blondies, infinitely adaptable
Although I am certain the last thing anyone wants to think about today is eating, baking, desserts or the next big cooking holiday, this recipe will usher in what I hope will be a month peppered with ideas for gifty kitchen confections. I know a lot of people this time of year make small gifts bags of baked goods, or larger tins for parties, and while I typically don’t, this gives me a chance, too, to try out a lot of bookmarked recipes while also never showing up at a party empty-handed. Also, I finally have an excuse to buy a candy thermometer.
Of course, this recipe is nothing new. I’ve been making it for nearly two years now because it’s simple the tastiest and easiest — one bowl! — baked goods to whip up for a party. It’s denser than chocolate chip cookies, more complex than brownies and in the classic Minimalist style, you’ve can customize it anywhere from a cranberry almond coconut bar to the gunky atery-cloggers I’m best known for. I typically load up on whatever chocolate I have around — tonight it was milk, white and bittersweet — finely chop some walnuts or pecans, use dark brown sugar, European butter and in something you will probably sense is a theme with me, add a splash of bourbon to boot. Gild the lily? Oh, not me. Never.
Finally, I double the recipe, baking it in a 9×13 pan (though really, just because I don’t have an 8×8 — yet) and cut the pieces really small, almost like cubes so we can rest assured that we’re not overdoing it. Oh no, not us. Never.
Blondies
Adapted from How to Cook Everything
8 tablespoons (1 stick, 4 ounces or 113 grams) butter, melted
1 cup (218 grams or 7 3/4 ounces for light; 238 grams or 8 3/8 ounces for dark) brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
1 cup (4 3/8 ounces or 125 grams) all-purpose flour
- Butter an 8×8 pan
- Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
- Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. I always err on the side of caution with baking times — nobody ever complained about a gooey-middled cookie. Cool on rack before cutting them.
Further additions, use one or a combination of:
- 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
- 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
- 1/2 cup mashed bananas
- 1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flour by one tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla
- Stir 1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries, into the prepared batter
- Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frosting











mmmmm, what a great sounding basic recipe – will try this soon! My search for recipes is always a search for the base to more complex things – like the basic pancake recipe, which can be spiced up, substituted and tweaked until the cows come home. It is so helpful to know the ratios that make everything turn out like the thing we expect them to be like (pancake-like, cookie-like, cake-like, quick-break-like, and so on)
Also, I’m about to cook a second batch, in 3 days, of your coffee cake…first one was for fiance back at the real home, second one for relatives at thanksgiving feast…that one goes very high on my baked goods list
This is very interesting that you melt the butter and the sugar… I like when things get intriguing. Is this dark or light brown sugar– have you made them with both??
Peanut butter is also a great addition, can help to make them even chewier.
yum, right this minute I was thinking I need something sweet-if only…and now this-perfect.
Wow, and I like one bowl!
Rachael – If you like adapting recipes, you should really check out How to Cook Everything. Alex bought it in his woebegone bachelor days, heh, and the entire book is recipes and then endless adaptation. The instructions are so clear and simple, and really, it has a recipe for almost anything. Of course, one of the problems with this approach is that you have to guess when, which and how many additions will be beneficial, and when you should just stick with the core recipe. Should you use ½ cup or 1 cup of chocolate chips? It’s a big range. Of course this was an easy choice: all of the above! But would all of those additions be good in a cookie? Probably not.
Glad you loved the coffee cake.
Shuna – See, I found that step brilliant. One, I wholly admit that I love the laziness involved in only having to melt and not cream room-temperature butter, because when is it ever room temperature when you need it? But two, because when you’re making a cookie, you shouldn’t really need all that air beaten into the butter that you would need when making a cake, right? I’d think that the lack of creaming would make for a more crisp cookie. I’ve made it with both light and dark brown sugars – this time, I used both because I only had some of each – and each way, it’s wonderful, the darker of course having a more intense flavor. I applaud your suggestion of peanut butter.
Elle – And so easy! Let me/us know if you try it.
Tanna – Me too! I love it when a recipe-writer tests it both ways, and realizes you lose nothing by saving a dish – perfect, as our sink is already stacked with stuff we didn’t get to washing before running out for the weekend. Blech!
I made these last night — very tasty, and very easy!!! My husband thanks you immensely!
allana
I’m glad to have this in the arsenal–the America’s Test Kitchen blondie recipe made some great bars, but seemed awfully fussy to me (though that’s sorta why I love them, too).
This holiday is going to be my first excursion into the world of giving seriously high-quality but not-requiring-backbreaking-kitchen-labor home-baked gifts, so I’m looking forward to all of your posts for the next few weeks! (And beyond, of course…)
Even though I just ate my breakfast, this recipe made my stomach growl loudly. I may have to make them as soon as we run out of Thanksgiving pie and birthday cake.
Those Blondies sure went well with my hangover on Sunday!
THANK YOU!! For everything. It was a great night, although I am still trying to piece together what happened.
I have one silly question, when a recipe calls for butter is it always assumed to be unsalted butter? These blondies are in the oven right now, I can’t wait to taste them.
I made these using unsalted butter, dried blueberries, chocolate chips and walnuts. My six year old tried some after dinner, and came to me and said, “Mom, these are the BEST DESSERT EVER.” Then I got a big hug and “Thanks so much for making those.”
This is the kid who won’t touch nuts, by the way. And i have never gotten a HUG for making cookies before. Definitely a keeper–easy recipe! Thanks!
Deb, thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I absolutely love dried cherries, so I tried the cherries, white chocolate, coconut and walnut version. They were to die for. I love this recipe because it can be made quickly with whatever ingredients I happen to have on hand and with very little clean-up.
This definitely sounds like a keeper. I´ll have to make it very very soon.
I tried these today and they turned out way too gooey(and I like a gooey center as much as the next person) even after I practically doubled the baking time. I’m thinking my oven temperature is really off or my mistake was the fact that I mixed the other ingredients into the saucepan I melted the butter in and it was very warm(the chocolate chips ended up melting almost immediately). Did everyone else cool the butter to room temp. or cooler first?
Deb. first time poster here and wanted to tell you the combo I came up with for these, since you were the inspiratin not only for the blondes but the flavor…. dark chocolate chips and candied oranges (done as you did for the orangettes). fabulous and a major hit with the party I made them for. thanks for the recipe-s! I love your site, your writing, your photos, the inspiration… oh, and the recipes!
Deb, just wanted to say thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! I whipped up a double batch of these bad boys and threw in some nuts and dark chocolate for my company Christmas party. Not a crumb was left! :)
i tried the kitchen sink blondies from soupersalad and FELL IN LOVE. I searched far and wide for the recipe, i even went as far as emailing, mailing and calling to company to see if they would give it to me….they wouldnt.
So i tried ever god damned recipe i could find to see if they were similar. didnt work, this is the closest ive found so far!!!
i melt white chocolate and butterscotch (8 oz) and add it to the recipe and then mix in chocolate chips to the batter…so scrumptcious
Wow but 1/4 cup of bourbon was way, way too much. I had to toss these and make another batch.
Oh no! That’s terrible. My first thought was “god, Deb, not everyone loves bourbon the way you do. For real!” but believe it or not, those are Mark Bittman suggestions from his cookbook, not even mine! Good to know for the future. Sorry you learned the hard way.
I found this recipe (and everyone’s helpful comments) a few weeks ago. Now it’s all my husband asks for! Thanks Deb and commenters!
Chocolate chips and pecans are part of the basic version for us, but as we’re big bourbon and espresso fans, I’ve been playing with those two add-ins. When I used 2T of espresso, the bourbon got lost. Halved the espresso and it disappeared, leaving us with bourbon cubes (not that we minded). Tonight’s plan is to try 1.5T of espresso and a scant 1/4c of maker’s. Cross your fingers please.
