistently achieve excellent results when baking these blondies in a 350° F oven for 23 minutes. Ovens vary, and bake time can be affected by the pan you have used. We remove the pan when the top looks shiny and light golden brown. The batter might still look slightly wet if there are cracks, but the middle should not wiggle like jello.
Cool to room temperature before removing from the pan — this step is essential and helps the blondies set.
Cut into 16 squares. Don’t be surprised if the blondies have not risen much. These are intended to be dense, rich, and a little fudgy.
Store covered in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Baking powder: We leave it out. These are intended to be dense and a little fudgy. If you are looking for a taller, more risen blondie, whisk 1/2 teaspoon baking powder with the flour before adding to the batter, and use at least 1 cup of add-ins (like chocolate chips).
- Can I double the recipe? Yes, double all ingredients in the recipe and bake in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan. They will be slightly thicker. Bake time will be similar, but keep an eye on them and use our visual cues in the recipe as a guide.
- The recipe is slightly adapted and inspired by Mark Bittman’s cookbook, “How to Cook Everything” via Smitten Kitchen.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. The calculations include 1 cup of chocolate chips.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste