This is the best chewy blondie recipe! Buttery, soft, and simple to make (no mixer required!) I think you’re going to really love these!
This recipe is very similar to my well-loved chocolate chip cookie bars and is every bit as good! My Blondies recipe includes options for mixing in chopped nuts or white chocolate chips, but these cookie bars taste just as good without any add-ins at all. Be sure to check out my how-to video at the bottom of the recipe!
Thank goodness I had this easy blondie recipe planned to share today!
If you’ve been following my Instagram stories you already know that Zach and I are fostering three 7-week old puppies. They are the cutest, goofiest, fluffballs I’ve ever seen, but they’re also exhausting, so excuse me if a few of my sentences are a little incoherent today. Bonus puppy pics at the bottom of the post!
But back to the blondies.
Buttery, soft, chewy, loaded with your favorite add-ins, these cookie bars are packed with flavor and they are the perfect easy snack when you need a dessert in a pinch. Fortunately today’s recipe is super simple because I don’t know that I’d have the brainpower to focus on anything even mildly complex right now, but I do have a few tips and other info I want to share with you.
What is the Difference Between a Blondie and a Brownie?
The main difference between a blondie and a brownie is the chocolate.
Blondies are occasionally referred to as “blonde brownies”. They are made without cocoa powder and aspire to a rich vanilla flavor rather than a deep chocolate one. Blondies are also often made with brown sugar, and while I do use brown sugar in my brownies, the flavor has a more noticeable affect in the blondies (more on that below).
Here’s my favorite brownie recipe if you’re in the mood for something chocolatey!
Tips for Making Blondies
- You can use all light brown sugar, all dark brown sugar, or a combination of the two for this blondie recipe. I like to use half light and half dark. Keep in mind that if you use all dark brown sugar your blondies will have a richer, sweeter taste and a more moist texture.
- Melting the butter for this recipe gives the blondies a buttery taste and a soft, chewy texture. I much prefer melting the butter to creaming my butter and sugar when making blondies and cookies for this very reason (I do the same thing with my chocolate chip cookies).
- The extra egg yolk and the cornstarch are also key ingredients for making these blondies soft and chewy. I talked a lot about why I use cornstarch in my recent pumpkin bar recipe, if you want more information on that!
- 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. Of course, you can also leave the add-ins out completely!
Alright, well I have two puppies pulling on my shoelaces right now and another that’s determined to devour my couch, so I’m off to take care of that. Enjoy!
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More Cookie Bars You Might Like
How to Make Homemade Blondies
Be sure to check out my Blondie Recipe VIDEO just below the recipe! If you enjoy these videos, please consider subscribing to my YouTube Channel so you can be the first to see all of my cooking videos <3
Best Blondie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cup (250 g) brown sugar* tightly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) 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
- 1 cup (130 g) chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 13x9 pan with parchment paper**
- 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) 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 dry ingredients into wet until completely 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
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.
Foster Puppy Bonus Pics!
Piper, Paula, and Paul (we didn’t name them!) are available for adoption through the rescue that Zach and I volunteer for: For the Love of Dogs Rescue.
Mike
Worst Brownies Ever!! Entirely too cakes, and not moist at all. Tried making for my wife’s birthday. Would write more but I need to go to a bakery to buy some brownies.
Sam
Hi Mike! I’m sorry you had issues with these blondies. Did you make any alterations to them? They are not meant to be a brownie. 🙁
Tae
Hi when do you add the brown sugar? Did I skip that step?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Step 2 😊
Christine L. Jefferies
Once the batter was together, I added cocoa powder to half of it and layered the blondie batter on the bottom and then the half with the cocoa powder on top. It was delicious and looked so pretty with the two different colored layers. Added a chocolate glaze on the top after it was cool.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! Sounds divine, Christine ☺️
Serina
If I half the sugar, will it affect the blondie’s texture? Any suggestion for how to make blondies that is not as sweet?
Sam
Hi Serina! I haven’t tried cutting the sugar in half so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. 🙁
Kaitlin
Holy cow these were delicious 😋. My 5 year old wanted to bake with me so i looked for and wasy fun recipe, abd this was just that. Soft and buttery. I added chocolate chips cus… why not 😆. Soooo good so easy.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Kaitlin! We love lots of recipes that are fun with kids–let us know if you try any others 😊
Angelina
I followed the recipe but they came out weirdly gooey and the top was hard like a crust, what could have happened?
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened Angelina! I’m wondering if all of the ratios were correct here? It’s an interesting issue that I have not encountered before so I’m a little stumped. 🙁
Lisa Dobson
A baker for 50 years, I’d never made bloodies. This recipe is a winner! I substituted Trader Joe’s salted caramel chips and sprinkled some coarse sea salt over the top before baking. Bars were a huge hit. I believe this recipe could be the base for any sort of mix in. It’s a latecomer in my go-to repertoire but here to stay.
Lisa Dobson
Autocorrect being cute and I didn’t edit before send….”blondies”.
Lisa
Followed perfectly, but they came out more cake like than blondie like.
Sam
Hi Lisa! If you’re running into an issue with cakiness I would check that the flour is being measured properly and that the blondies are not being overbaked. Those are the most likely culprits. I hope that helps!
Margaret
Sam, I need help deciding!
First, I’ve been baking like crazy for friends/family, and using exclusively your recipes. Thank you for everything – people have been raving, and I always refer them to your page.
My birthday is this week, and I’m pretty healthy but I plan to indulge. What’s your recommendation: white chocolate brownies, or blondies? I’ve made the blondies before and they’re 11/10. I’m thinking to serve a them little warm, maybe with a little scoop of ice cream. I respect your opinion, so I’d love any input. Merry Christmas!!
Sam
Hi Margaret! First of all, Happy Birthday!!!! Secondly, thank you for trusting and sharing all of my recipes. I think you are on the right path with a slightly warmed blondie and some ice cream on top. YUMMMMMMM! 🙂
Kim
Have you ever added cranberries, white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts to your blondie recipe?
Sam
Hi Kim! I have personally not tried it, but I don’t think there would be any issues doing so.
Maya
This came out great! I omitted the nuts, used a 9×9 pan, and baked it for 25 minutes – expecting that I would have to add another 5-10 minutes to the total bake time. Good thing I started with 25 minutes, because they were done, even though I used a smaller pan. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have the nuts. These came out so good, and will become my go-to recipe for blondies moving forward. Thank you!!!!!
Karen
Hello! I only have an 8×8 pan. Would it come out very thick compared to the ones in the photo?
Sam
Hi Karen! They would probably be about 50% thicker and the bake time would definitely change.
maby
could these be made without cornstarch?
Sam
You could substitute flour, but I recommend the cornstarch as it really helps make these soft and chewy. 🙂
Tracy
Can you use gf flour in this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Tracy! We haven’t tried it, but we think a 1:1 gluten free flour would work fine. Let us know how it goes 😊
Xannie
Made these a a little special if you know what I mean and they’re a hit! I’ve added all sorts of toppings and fillings from a cheesecake filling to make cheesecake swirl blondies, caramel blondies, blueberry blondies etc and they’re great! I put them in a 9×9 to make extra thick slices 😉 thanks for the recipe!
Michaela
This is AMAZING! I’ve saved the recipe to my bookmarks! Quick question: does it need to be completely cooled before you take it out or can it be warm?
Sam
Hi Michaela! They are a little more likely to fall apart if they are warm, but I do take them out when they are slightly warm. 🙂
Bella Roberts
Are these Blondies freezeable
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Bella! Yes they are. 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! 🙂
Kati
I was unsure if these would have the same “chewy” and crisp top like chocolate boxed brownies have. But OMG…… these are going to be a problem. I made them to exact recipe and that’re to die for!But then again everything she makes is delicious. Thank you Sam, this one is a keeper !!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for letting us know how you liked them, Kati! Enjoy 😊
Anne
Well, that worked! Made half batch. Added 1/4 cup pomegranate arils and 1/4 cup pecans. 6 people are the whole thing! Only feedback (other than moans of pleasure) was to add more pomegranate next time, but that’s my fault- the recipe is solid.
Robert
Tried making them yesterday. So good! This really is the best.
A Lawson
This is awesome!!! I made it with a chewy and cream cheese topping and I was in heaven!!! The family ate the entire pan in like less than two days. Going to make it tomorrow using butterscotch morsels. Can’t wait!!! Thank you for this recipe. Endless dessert and snack possibilities.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wow, that sounds amazing! Enjoy!!
Raff
Hi! How long would you suggest if baked in a 8×8 pan?
Sam
I haven’t baked it in an 8 x 8 so I can’t say for sure how to alter the bake time.