Hi, I was having a massive food craving last night and was desperate to find something I could bake with the ingredients on hand. This recipe did the trick. I actually have “How to Cook Everything” but can’t currently find it.
I added 1/4 cup of light rum and 1/2 cup of coconut to the basic recipe and my husband was delighted.
Thank you so much.
heeeeeeeeeeeey these are lush! i am baking them for the second for my best friend to give her on her 18th birthday! i used white chocolate buttons and they look delicious! thankyou xxxxx
Oh my god, I made these as a quick dessert, as well as something non-chocolate so my dad could eat them. I added dried cherries and pecans and they were awesome! Thanks!
WOW…this sounds yummie! When adding cocnut how much should I add? Going to also add pecans and chocolate chips. Can’t wait to make this for the family…and me too!!!!
Wow! Who knew blondies were so easy/so few ingredients? I’m definitely going to have to try these!
I’ve got this recipe in the oven now… looking at the software list, it reminds me a lot of the recipe for “Butterscotch Bars” that my grandma swiped out of an old Better Homes and Gardens book. The only real difference being that recipe included baking powder, so the blondies have a bit more “loft” than these probably will.
Anyhoo, it was the variations that hooked me to try this one – I put bourbon in my blondies ;-)
Cheers, kids…
I used a couple of the add-ons (whiskey and butterscotch chips in place of chocolate chips!) and made what my husband now calls “Tullamore Scotchies”! Thanks for the great recipe!
Just made these last night and brought them in to work — everyone loves them… and hates me for ruining their diets! :)
I just made these for a blonde friend who is recovering from surgery… she loves Blondies – I added chocolate chips (she does not like nuts) – They smell scrumptious and if I wasn’t on a weight loss mission they would most definitively be some missing from her care package… thanks for the recipe! Happy Baking!
I made these the other day as a surprise for my mother and they were FANTASTIC. We knocked out the whole pan in a day (sorry diet!). They were perfectly moist. I added dried cherries, white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips. Thanks so much for the recipe! They were quick and easy to make but tasted as if I slaved over them all day.
I’ve made two batches of these so far and they are awesome! Has anyone noticed that they taste even better after about 3-5 days of being left at room temp? I think the flavors really have a chance to meld together. I know it’s not easy to wait that long but save at least one and try it!
Oh my! I have had this recipe printed out for a few weeks, and was just waiting for a reason to try it out. I decided that reason was going to be the celebration of my husband and I recovering from the flu! I used walnuts and semisweet chocolate chips, and they are absolutely to die for! So easy, so quick, so delicious. Now I just can’t wait to get to the grocery to make those cherry-coconut-almond ones you mentioned above. Thanks for yet another foolproof recipe, Deb!
these are in the oven baking right now. i went with white chocolate, craisins, and a splash of chambord. can’t believe there’s no baking powder or soda, or leavening of any kind – but they smell divine. baby fell asleep in the kitchen, so i must bake! at this rate, i’ll never lose the baby weight.
These are such great blondies! I’ve been making them for months and decided to leave some love. I added some coconut and peanutbutter :D
I am absolutely in love with these! I’ve made two batches in the last two days — pistachio and butterscotch almond :)
I made these the other day for my family. I got up that morning and decided I wanted to make blondies…which I had never made before! I looked up a few recipes and decided to settle on yours. I doubled the batch and added chocolate chips. They were delicious (and they went fast)! The only thing I plan to do differently next time I make them is add even more chocolate chips. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
These are delicious. I’m on my second batch inside a week. Both with dark chocolate chunks, pecans and dried sour cherries. They feel positively healthy compared to my favourite brownie recipe (which uses a pound of dark chocolate, close to a pound of butter and 8 eggs!). Trisha, how an earth did you discover they taste better after 3-5 days? These are out of the oven and gone! Thank you for an amazing blog (deliciously tempting photos) and a great recipe.
Unbelievably easy. I wish I had found this recipe before. I was just tasting blondies and had to make them. I didn’t have the whiskey or the bourbon but I did have some Grand Marnier (orange liqueur). I put a shot of that in the recipe with milk choc chips, semi sweet choc chips, and walnuts. Unbelievable. Especially with some fresh chocolate chip ice cream. Thank you so much. I’m making a batch for my mom next week.
Just phenomenal and so easy! I threw in a good 3/4 cup of toffee pieces and a little over 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. Baking took more like 35 minutes and the center was still on the gooey side, but the end product was worth the wait!
I made this recipe this afternoon after stumbling upon it from Google. I made mine a double batch, and I used dates and walnuts for add-ins. They’re delicious.
http://fatduc.blogspot.com/2008/06/so-i-made-some-blondies.html
I made these over the weekend. They are great. I just added good chocolate chips and toffee bits. Thanks
I was wondering how much Peanut Butter to add and how much butter to take out if I wanted to make PB chocolate chunk blondies?
Megan — I haven’t tried it that way, so cannot attest to the best measurements. However, I have a Peanut Butter Brownie (with chocolate chips) recipe on this site I urge you to try–it’s delicious.
I stumbled into your site whilst trying to decipher what the heck went wrong with the ratios in the blondie recipe I was working on. My friend shot me a recipe for coconut blondies, but it was more like a mediocre coconut cake, with the butter and sugar creamed and all that. Anyhow, those hit the bin, and it was time for round two! I used your base recipe with a smidge of coconut cream and a whole lot of shredded coconut. As soon as my knife cut into these, I knew they were gonna be great!!
http://sweetcharitypie.blogspot.com/2008/06/coconut-blondies.html
By the way, your blog is going in my bookmarks for gratuitous food porn- I love it!
I have a batch of these in the oven right now, plain with some dried cherries. The batter tasted insane (I am an obsessive-compulsive spoon licker!) and I can’t wait for the finished product. My coworkers are going to love me tomorrow!
Thanks Deb!
hi, I found your site by way of notmartha.com, I made a batch of these for a family get together over the weekend and they were a huge hit! This recipe is dangerously easy! I doubled the batch and added semi sweet chocolate chips. I’m making another batch tonight, they are simply delicious. Now to go check out those peanut butter brownies… your site is great, I know I’ll be making more of the recipes you have listed, for sure!
How long should they cook if you are doubling the recipe?!
Yeeks — it’s been a long time since I’ve made these and can’t remember. I would start checking at 30 minutes (the thickness will have a lot to do with baking time, of course) and then go every five minutes from there when they’re not done.
My new favorite “late night and in the mood for something sweet and easy” recipe! These are delicious with some Ghiradelli chocolate chips and a handful of mini marshmallows. Thanks for the new recipe staple!
I just made these last night and doubled the recipe. In a 9 x 13 ” pan, they were done at 30 minutes (they come out a little thinner then the ones pictured). I added dried cranberries, chocolate chips, a tablespoon of espresso powder and about a shot of whiskey. They came out very moist and very very good (melting the butter helps with that). Next time will try the espresso and white chocolate.
OH my gosh !!! Need I say more ?
wow! so easy and delicious, as everyone has already observed. I put in half a cup of toasted pecans, 1/4 cup of bourbon and 1/3 cup of bittersweet choc chips. I did think I could have left them in the oven another five minutes (I baked them for about 25 mins) but maybe that’s just my oven. deb, maybe i too love bourbon too much, but i didn’t find 1/4 cup to be too much. though licking the mixing bowl was a, um, heady experience.
