This is my favorite chewy blondies recipe! They’re totally irresistible, with buttery caramel chunks and a creamy white chocolate drizzle. These bars are rich, dense, and fudgy, complete with those coveted crackly tops.
What do blondies and I have in common? We’re both brunettes with blonde ambitions. 😜 Jokes aside, it’s true: blondies are brownies’ fairer cousins, made with a base of brown sugar and butter. And this is the BEST blondies recipe! I love that they’re dense and buttery, with the perfect chewy texture and a paper-thin, crackly top that I smother with white chocolate.
What Makes This the Perfect Blondies Recipe?
- Dense and buttery. These blondies are packed with rich, caramelized flavor from the brown sugar and amped up with real caramel bits.
- Easy to make. I feel like brownies and blondies are like the fudgy dessert version of banana bread: quick, easy, and practically foolproof. This blondies recipe needs only 8 ingredients (6 if we’re not counting the add-ons), and the batter is super simple to make.
- Versatile. You can add just about anything to this blondies recipe. Add a chocolate drizzle like I do here, and fill them with caramel bits, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nuts… anything goes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
These are the important ingredients you’ll need, plus some notes on how to make the best blondies ever. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full recipe details and photos afterward showing the recipe steps.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter, but salted butter works, too (consider skipping or reducing the added salt in this case). Melt the butter in the microwave before you start.
- Brown Sugar – This can be light or dark brown sugar. You could also use a combination of brown sugar and white sugar as you would for chewy chocolate chip cookies.
- Egg and Vanilla – Bring the egg to room temperature. You can use real vanilla extract or substitute an equal amount of vanilla paste.
- Flour – All-purpose flour and a pinch of salt.
- Add-ins – I use caramel chips, but feel free to substitute chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch morsels, etc. You can also skip the add-ins altogether if you prefer.
- White Chocolate – For melting and drizzling over the finished blondies. You can use white chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars. Again, feel free to swap white chocolate for milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate instead.
Baking Tips
- Measure the ingredients correctly. Make sure to weigh out your ingredients using a kitchen scale if you have one. If you don’t, the best way to measure dry ingredients like flour is to spoon the flour from the bag into the measuring cup (never scoop!) and level off the top. This avoids overmeasuring, which can lead to cakey blondies and brownies.
- How to tell when they’re done: Just like other baked goods, the easiest way to check blondies for doneness is to use the toothpick test. A toothpick stuck into the middle of the blondies should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, without any streaks of batter. Meanwhile, the edges of the blondies should look firm and crisp.
- Don’t burn the chocolate. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate when you melt it in the microwave, or it can seize. Heat in increments and stir often, reducing the time as needed just until the chocolate is smooth and melted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brownies are made with cocoa powder and chocolate, while blondies leave these ingredients out, hence the lighter, “blonde” color. Blondies are flavored with vanilla and brown sugar, with the same rich, chewy texture as a brownie.
IMHO, the perfect blondies are chewy at the edges and still a little gooey in the middle. For this reason, I recommend removing the blondies from the oven when they’re just set in the center of the pan.
For best results, take your egg out of the fridge ahead of time and let it come to room temperature. Room-temperature eggs blend better into the batter for a more uniform texture and flavor.
How to Store
- At room temperature. Store these blondies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. To avoid condensation inside the container, make sure the bars are completely cool before you store them. You can also line the bottom with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture.
- Freeze. If you can, try to freeze your blondies before you add the white chocolate. Double-wrap the blondies tightly in plastic wrap or keep them in a freezer-safe container with parchment between the layers. Freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw them at room temperature before serving.
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease an 8×8 pan and line it with parchment paper.
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Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, and continue beating until incorporated.
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Add the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Mix the flour into the brown sugar mixture with a wooden spoon until well blended. Fold in the caramel bits.
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Bake. Pour the blondie batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the middle of the cake is set.
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Drizzle with chocolate. In the meantime melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave.
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Finish and serve. Cool the blondies before frosting them with the melted white chocolate and cutting.
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Blondies
Follow these easy steps to make these rich, chewy blondies! The key to getting a glossy, crackly top on brownies and blondies is to blend the butter and sugar well, separately from the other ingredients. Here’s how to do it:
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