Blondies, with their moist and tender crumb, are what you’d get if you combined the best parts of brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Often called “blonde brownies,” these soft, gooey treats are very similar to brownies. However, instead of chocolate, they are made with brown sugar and a generous splash of vanilla, which gives them a butterscotch-esque flavor. My white chocolate chip blondies are ready in well under an hour, and you don’t need a mixer or any special equipment for this easy blondie recipe: just some mixing bowls, utensils, and a baking pan!
One of my favorite things about this blondie recipe is how easy it is to customize based on what you like. Whether you stick with white chocolate chips or swap them in favor of semisweet chocolate, chopped nuts, dried fruit, or omit mix-ins completely, there is a blonde brownie out there for everyone! If you’re looking for more easy dessert bar recipes, try my extra fudgy brownie recipe, loaded s’mores bars, or easy chocolate chip cookie bars.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Cornstarch — cornstarch might seem like an unusual choice, but it makes blondies so tender and is a game-changer if you are a fan of their chewy texture!
Leavening — baking soda allows the cookie bars to rise slightly.
Salt — salt is a nice complement to the sweetness in this blondies recipe.
Sugar — you need light brown sugar for a nice butterscotch flavor and moisture, as well as white sugar (granulated sugar).
Butter — unsalted butter is the best choice since this recipe already contains salt.
Egg — the large egg and one egg yolk need to be at room temperature when you start baking so they incorporate easily with the other ingredients. The extra egg yolk adds richness to the blondie brownie recipe.
Vanilla extract — vanilla is an important part of a good blondie, so be sure to use high-quality vanilla extract, not vanilla essence (which is artificially flavored).
Mix-ins — you can choose to omit mix-ins, but I love adding a cup of white chocolate chips (more ideas below).
How to Make a Blondie Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper. Whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. To a separate large bowl, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
3. Whisk together until you have a thick, well-incorporated mixture.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together with a spatula until almost combined. Don’t over-mix.
5. Add the white chocolate chips (or your desired additions) and stir until they are distributed throughout the blondie batter.
6. Spread the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan. At this point, you can sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the edges are set and golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few crumbs. Cool completely in the pan before cutting for neat slices.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Measure the flour correctly. Using too much flour is a surefire way to end up with dry, crumbly blondies. The best way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff the flour in its bag or container and scoop it into your measuring cup. Do not scoop directly from the container.
- Use good vanilla extract. This recipe relies a lot on the vanilla flavor, so use the highest-quality vanilla you can for the best blondie recipe.
- Melt the butter. Melting the butter is a vital part of this recipe as it adds a rich buttery flavor and yields chewy blondies.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Mix only until everything is just incorporated. Over-mixing results in tough, dry blondies.
- Add nuts. Chopped pecans or walnuts add a nice crunch. Add ½ cup to the blondie batter along with the chocolate chips (if using). Use ½ cup to ¾ chocolate chips instead of 1 cup.
- Use other mix-ins: Candy, butterscotch chips, semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and dried fruit are all divine options!
- Use a metal pan. Glass pans heat up differently to metal, and you may end up with dry edges and an undercooked center.
- Line the baking dish with parchment paper. This is essential so the blondies don’t stick to the pan.
- Don’t over-bake them. It’s honestly better if blondies are ever so slightly underbaked. If you leave them in the oven for too long, they will turn out dry and hard instead of gooey, chewy, and soft.
- Finish the blondie recipe with flaky sea salt. Just after baking, add a sprinkle of flaked sea salt to up the sweet-salty contrast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, blondies should be gooey in the center! Nothing is worse than a dry cookie bar!
You can make this blondie recipe a night ahead of time and store the sliced blondies in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve them. I like popping them into the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes to give them that “just baked” smell and warmth, but that’s certainly not required.
The bars keep beautifully, even though they don’t last very long in my house! Be sure to let them cool completely before you transfer them to an airtight container. They will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Absolutely! I prefer to freeze individual slices of this blondie recipe so I can grab one or two as I need them, instead of needing to thaw the entire batch. Once completely cooled and sliced, wrap each blondie in a layer of plastic wrap. You could add a layer of aluminum foil if you want, for extra protection. Transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Defrost them on the counter for a few hours before enjoying.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this blondies recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Blondie Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 9×9 inch pan
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200g)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (133g)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted (170g)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk large room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or chopped walnuts (180g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk together until the mixture is thick and well combined
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir together with a spatula until almost combined. Add the white chocolate chips and stir until they are well distributed.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top, if desired
- Bake for about 35 minutes or until the edges are set and golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs. Let the cookie bars cool completely in the pan before cutting.
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly. Using too much flour is a surefire way to end up with dry, crumbly blondies. The best way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff the flour in its bag or container and scoop it into your measuring cup. Do not scoop directly from the container.
- Use good vanilla extract. This recipe relies a lot on the vanilla flavor, so use the highest-quality vanilla you can for the best blondie recipe.
- Melt the butter. Melting the butter is a vital part of this recipe as it adds a rich buttery flavor and yields chewy blondies.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Mix only until everything is just incorporated. Over-mixing results in tough, dry blondies.
- Add nuts. Chopped pecans or walnuts add a nice crunch. Add ½ cup to the blondie batter along with the chocolate chips (if using). Use ½ cup to ¾ chocolate chips instead of 1 cup.
- Use other mix-ins: Candy, butterscotch chips, semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and dried fruit are all divine options!
- Use a metal pan. Glass pans heat up differently to metal, and you may end up with dry edges and an undercooked center.
- Line the baking dish with parchment paper. This is essential so the blondies don’t stick to the pan.
- Don’t over-bake them. It’s honestly better if blondies are ever so slightly underbaked. If you leave them in the oven for too long, they will turn out dry and hard instead of gooey, chewy, and soft.
- Finish the blondie recipe with flaky sea salt. Just after baking, add a sprinkle of flaked sea salt to up the sweet-salty contrast.