I made these yesterday and they turned out yummy! My variation was to mix in approx. 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, approx. 3/4 c. walnuts, 1/2 c. dried cherries (snipped, so as to mix into the batter more evenly), 1/2 tsp. almond extract, and 2 T. bourbon. I didn’t add extra flour, since I didn’t add the full amount of bourbon. Also, I used a 9×9 inch pan, since that’s what I have. In spite of an oven that has the world’s craziest thremostat, the blondies came out perfect! I probably baked them for about 21-22 minutes. I will be revisiting your blog often and trying other recipes soon. Thanks!
I topped mine with chocolate chips and eagle brand. I wanted it to be a bit more like a magic/monster bar
I made these with my 5 year old daughter twice. So easy to double and yummy! We throw in whatever chocolate we have on hand, this time it was semi-sweet and white. They were great. Thanks!
Thanks for the recipe!
It was a lovely one, and I’ve put it on my blog too! :)
i came across this recipe and really want to try it but i was wandering if you or anyone could tell me the equivalent weight of a tablespoon of butter in either grams or ounces. I am English and am not familiar with these types of measurements, so if anyone could let me know that would be great! :)
Vita — A tablespoon of butter is 1 (one) ounce. An American stick of butter is 8 ounces, 8 tablespoons, or half a pound of butter. Hope that helps!
Happy Baking. I’m making these myself this evening. Let the Christmas Cookie Baking BEGIN.
Wow, I just stumbled upon this recipe from http://www.stumbleupon.com and I am going to make them. I am visiting my daughter and family for Christmas and she has given me strict instructions I have to make something to take, so this will be it.
Merry Xmas to all.
They are in the oven as we speak, I am sending them to my husband in Herat. He loves blondies!! Will let you know how they fair in the mail.
Thank you so much for this recipe. They are D E L I C I O U S! My husband’s co-workers have even offered to pay me to bake this recipe for them.
Thank you for the recipe! I made if for my family as a surprise and everyone loved it. That’s a pretty hard task considering all the different tastes we have. It’s now the only recipe I use for Blondies and when I need something quick, tasty and still impressive.
I made this recipe just now, using butterscotch chips instead of the other additions listed. Just waiting for them to finish cooking so I can see how my attempt came out. I love to experiment with my desserts and constantly add extras in brownies and cookies to give ‘em an extra kick of some kind.
Thank you for the recipe!
I’m making these today because we’re snowed in near Boston – my family’s been waiting for two boring days for me to bake something and now here it is – all the ingredients on hand and easy cleanup. Thanks Deb!
I made these last night, and they were so good! Very easy and even better the next day. I love your blog! I’m planning to make the Cranberry, Caramel and Almond Tarts today for Christmas. Hope it works!
The best blondies I’ve ever had were served at a meeting in Chicago seven years ago. I’ve checked every bakery I’ve stepped foot in on the west coast since then, and none have even sold blondies. I’ve done several Internet searches for recipes and decided on this one…based on the ease of the recipe and everyone’s positive comments. My two 8×8 inch pans of blondies are in the oven baking right now–one with about a cup of butterscotch chips and the other with butterscotch chips and chopped pecans. I didn’t go the bourbon route–the only liquor in this house is tequila, but I did use some imported Mexican vanilla that has a pure, wonderful flavor.
Thanks for your site, and all the tips and suggestions. Happy new year to all.
I was so excited to make these blondies. First try I doubled the recipe and used cherries, walnuts and chocolate chips. They were flat and a kind of dry and ordinary. I tried again thinking that maybe I shouldn’t double up. I used an 8X8 pan and used mashed bananas, walnuts and chocolate chips and a T. of brandy. Still flat and less than impressive. What happened? Could it be the weather or that I used room temperature butter instead of melting it? Maybe they’ll taste better in the morning.
WOW! These are delicious! I used 1/2 c. pumpkin and a handful of chocolate chips. I thought they’d be more cookie like in their consistency and they were more cake like but still wonderful! Thanks for the great recipe!
these sound especially delicous! I’m planning on attempting them tonight… let’s cross our fingers.
I made these with bittersweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and almond extract. They were AMAZING!!! I can’t wait to try the other combinations.
I have been baking these blondies for about two years and yet each time I am suprised by the insane taste and ease of making this recipe. When I make them I suddenly become Mommy again to my 15 and 18 year old boys. Thanks again for this madly delicious recipe!!!
These are crazy business. I doubled the recipe and threw in chocolate chunks and white chocolate drops. AMAZING! I had used another recipe and was really sad that they came out more like scones, so trooped on and found yours! I was gloating for about two days. Well, this is the second day so it hasn’t really stopped. Next time I’ll kill the bottle of Woodford on the bridge and try caramel bits with almonds. Thanks so much! I’m going to have to bake these for my parents. I usually make dumplings on Chinese New Year but this may be my new tradition!!
P.S. I forgot and actually creamed the butter and sugar, but it came out as gorgeous as the pics so dont worry if you did accidentally. I’ll follow the next time..
Just made these with sliced almonds, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and some finely diced pear soaked in Calvados. The flavors are complex beyond words. Love your blog, love Mark Bittmann, keep up the great work.
i tried baking using this recipe for my bestfriend’s birthday and it turned out to be simply delicious ((: i added white choc chunks into the batter and sprinkled the top of the batter with a whole lotta choc chips XDDD
I recently baked blondies from a recipe I found some where else and they weren’t so great. Last night, I decided to try once more and searched online for a better recipe, coming across this one I just knew I had to try it. I doubled the recipe for my 13 x 9 pan and used about half a cup of butterscotch chips, a cup of chocolate chips and about a half of a cup of hersheys chocolate chunks, I also added 1/4 cup of whiskey. My boyfriend, being very impatient ate them fresh out of the oven and said ‘they are ..good’. Haha. I had some after they cooled completey and they are by far the best I have ever had and so very delicious. I can’t wait for him to try them again so he can tell me what he really thinks of them! Oh and my mom adored them! This is a great recipe and I can’t wait to try other options like the dried cherries! I also love using one bowl! Woohoo! well done!!!!
I love this recipe! I used dark chocolate and white chocolate chunks, and instead of bourbon I used Amaretto and served them with caramel sauce and ice cream. The first time I made them I added walnuts and cherries but I found them to be better without. I love the variations and that they are a people pleaser and so easy!
I just discovered Marble Blondies! I used the recipe stated above, but I melted the butter in the microwave in the mixer bowl. Then I added the other ingredients, but when I added the chocolate chips, they melted due to the heat of the bowl from melting the butter. So they are now Marble Blondies,delicious!
I was excited to try these but I was sort of disappointed with the results. I think I was expecting them to be sweeter than they are.
I made these the other week and they turned out amazing! I loved these so much I wanted to send some to a friend in a care package but I’m not sure how long they’ll last and if it’d be something safe to send (I wouldn’t want it to spoil right as it made it there). Do you have any ideas?
I made these today with brown butter, toasted walnuts, espresso powder, semisweet chocolate and some chopped up Milk Duds at the end (ok, I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for candy). The brown butter was AMAZING in this! Thanks so much for posting the recipe – if only it didn’t take me almost three years to get around to baking it…
I am going to try these out this week, thanks for posting it. They look great. However, I own that cookbook and can not find the recipe anywhere in it. do you have an older version that maybe has different recipes than the newer copy? Or am I just totally blind? also I was wondering if you are supposed to use unsalted butter? I am assuming that you are.
Bittman calls them “Butterscotch Brownies” but I find that name confusing. You can use unsalted or salted, depending on your taste. I like more salt in sweet things so I use salted.
I tried this recipe yesterday … I wanted to give it a chocolaty hint, and instead of regular chocolate chips, I chopped a bar of Belgian milk chocolate and added it to the dough. It was SOOOOOOO good!
