The BEST blondie recipe lives up to its name! This recipe yields buttery soft cookie bars with vanilla-caramel undertones. It come together quickly, no mixer needed. Include your favorite add-ins (white chocolate, dark chocolate, nuts) or enjoy plain! This carefully tested recipe has been a fan favorite for years and has garnered hundreds of five-star reviews! ⭐️
Actually *Perfect* Blondies
Buttery, soft, chewy, loaded with your favorite add-ins, my blondie recipe is perfectly decadent. With hints of butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel, you won’t miss the chocolate. Serve slightly warm, topped with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce for a truly indulgent experience.
I spent a great deal of time developing this blondie recipe (you can’t imagine how many batches of not-quite-perfect blondies I had to eat, it’s a tough life 😉) and I finally have the perfect version to share. My recipe includes lots of tips and tricks so you’ll get perfectly soft, chewy and buttery results every time. No dry or cakey blondies here! Let’s get right to it.
Blondie Ingredients
We don’t need to cover everything, but let’s chat a moment about some of our key players:
- Butter. Melted butter is the key to a softer, chewier blondie recipe that stays soft and chewy (it’s also a key ingredient in my best chocolate chip cookie recipe, if you’ve tried that you already know what a game changer it is).
- Sugar. A blend of brown and granulated sugar works best here. The higher ratio of brown sugar works well to impart a deep, rich, and subtly caramel-y flavor that makes these irresistible.
- Eggs. An extra egg yolk contributes to the tender, dense texture of the bar.
- Baking powder. Blondies ought to be dense and leaning toward fudgy territory, but just a pinch of baking powder adds a bit of lightness to the bar so it’s not too dense or difficult to chew. Note that the omission of baking soda is intentional, baking soda would create a lighter airier, and more cakey texture that we’re actively trying to avoid.
- Cornstarch helps make the bars tender and chewy.
- Add-ins (use your favorites!). Truth be told, you can add nothing, no nuts, no chocolate, and you’ll still have a darn good cookie bar. But I prefer to dress things up a bit. White chocolate chips and chopped walnuts are my favorite, but swap out the white chocolate for semisweet or a chopped baking bar, swap out the nuts for a different kind of nut or more chocolate, or if you want to toast your nuts before adding them, that works just fine, too!
For the full recipe and the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
How to Make Blondies
The blondie batter comes together quickly and easily. No mixer needed, no fancy equipment.
Start by melting your butter. It doesn’t need to cool completely, but if it’s still quite hot when you add the butter you can expect your blondies to be a bit greasier on the bottom after baking and to take longer to bake.
Add the sugars, eggs, yolk, and vanilla. Stir it well, but don’t go crazy. Mixing well can help create shiny/crackly tops, but over-doing it could make the blondies a bit cakier than I personally care for them to be. I never use a mixer for this step.
Add the dry ingredients. Always whisk them together separately (to make sure the baking powder and salt are well-distributed through the batter), then stir them into the batter. Once again, don’t go overboard with the mixing. Any add-ins you’re using get stirred in last.
Bake & enjoy. The very edges will turn lightly golden brown and a toothpick should come out clean. A sprinkling of flaky sea salt while they’re still warm is optional, but strongly encouraged 😉. Let the blondies cool completely before you cut into them, otherwise you may panic that you completely underbaked them (you likely didn’t).
Tips & Variations
- When it comes to sugar, a blend is best. For the brown sugar called for in the recipe, you can just use light brown sugar, but I personally prefer a blend of light and dark brown sugar. I don’t care to use all dark brown, though, as I feel it makes things a bit too rich and butterscotch-y.
- Adjust the add-ins. You can add up to 2 cups of your favorite add-ins to this blondie recipe. I listed a mix of chopped walnuts and white chocolate chips in the recipe. I found that this combination provided a nice balance of sweetness and crunch. Feel free to use all walnuts, all chocolate (completely fine to make this recipe nut-free), or swap out some or either of these. A chopped semisweet chocolate bar is quite delicious, in my opinion.
- Pay attention to your pan. A metal pan is best for this recipe and will ensure the quickest and most even baking. If you opt for a glass or ceramic pan, your blondies will almost certainly take longer to bake, and exactly how long will vary. I haven’t tried this blondie recipe in a silicone pan, but am not sure I’d recommend it.
- Brown your butter for a gourmet flavor. Brown 1 cup of butter (you do not need to brown extra to accommodate the lost liquid from browning). You will want to make sure it’s cooled a bit before adding the eggs, so the eggs don’t cook prematurely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blondies are occasionally referred to as “blonde brownies”. They are made without cocoa powder and without melted chocolate and aspire to a rich, buttery brown-sugar-vanilla flavor rather than a deep chocolate one (so you can expect a higher ratio of brown sugar to granulated here).
White chocolate brownies are closer in nature to brownies than blondies are, while blondies are more similar to chocolate chip cookie bars.
Most often this is due to over-baking. Baking for too long or on too high of a temperature will quickly change the texture from fudgy/borderline gooey to crumbly and dry instead.
Other culprits include accidentally mis-measuring an ingredient, using the wrong kind of flour (you need all-purpose, and please do not use self-rising!), accidentally using baking soda instead of powder, or over-measuring your flour.
First, check your pan. If you used a glass, ceramic, or silicone pan the blondies will take longer to bake, and exactly how much longer can vary greatly depending on the particular material of your pan (some people have needed over 45 minutes to bake!). If you use a smaller pan, even if it’s metal, the blondies will also take longer to bake.
If you substituted or accidentally mis-measured any ingredients, this could also cause this issue.
Wait for the blondies to cool at least mostly before cutting into them, if cut into while warm they’ll look quite underbaked.