I LOVE your blog.
Regards from Costa Rica!
Hi!
I have one RAVE and one quick question. I just made these because a coworker requested Blondies. I had never made them, I always felt like blondies were brownies without the good part (chocolate!).
That said, I mixed in a good cup or so of coconut flakes, ghiradelli white and semi sweet choco chips and walnuts and its crazy good!!! My roomate just said that she is no longer a brownie girl but a blondie girl so they are definitely up for the task of satisfying friends.
My question is that most other blondie recipes I saw included baking powder/soda. Why did you choose to leave them out, are they substantially cake-ier with those ingredients? I was so surprised at how very very thick and goopy the batter was before baking up. They turned out amazing but I’m wondering if i’ll get more of a brownie consistency if i add 1/2-1 tsp of baking powder/soda.
Some blondies recipes have baking powder/soda in them, others do not. Same with brownies — in fact, two of my favorite brownie recipes don’t use baking powder/soda at all. The inclusion makes it more of a cake (brownies/blondies are technically in the cookie family, believe it or not). There’s no harm in including it if you’d like it better, of course.
Was wondering if you’d ever tried the blondies with pineapple and coconut?
Thanks so much for this great recipe. It was so easy to make that my son (4 years old) practically did all the work and everyone is loving them!!
First time I made the base recipe it was a little too gooey for me, but the second time: Bourbon Pecan Blondies! I made these as above, with the following adjustments: I added 2T bourbon and 1/4 cup flour, plus toasted chopped pecans and used 1/2 t vanilla instead of 1t. So easy that I’m already thinking up new versions; subbing some maple sugar and adding dried blueberries comes to mind…Thanks!
Yum, these look delicious, and I love how you can add things according to your taste. I’ll probably go all chocolate… hehe. About how many do they make?
This recipe is the perfect blondie recipe. I have made it twice now. Once I used chopped dates and dried cherries. They were delicious! Last night I used 1/2 cup of white flour and 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and I chopped about 8 ounces of dark chocolate up. That batch turned out the best! I’ll definitely be making these regularly.
Can I just tell you: this has become one of my signature desserts. I never used to like blondies, but these are just so darn easy and so very delicious. I use 3 Tbs bourbon, 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate, and 1/3 cup chopped milk chocolate. The bourbon is just so fruity and boozy and the milk chocolate is caramel-y and the dark chocolate is just a little bit bitter and oh jeez I think I’ll go make some right now!
I needed a dessert that will travel well with me on a bus.
I made a double batch with slightly less than 1/2 cup Jim Beam and 1 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Baking just over 30 minutes.
The bourbon is not too strong at all and I sprinkled the top with an extra ounce while they were still warm. Most people will probably not even be able to tell what it is, just a little extra flavor. My boyfriend guessed they had banana in them.
Overall very easy to make but I still prefer my one bowl Baker’s brownies for flavor. The blondies stuck terribly to the pan despite liberal buttering.
I will make this again if I am in the mood for blondies. If I put alcohol in I will use even more. Grand Marnier brownies are one of my specialties so I do love baking with alcohol.
Was having a discussion with my sister and cousins about blondies, i think Dunan Hines used to make a mix when we were kids, my Aunt Judy always had them, alongside of brownies.
Anyway. Had to do a search for a recipe, to make a double batch for work… thanks Deb, Molly and Emily… Looked perfect just a little after 30 min, and i used a disposable pan (hello, not doing washing up at work, LOL).
I’ll let you know how they are received. But they smell amazing, and I wish I made a batch for us at home… we are dying to try them. Thanks!!
these are definitely the best and most easy to make blondies! they vanish in one day! i added chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
this is a great gooey chewy recipe- 99% of people loose their minds over these…however I am one of the few in the minority and I like a cakey, light, blondie (crazy, i know) but with full flavor. any suggestions?
You can always add an extra tablespoon or two of flour and bake it longer. You also might be interested in just using a more classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, and pressing it into a pan instead.
The recipe should have stated Dark brown sugar, tightly packed. Light brown will work too, but dark brown is more molasses-y, and has more flavor. I love the idea of adding a sweet liquor, like bourbon or rum, and will definitely try that. yum! Also, I add butterscotch chips, a whole bag, whenever I make these. Underbake a little for a gooey sugar treat. And I love the idea of combining chocolate and butterscotch chips, and will try that too.
Has anyone tried adding kahlua?
I don’t know about the mint…
Also, I’ll bet coconut would be great in these, or as frosting, but I don’t know how much to add. Has anyone tried this? I could make a buttercream and add coconut, but how much could be added before they fall apart/don’t bake together?
thank you. Just discovered this website, and I love it already.
Deb, I had a serious chocolate/cookie craving today, so I googled “blondies recipe” and of course your wonderful recipe came up! I made these tonight and they were killer (and most importantly, my craving for sweets is satiated!)…thanks for an amazing recipe!
Deb
After years of buying recipe books and fostering a severe baking addiction I started trawling cooking blogs a few months ago and discovered your site. It has been bookmarked for a while now and I really enjoy trying your recipes. I just wanted to say what a big hit this recipe has been. I have made it with all sorts of additions. My work colleagues are generally the recipient of my baking endeavours and the most sweet-toothed of them tells me that this is his favourite of all the treats I have brought in. Particularly popular are blondies with white chocolate, dried sour cherries and pistachios. Have run out of sour cherries and the batch currently in the oven includes white and 70% chocolate chips, dried pear and pistachios.
Anyway, thanks for introducing me to such a versatile, delicious and easy recipe.
Made this recipe twice recently. Both times I doubled everything and baked in a 13 x 9 inch pan for 35 – 40 minutes. I added shredded coconut, almonds, and some chocolate chips. My brothers and boyfriend love them and they are so easy to make. Thanks for the great recipe!
I had never had a blondie until I made these. I added butterscotch chips, roasted pecans and some *couch* scotch. Yum! Can’t wait to try new flavour combinations!
These are cooling off right now!!!! Smells like heaven! So easy!!
I knew you’d have the recipe I was looking for tonight! Yippee for blondies and a movie!! ^_^
Oh my goodness! I just made these with chocolate and peanutbutter chips and they’re absolutely divine! I’m supposed to bring these to a picnic I’m going to in a few hours, but I already ate three and the others may not stand a chance either. Thank you for sharing!
Made these last night, delicious! Used coconut sprinkled on top along with cashews, whiskey, and shaved dark chocolate in the batter. Could’ve had more chunk to the final product but it was still delicious.
Oh Deb, these really are heart-breakingly good. I made them with Amaretto, bittersweet choc chips, and big chunks of pecans. They blew our minds. I’ve made them at least 4 times since. Most recently I doubled the recipe and made them in a 9×13 pan… they came out a little thicker and oh so divine… we’re more in love than ever (with both the blondies and each other… he loves when I bake).
And I must add that this isn’t the only recipe of yours we’ve adored. It’s gotten so that when I say a new recipe is from Smitten Kitchen we have great expectations!
I’ve made double batches of these on several occasions: twice with 1 c. toasted hazelnuts, 1 c. chocolate chips, 3/4 tsp hazelnut flavoring and 1/4 c. bourbon (my Nutella-loving friend couldn’t get enough), and once with 2 bananas, chocolate chips, and 1/4 c. bourbon, baking ~30 min. They never last longer than 2 days!
Just made these — added dark chocolate chips, cocoa nibs, and coconut, as well as a little splash of chocolate extract. YUM.