If a visual is helpful, see the video in the recipe card for exactly how this blondie recipe look in my kitchen every step of the way.
I’ve been in love with this recipe for years and am so excited for you to try it yourself. If you do, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
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Best Blondie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cup (250 g) brown sugar firmly packed (see note)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (285 g) all-purpose flour (note that in the video I accidentally said 2 ½ cups flour, that is incorrect, you only need 2 ¼ cups as written here)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (115 g) white chocolate chips (see note)
- 1 cup (130 g) chopped walnuts (may omit, see note)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 13×9 metal baking pan with parchment paper (or lightly grease and flour the pan).
- Combine melted butter and sugar in a large bowl and stir well.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cup (250 g) brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined. Set aside.2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.2 ¼ cups (285 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Gradually stir the dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
- Fold in white chocolate chips and nuts, if using.⅔ cup (115 g) white chocolate chips, 1 cup (130 g) chopped walnuts
- Spread blondie batter into prepared pan and transfer to oven.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few fudgy crumbs.
- Allow to cool before cutting and enjoying
Notes
Brown sugar
I like to use half dark and half light brown sugar in this recipe for a perfectly balanced flavor with butterscotch undertones. If you don’t have both, you can use just light brown sugar.Add-ins (nuts & chocolate), and making this recipe nut-free
You can use up to 2 cups of your favorite add-ins, feel free to swap out the white chocolate chips and nuts for your favorite additions (semisweet chocolate chips, pecans, a chopped baking bar, etc.). This recipe can certainly be made nut-free, just swap the nuts for an equal amount of white chocolate chips or your preferred add-in.Pan note
A metal baking pan is recommended. Using a glass, ceramic, silicone, or other material will increase the time needed to bake, sometimes significantly. Please also note that if you opt to use a smaller pan the baking time can be expected to be longer.Storing
Cover tightly (or cut and transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 4 days. These blondies may also be sliced, tightly wrapped and frozen for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
More Cookie Bars to Try:
Molly
I know this sounds ridiculous but… is it possible margarine would work here? I know it’s cringe but it’s all I have on hand and would rather not go to the store for the ONE missing ingredient:)
Molly
PS, I made half a batch with margarine (in case it’s not great) but am hoping it will still be tasty and satisfying
Sam
Sorry I didn’t see this earlier, Molly! I hope they turned out for you. 🙂
Sandy
I want to make blueberry blondies but love this recipe more than others I’ve seen specifically for that. Have you put berries in your blondies before? Should I adjust anything for the added moisture? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Sandy! I have not added blueberries to it. It may be a little tough to stir them without smashing them as this is a thicker batter, but it could work without alterations. If you try it let me know how it goes.
Sara H.
These are absolutely amazing! The only change I made was semi sweet chocolate chips instead of white. Super yummy!
Prateeksha
hey can we use granulated brown sugar for this?
Sam
Hi Prateeksha! I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work. 🙂
J Young
Pretty dry. The flavors are good, but it does not have a brownie consistency.
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened! The most likely culprit here is too much flour being added. 🙁
Hetty
I just took these out of the oven. I used real white chocolate pieces instead of the white chocolate chips because that is what I had on hand and the white chocolate pieces were very close to their expiration date. The brownies are picture perfect! I know they will be delicious! Just waiting for them to cool to cut and enjoy.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy they turned out so well for you, Hetty! Hopefully they taste as good as they look 😊
Megan
can these be frozen? I’m looking to bulk cook for a family gathering.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Megan! Yes they can. Just allow them to cool, cut them, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and toss them in an airtight container or ziploc bag and freeze. They should keep for several months. Enjoy! 🙂
Megan
Am I the only one whose blondies were still completely runny after 30 minutes + wondering if I did something wrong
Sam
Hi Megan! This is a very thick batter so if it’s runny when it goes in something went wrong. Did you add your sugars to your butter when the butter was still hot/warm? That will cause your sugars to melt and cause issues.
Tracy R.
These are fantastic!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Tracy! We’re so happy you like them. ♥
Hapzug
Hi,
I would like to know storage and shelf life of these Blondies. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Hapzug! We recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will remain fresh for up to 3 days this way. You can also store them in the fridge for a week. 🙂
Hapzug
Hi sugarspunrun,
Thank you so much for the reply! 😊
Liza
It really is the best blondie recipe. They were chewy, golden, and the perfect texture. Served with vanilla ice cream.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Liza! We are so happy they were a winner for you. Enjoy ❤
Susan
I made this recently, and it’s a keeper! I only decreased the total amount of light brown sugar by a 1/4 cup and the blondies came out amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed them, Susan! Thanks for giving our recipe a shot ♥
Chelsea
Would Rolled Oats work in these?
Sam
Hi Chelsea! I would check out my oatmeal bars. 🙂
Jeffrey Rouse
5 Stars! What a wonderfully Rich slice of HHeaven
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jeffrey 🙂
Debbie
Have made them with different add-ins. All are great. This is a fabulous basic recipe!
White chocolate chips and macadamia nuts
Butterscotch chips and walnuts
Peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts (added butter extract with vanilla and some peanut butter powder to flour)
Added poppy seed, lemon extract and a little lemon zest!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
They all sound delicious, Debbie! We’re so happy you love our recipe 😊 Thanks for coming back to leave a review–it means a lot to us!
AshleyMara
These are SO GOOD! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Ashley! We’re so happy you liked them 🙂
Kathy W.
Are blondies supposed to be cake-like or chewy? How tall should it be after baking it?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Kathy! Chewy! If they’re cakey they may have been baked too long. I haven’t measured them but the video should give you a good approximation of their height.