I made these a few weeks ago for friends. Everyone was dying over how delicious they were… of course that might be because they were buzzed from all the bourbon I put in (just kidding). I doubled the recipe (including the bourbon at about a 1/2 cup!) and cooked it in a 9×12 pan. I also added toasted pecans, plus white, milk and dark chocolate chips. It needed to cook quite a bit longer than the time stated (almost 40 minutes) and tasted VERY strongly of bourbon when it came out of the oven. However, when it cooled they were to die for! My husband even put them out for a poker game (figuring bourbon soaked anything was a perfect choice) to rave reviews. I had said that the next time I made these I would cut the bourbon in half, but everyone who ate them said not change a thing! Who am I to argue with the will of the people?!
I’ve made these often, but a recent careless mistake turned into a favorite new variation: instead of just melting the butter, try simmering it with the sugar and salt for a few moments until darkened in color and bubbly, and then let cool and proceed. The texture of the finished blondies will be chewier, and the flavor has notes of caramel and brown butter – absolutely wonderful with toasted pecans or hazenuts added in, along with dark chocolate.
Have a batch in the oven with cognac, cranberries, dark chocolate chips, coconut, and swirled some homemade caramel on the top and cracked some smokey salt as a finish. They look wonderful and smell better. I’m sure they will be exquisite. Been dying for a good blondie for a week now and this basic recipe was just what I needed. Thanks!
I just made your crispy, chewy chocolate chip cookies today. Again. But these are next. With butterscotch chips. I have a feeling I will be in heaven.
Seriously yummy made with butterscotch chips and macadamia nuts. Thanks!
OMG! I’ve juste made them, only with chocolate chips added, and they are so delicious!! Thank you!
I made these yesterday with chocolate chips. They were fantastic! Sadly, there are no leftovers. Guess I’ll be making them again soon. Thanks again for another fabulous recipe.
Oh Heavens! I just made these with coconut, golden raisins, and chocolate chips. I only had 3/4 cup of brown sugar so I added 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. I also don’t have an 8×8 so I used a 9-inch cake pan. The edges were a little more done that I would prefer, but it was easy to trim the crust and cut the rest into bite-size pieces. YUM!!!
This recipe is so simple but gosh, the blondies turned out so well! LOVE IT! :D Thumbs up from me and my friends! This is a total keeper! (:
YUM! I’ve had your recipe bookmarked for months now, and finally made blondies last night. they were so good and so simple and just what I needed! I had a question – was your brown sugar packed? I packed mine and my blondies turned out to be considerably sweeter than I’d have liked. I did also simmer the butter and sugar together halfway to butterscotch sauce, so I don’t know if that’s the reason they were too sweet.
Fatima — Yes, brown sugar is always packed in recipes. You might dial it back next time to suit your tastes.
8:05pm I was feeling like a brownie but my husband wanted a chocolate chip cookie. We decided on a blondie as a compromise. I looked up a few recipes and settled on this one. I love all the feedback, that was why I chose this recipe. 8:05pm the blondies are in the oven. 8:30 there out. 9:00 I’m tasting them,9:30 I’m having another… get my drift. 5 stars, I love them. I added a little coconut just to be a little more creative. when well with the chocolate chips. Thanks
Hi! I’m thinking about making these for a new years party, and I want to make it for a 9 x 13 pan.. How should I adjust the recipe? Should I double it? And if I add chocolate chips and butterscotch chips, should I reduce the sugar a little to balance out the sweetness, or do you think it would taste fine the way it is?
Just double it. You can dial back the sugar a bit if you are sensitive to the sweetness in baked goods.
These tasted great but mine were still dough-like just under the crust even after 35min in the oven. I took them out because the edges were starting to brown and I was afraid of burning them. Can you give a novice baker some advise?
Have you ever checked your oven’s temperature? It might run a little hot. Or brown things very strongly (my newer oven is like this; thing often brown before they’re baked). Did they taste okay once cool?
Thanks for the tip about the oven. I will definitely check it out. I’m living in campus apartments so it’s not the most high tech of kitchens. And yes, these tasted AMAZING. I added some semi-sweet and white chocolate chunks…it was like chocolate chip cookies on steroids! Once I figure out my oven I will be making these again.
BEST RECIPE EVER
I just made these for a holiday treat for my husband. I made them with espresso and toffee chips and white chocolate on top. I also added 1t. molasses.
The flavor was nice but the texture was very gooey. Even with an extra 5 min of baking. Maybe due to the 2T. of espresso?
Next time, I’ll bump up the flour a bit.
A tweaker and a keeper!
Spectacular recipe! Even without any add-ins, this would be fantastic, but the ability to just look in your cupboard and say “What do I feel like putting in these?”… I love it.
My second (double) batch just came out of the oven and I am barely resisting diving headfirst into it with my bare hands.
First batch was a couple of weeks ago for a Christmas party — I had to bring a boozy dessert — whipped up a batch of these with a very generous splash of rye and some chopped homemade candied ginger. Mouthwatering. I topped them with some of the large gingery sugar crystals leftover from the candying… Mmmmmm. They didn’t last too long at the party.
This batch (for another party tomorrow, because the only time I really bake is when I know I’ll have someone to share with!) is a chocolate-candy cane blondie — a teeeensy splash of peppermint extract with the vanilla, then some chocolate chips, chopped leftover mini Toblerones, semi-finely chopped candy canes… all topped with more candy cane crumbs. It smells like I’ve died and gone to heaven. Can’t wait to dig in!
Oh man! I just stumbled upon this amazing site you have! I’m in Heaven! All I wanted was a chocolate cream pie recipe and I hit the jackpot. I can’t wait to start cooking my heart out! Thanks for having this! It’s wonderful! I’m !!! Crazy!!! LOL
An amazing recipe!!! Been making it for about a year. Getting ready to make a batch for a cooworker. These work every time!! I like to add nuts, chocolate chips and dried cherries. The bomb dot com!!!
There is a HUGE PROBLEM with the above recipie!!! I doubled the recipie as the author indicated with a 9×13 inch baking pan. It seems that you also need to increase the time, but it does not indicate by how much. There is no baking soda or baking powder listed in the recipie and the blondies are basically goo in the middle. They are not setting up. Next time, I would stick to the original 8×8 pan recipie and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda. Frankly, I’m disappointed.
whoa, deb. I love you and I’ve made plenty of your recipes, but these really fell flat (literally). Should there be a rising agent added? I was so excited to make these, they looked so scrumptious in your pics, but mine did not look like yours! Very flat and kind of hard/ugly. I had in mind soft, gooey, you know, brownie-like…
WOW!!! These are incredible! I followed the original recipe (no doubling) and am so pleased! Just finished off a couple topped with some vanilla ice cream… HEAVEN!
I was desperate to make these and I didn’t have an 8 x 8 so I did it in a spring form pan. It was fine, just different shaped portions.
I browned the butter, then added 1/2 cup coconut, 1/2 cup pecans, and a heaping 3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Oh, and I used hazelnut extract instead of vanilla.
Delicious!
If you use the ‘whisk and wait’ method from Cook’s Illustrated the toffee flavor comes through more. I browned the butter whisked it into the brown sugar, added eggs and extract, then waited for 2 minutes. I repeated that pattern twice, whisking it for a bout 30 seconds, then waiting for about a minute. It should look like a gooey toffee ribbon in the bowl. This process allows the sugar to dissolve more into the butter and eggs and it helps create the crispy outside. Try it with chocolate chip cookies-the texture is great.
And just for kicks, I made this dough again, froze it, then rolled it up into tiny balls and put it in homemade vanilla ice cream. Best chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream ever!
LOVE these, and I just blogged about them. They are literally my never-fail baked good. I’ve made them a slew of times, different additions, always YUMMY!
Now I really want to try it in icecream!!
I made a batch of these last night and they turned out absolutely yummy. I made mine with choc chips and pecans and reduced the fat content by replacing half the butter (well, I made a vegan version so dairy-free margarine) with applesauce. Instead of the egg I used 1.5tsp egg replacer powder mixed with 2tbs water and I also added 0.5tsp baking powder.
The blondies stuck to the pan quite badly but I’m not sure if this is because of the high sugar content, reduced fat content or because I left them to get cold before cutting them out. No matter, I’m definitely going to make them again! They look just like the photos and taste awesome.
So these haven’t even come out of the oven yet and I’m in love. I browned the butter instead of just melting it, and the dough tastes like caramel. Yum.
I made these last night, adding chopped dates and walnuts. Although absolutely delicious, they were super gooey in the middle but also cracked and crumbled on the outside… any ideas what could have gone wrong? I baked them for 30 minutes and took them out when they were nicely browned on top…
Deb, these are in the oven as I type this; just popped them in not thirty seconds ago. If the batter is anything to go by, these are going to be divine.
Hannah, I’m no expert by far, but did you preheat the oven first? I don’t believe you’re supposed to. Also check that your oven’s temperature is even and correct.
Thanks for the recipe, they are really yummy! My problem was that I baked them close to 45 minutes and they were still super gooey in the middle- like inedible- but the outside ones were great! I ony put about 1/2 cup M&Ms and used the 8×8 pan, could it be because I used a glass pan? Any ideas?
Great quick recipe for a butter-sugar-chocolate fix! Baked perfectly in 20 minutes @350°F (me hawk-eyeing the oven thermometer) in an 8x8in aluminum pan. I used 1c dk choc chips and a tsp each of vanilla and coffee extracts. Yummers!
Yum! Made the bolndie with banana walnuts and chocolate chips. Abosolutly delicious. My friend who usually limits herself to one helping, had two blondie squares.
Heee heee!! Hey Ann, I made these with mashed banana, toasted walnuts, and bittersweet choc. chips last night!! Sounded sooo good, and they were absolutely delicious. I usually do not care for banana and walnuts, but loved it in the blondies. My boyfriend called them Chunky Monkey blondies!!
I doubled the recipe, and baked them in a 9×13 Pyrex glass dish. I thought I might have to bake them longer than 25 min., but they were PERFECT once baked for that amount of time. Everybody loved them! Thanks for sharing, Deb!
I made these twice over the weekend and my friends and fam loved it! I used white chocolate chips, toasted coconut and rum because it’s what I already had in the kitchen. I call them my tropical blondies :) Thanks again for another wonderful fool proof recipe Deb!
My 14 year-old daughter made these and they are absolutely yummy! SO EASY! She doubled the recipe (soooo very necessary) and did half with only butterscotch chips and half with both butterscotch and chocolate chips. Oh, how I wish that kid liked nuts because a coupla toasted pecans would be so very tasty in these! I was a bit concerned that there was no powder/soda in the recipe but they turned out moist and wonderful. I could see that these would be fabulous with coconut, corn flakes, tiny salted pretzel rods (I’m with you, Deb: Salty + sweet is my favorite!) or whatever one felt the compulsion to add. We REALLY buttered the metal 9×13″ pan and had NO problem with sticking. We WILL, however, have a problem sticking to the any New Year’s resolutions after finding this recipe. A keeper!! Thanks, Deb!
Oh man. What’s killer here is those unforgettable measurements. By which I mean, I will be able to remember those whenever I might have a craving for something gooey and sweet. Which is bad.
I forgot my 8×8 is in the freezer with a casserole, so baked them in a round cake pan with no problems. It was non-stick so I actually turned the whole thing out onto a plastic tray, then just carefully flipped it back over (so I could avoid cutting them on the non-stick surface).
We put in toasted walnuts, choco chips, almond extract, a tablespoon of instant coffee, and about 2-3 tablespoons of brandy. Amazing…
Checking in again. I made a half batch this time and the butter was melted before I realized all my eggs were hard-boiled. I spent 5 minutes researching complicated egg substitutions before just dumping a tiny pile of baking soda in with my half-cup of flour. Oh, and I forgot to time them in the oven. So we’re not talking about the texture here (ok, we are: when warm, goop, when cold, concrete).
What we’re talking about is the taste. This round’s add-ins were
raisins
chocolate chips
vanilla
a touch of cognac
cinnamon
and heavy-handed cardamom.
Amazing++
This is my go-to recipe, especially because regular brownies always have so much granulated sugar, and brown sugar is just so much more interesting and complex. I also always dump in those peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets and big chocolate chunks – feves if I have them, but Nestle chunks work too! It’s the perfect combo of salty and sweet.
Thank you for this recipe, Deb. I’ve made it numerous times over the past several weeks and today it helped to rescue me from the depths of despair. I ate way more than I had any right to, and then blogged about it.
This recipe did not work for me. How does the cookie rise with no baking powder? Mine were flat.
Q. — Most brownie/blondie recipes do not contain baking powder. They are not supposed to rise.
I made a double batch of the blondies with chocolate chips now I want to break out into singing and dancing. New words start coming to mind, like wondermous or delish-a-mundo! Would my husband notice if I finished the pan, re-baked another and cut it exactly like this one?
Thanks for sharing! I’ve only recently happened upon your site and now I’m thoroughly addicted.
Oh lord! I just made these and they are SO GOOD! I added half a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a quarter cup of toasted, chopped hazelnuts. Next time I might add a splash of Kahlua. I can also imagine these tasting yummy with walnuts and mushed up banana, kind of like a twist on banana nut bread.
Oh wow… Seriously delicious!! I added walnuts, coconut, and chocolate chips, and the combination was to die for! I’m really excited to try the plethora of combinations that my family has started suggesting… White chocolate and coconut? Dark chocolate and pistachios? I’m pretty sure this is a new go-to recipe. Thank you so much for posting it!
Just baked these- they are still in the oven but I’m having the same problem as some others here- gooey centre. Perhaps it’sbecause of the bakingware you are using- I used glass and it was gooey. A quick online search tells me to lower the temp by 25F and bake longer.
Such a easy, delicious recipe! I’ve made these 3 times already in the last 2 months! I usually put toasted walnuts, and either semi-sweet or white chips. My husband has started requesting these on a regular basis, but I can’t make them too often because we eat too many of them!
Mmm just made these.
Peanut butter, mixed nuts, milk chocolate, roasted sunflower seeds? To die for. Baked in a glass pan, I always lower the temp of everything in a fear of ACTUAL BROWNING (oh no) and left it in there about five, ten minutes longer, and they came out slightly gooey and utterly delicious–just the way i like it.
I like Heather’s idea of white chips. Only if I had had some..
Also, might I add, I browned the butter after reading your post about the crispy treats. For my first time, I think I did okay–it tasted kind of almondy? I wasn’t sure what “nutty” should taste like until now!
I made these last weekend when we had company in town. I added bittersweet chocolate chunks and they were divine. It is a super easy recipe and nice to only use one bowl. These will definitely be a staple around here!
I selected this recipe as my baking project for Thursday Treat Day at work. Upon searching my cabinets I discovered that I didn’t have an 8×8 pan.
Solution: mini blondie bites. I filled greased baby muffin tins 3/4 full with the chocolate chip dotted batter and baked 14-16 minutes. They came out great. There isn’t as much chewy middle because of their smallness, but they are so cute and yummy!
Made these twice in last week. Documented here: http://www.cakeandedith.com/2010/05/heavenly-smores-bars.html
So good! Thank you Mark Bittman via Deb!
Hey Deb!
Huge fan. I waste many a hours hitting surprise me on your site everyday! I’m so happy i came upon this the other day. My roommate and I just made these as a pick me up…I’ve been talking about the recipe non stop because its so easy! Ok so we added a few things… a whole mashed banana, marshmellows, chocolate chips, and lil bit o baileys (hey, school’s almost out for summer!).
The thing is, they turned out a bit dense. Like “a rich flan” my roommate says haha.
Any tips?? :-)
Joy of Cooking has you brown the butter (and I know how you feel about browning the butter…). Although you need to cool it a bit after browning before adding sugar, or else you get caramel and the blondies are still delish but really sticky.
Great recipe! I love the adaptability – just my kind of recipe! I made these with chocolate chunks and toasted pecans. We ate them tonight when they were not quite cool and still nice and melty – YUM!!
I wonder, if you doubled these but made them in the same pan, would they cook properly, or would they never get done until the edges were toast? They’re tasty, but they’ll look funny on a plate next to my brownies, ’cause the brownies are so much taller. Or should I maybe leaven these somehow to get a taller blondie?
I do like the flavor, though (mine are half chocolate chips, half walnuts, pretty traditional), and I REALLY like the simple recipe — one of these, one of those, cup of this, cup of that, so simple!
I have made these several times, and they always come out great. I’ve gotten used to doubling them, because everyone likes them so much! I just followed Deb’s advice- and started checking them after 30 minutes… I like them super gooey so I tend to underbake them a little! My go-to add ins are Ghirardelli chocolate chips (usually a combination of white and either semisweet or bittersweet), almond extract, and sometimes chopped walnuts. After viewing Nicole’s comment about browning the butter (lady, I like the way you think!), I am definitely going to do that next time. This is like the lovechild of a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie, and it’s oh so good!
This recipe is totally awsome! I baked it for a party and they all loved it!
You should try it! It’s so sweet and tasty, my family finished the whole thing in ten minutes!
Made these bad boys TWICE last night. My cheap baking tin was peeling (don’t wanna really know why/how/what) so covered it in baking paper/melted butter. The first batch stuck to the paper (nearly removed appendage furiously using paring knife trying to dig paper off – I was so close yet so far…) so used foil for the second batch. Result? Blondies in my tummy for the first time (well, blondies without paper…)
I used SimplyRecipes’ proportions of baking powder/soda in second batch (experimentation hat was firmly on) and I guess if that’s the way you like them, go for it! Any way you like em, the moment was magical and I’m stopping myself from ending this post any other way in case it sounds too dirty…
PS ta for great browned butter/peanut butter ideas above
I’ve tried the Lemon Tart, Coffee Cake and I just tried this recipe last night! Smitten Kitchen never dissapoints! I think I overdid the time in the oven since everytime I checked on it I thought the middle was still too raw, but besides the extra crispy crust it was delicious! I added a handfull of walnuts and chocolate chips. Also, I didn’t know if I should use the vanilla extract or the almond, so I used a little of both and it was amazing! I have never used almond extract and the flavor is really intense! Thanks!!
Fantastic! I made them with macadamia nuts, dried cherries and white chocolate chips.
A question: Do you think they would freeze well? I’d like to bring some on a family vacation and won’t have time to bake the night before (although the recipe is incredibly easy).
Once I saw this post, I became obsessed with the idea of bananas and chocolate chips in these blondies. I used 1 cup of bittersweet chips, and 1/2 cup of mashed banana. I was a little surprised (perhaps naively) at how strongly (but nicely!) the banana came through. It made them very moist and light. If I make them again–let’s be honest, WHEN I make them again–I’ll probably scale back the banana a tiny bit…and even the chocolate chips! There were just so many; I think 3/4 of a cup would do just as nicely. Thanks so much for this recipe!
I had 1 hour before I had to be at a bbq, dessert in hand. These babies saved me, topped with a quick peanut butter glaze. They were the first thing to be entirely devoured.
Next time I would like to try & add the peanut butter into the batter but because I was so short on time I was too scared I’d ruin them & be dessert-less. Anyone have any ideas on how much to add or what to scale back on?
I was craving a dessert, but wanted a recipe that was fast and utilized ingredient that I already had. So these were perfect. I toasted about a 1/2 cup of pecans and a half cup of sweetened shredded coconut and added that with almond extract (in place of vanilla). They were yummy and goodey with a little crunch from the coconut and pecans. Thanks!
I made a double batch of these for our friends last night and converted the recipe to gluten free by substituting 2 cups of Perfect Blend Gluten Free flour and 1/2 tsp. xanthum gum for the regular flour. (Two friends have Celiac Disease.) They were a hit with everyone!
thank you so much for this recipe! i am wheat intolerant (but can eat gluten) so i subbed in an equal measure of white spelt flour for the AP flour and added 1/4 tsp of baking soda (spelt doesn’t like to rise much)- and they turned out great!
This is a great recipe and fun to make! I tried this today with dark brown sugar instead because I had no brown sugar and it tasted a bit too sweet in the end. Maybe next time I’ll use brown sugar, and more added ingredients to stifle the sweet taste?
Thanks for the recipe!
I actually think these taste amazing without mixing anything in! I used dark brown sugar and a little extra vanilla. OMG. Yum.
im really puzzled, deb help me out here please!
i halved the recipe but added 2T strong boiled espresso AFTER mixing the flour and choc chips in to the egg/butter/sugar mixture. the final mixture separated!!!
why did that happen? should i have added in the espresso liquid together with the flour and not after i had already mixed everything?
during baking, the butter literally OOZED out of the batter and i had to use tissue paper to blot it. im estimating almost 1T of butter oozed out. it was, quite frankly, disgusting.
what did i do wrong?!
Browned the butter. Toasted the pecans. Tripled the vanilla. And went with semisweet chocolate chips. They’re in the oven right now. The batter was OH SO GOOD. I can hardly wait for them to be done baking. Yep :)
LOVED this recipe! I had everything in my pantry, which is absolutely fantastic when you are a college student, and was able to use leftover chocolate chips and toffee bits I had lying around from previous recipes. They were a hit! I baked them for about 30 min though and they came out perfect. I love that you gave a base recipe that we can just work off of, great way to spark some creativity!
I needed something quick and easy because a friend is (unexpectedly) dropping by for tea, I only added walnuts and chocolate chips because that’s all I had in the house.They are perfect I’ve already eaten the whole top row. Thank you and thank google for throwing up your site!
I decreased the butter to 6 tbs and added 1/2 cup pumpkin, some cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves and butterscotch chips. A-MAZE-ING!
With my sweet tooth screaming, i got online to find a recipe to make something out of my only ingredients- brown sugar, eggs and flour.. This was so the perfect find. I swirled in 4 big globs of peanut butter and threw in a handful of callebaut semi sweet chips i had leftover (from god knows when) and they totally hit the spot. Thanks again :)
I just made these with macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips; they are AMAZING. Thanks for another great recipe!
2 1/2 tbs of Scotch, choc chips, toasted coconut and walnuts, and a giant thumbs up on these from the party I brought them to.
made ‘em again, Tropical this time (ginger, dried pineapple, coconut, brandy, chocolate) – mmm.
These are delicious and sooo simple. Thanks for sharing!
My go-to blondie recipe is Marcy Goldman’s. They’re a lot like these but while they’re in the pan you scoop dulce du leche into them and kind of bury it under the batter. When you eat them you get a little pool of dulce de leche. Delicious!!! I also add milk chocolate chips. I thought you’d like the dulce de leche suggestion Deb- I think you mentioned that you kind of like the stuff. It’s a good strong dulce de leche taste too. Gotta love Marcy Goldman!
Delicious. I did dark Belgian chocolate bars (broken down with a hammer – may have frightened the neighbors), walnuts and three pinches of sea salt.
Yum yum! I doubled the recipe, used 2 small very ripe bananas, a cup of green and blacks dark chocolate broken into chunks and spelt flour with 1/2 tsp of baking soda, came out a bit more cakey than sticky but delicious all the same and very much appreciated by my hard working friend! thanks
I barely had any batter! I should’ve doubled the recipe, but that’s okay.
These are baking in my oven right now and they smell so good :) I can’t wait to eat them!
I have these in the oven right now – 10 minutes to go! I’m home on modified bed rest, and have been trying to keep myself occupied while resting. This recipe was so easy – I was only on my feet a short time. I added semi-sweet chocolate chips, chipped coconut, and chopped toasted pecans. Can’t wait to try them!
Question – how should I adjust this recipe for high-altitude (about 9,000 ft)? Or will it work as-is? I’ve made this very successfully at a lower altitude and I want to get the same results here! Thank you!
This is a winner! I made them just as described and added 1/2 cup chocolate chunks and 1/2 cup pecans. My teenage boys just loved them. I made the recipe in an 8X8 glass pan baked them for 22 minutes and they came out perfectly. (I also cut a square of parchment paper and put it in the bottom of the dish and buttered the sides) No sticking here, then I cut them into 16 squares. Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try out your other recipes. =)
I love these!
Funny thing is — 1/4 Bourbon was Way too much for me to handle.. yes, I am a sissy.
So I brought them over to a close friend & their fam.. and they couldn’t even taste any of it!!!
I do have one question that I didn’t find through your posts–
The first time I made these they were perfect, but the last two batches came out too cake like. Could it be because I used an electric beater to mix the butter&brown sugar? I’m not sure If I did otherwise the first time!
Don’t listen to the blondie-haters. This recipe lends itself to delightfully tasty blondies after mere minutes of prep. This will be a go-to recipe in my house for a last minute dessert.
Omg! Been wanting to make these for ages and upcoming Hannukah party (with blue and yellow m and m’s in the blondies, perhaps?) seems like a sweet time to do it! Question though, Deb- can the mixture be simply folded, if I don’t have a mixer? Thanks! Can’t wait to make ‘em.
Sure, no reason you cannot mix this by hand.
I have these in the oven now, they smell delicous and batter was great too. I hope they come out ok but was wondering 2 things, do they come out really thick bc there wasnt much batter and 2. i only added white chocolate chips to the top thinking they would melt but now its been 30 minutes and they havent melted-
I love this recipe, it’s been my go-to bring-to-parties recipe ever since I discovered it. It’s just criminal, how easy these are to make! And they’re SO rich and delicious. I just add chocolate chips. Thank you for all your recipes – you make all my friends think I’m a great baker.
these are in the oven now. made with dark chocolate chips, woodford reserve bourbon and pecans. took all of five minutes to stir up. can’t wait to taste!
okay. reporting back in! I made these last night and they were FANTASTIC! I put in the 1/4 cup of bourbon (Woodford Reserve), 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of pecans (didn’t toast them first). the bourbon taste was not too strong, just a hint of it, and the overall taste was incredible. took them to my boyfriend’s house and he loved them, too. I did extend the baking time by 10 minutes, to 35 minutes total. used an 8 x 8 aluminum baking pan. they were still a little gooey in the middle, just perfect. yummy stuff! next time I’m trying with dried cranberries and pistachios for a Christmasy look.
Another winner from Smitten! I’ve been going through the archives and been meaning to try these, so I made them this morning to bring to work for our last day before Christmas. I made them with premium Guitard dark chocolate chips and toasted pecans, and used KA white whole wheat flour and vanilla bean paste instead of extract, and they are to die for! I can’t believe they are this easy and this good. This one goes with your chocolate chip sour cream coffee cake as one of my go-to recipes. Thank you!
Just wanted to say what an amazingly TASTY Blondie recipe this is! They turned out just like the picture, moist and buttery and full of flavor. I decided to use dark brown sugar, and I really think it added a nice touch to the flavor. I made two batches together and added a generously overfilled cup of semi-sweet chocolate chunks, then divided it into two bowls, adding 1/2 cup butterscotch chips to one, and 1/2 cup mixed fruit bits in the other. Finally, to give it a bit ‘more’, I added another splash of vanilla. Baked both kinds in 2 8×8 pans, for about 25 minutes. Everyone was dying to try a piece because the whole house smelled delish and couldn’t hardly wait for it to cool off :D I made several treats to give to friends and family in tins in one night (haha it was a baking war-zone in the kitchen last night), and I was so relieved how easy and simple this recipe was. I will be using this recipe and customizing it in every way possible. Next time, I want to try bourbon or rum with coconut and cashews! Both kinds are great in their own way, the butterscotch chips were to die for, and the mixed fruit bits add a really pleasant tangy texture :D Happy Holidays!! & Thank You!!
I am smitten with these and your recipes! I added pecans, dark chocolate and a little candied ginger–yummmm. Thanks!
Deb,
My husband loves caramel. Is there any way to include that in these? Thx.
I have made these twice now: first with bourbon, pecans and chocolate chips and then with espresso powder and chocolate chips. Both variations were really tasty! Next up, I am going to bake them with dried cranberries or cherries. Thanks for another hit recipe!
I added about 3/4 t of dried lavender buds with the vanilla, and it worked delciously!
’til now I’d only encountered blondies as raised (not dense and gooey), dried-out crusty things. This recipe changed that–they’re awesome. Thank you!
These are probably my most universally adored dessert. And they take about 5 minutes to make (I usually mix everything in the baking dish so there is literally no cleanup). I toss in whatever I find in the pantry, but my personal fav is chocolate and macadamia nuts.
Thank you so very much for a wonderful blondie recipe. I modified this recipe a bit by cutting down the fat and adding bananas and pecans. THey were SUPERB! You are a genius! I mentioned you in my blog – I really love your work. :-) I hope you take a look when you have a minute. http://www.honeywhatscooking.com/2011/01/gooey-delicious-banana-blondies-reduced.html
Just made these to help us survive a snow day. Added orange zest, white and dark chocolate chips. Yum!
Snow Day Blondies! I had everything in the kitchen and satisfied my “must bake now!” mood. I used 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup PB chips.
I made these with 1/4 c, plus maybe an extra tablespoon, of bourbon and 5 medium-crispy strips of bacon, chopped fairly finely. The bourbon flavor was perfect (and bourbon and bacon are BFFs!).
These turned out great! And yes. They really are better after an overnight set (I know, because I had some for dessert last night and “breakfast” this morning). Definitely save one or two so you can taste the difference.
well i’m looking forward to trying this recipe this evening, after all the good reviews! mine will be toasted almond and dried blueberries and strawberries.
These are HEAVENLY over the holidays with a little cinnamon, nuts, and fresh cranberries. Dried would work, but I think the fresh really made them look and taste great. I meant to add nutmeg and forgot. Will have to try next time. Thanks for posting!
Just made these. The whole house smells like caramel butter. How long do they have to cool? Not sure I can wait!!!!! (used half lt brown sure, 1/2 dk brown sugar, chocolate chips, toasted nuts and toasted coconut.)
I figured out the “melting the butter & then mixing the sugar together” technique some 15 years ago when was in my first NYC apartment & I didn’t have a beater. I only had a whisk and the idea of trying to do it by hand… ugh! It really was an act of desperation, but it turned out to be the best possible technique for making chewy cookies of every ilk! Chocolate chip, oatmeal, molasses gingersnaps, lemon, sugar – you name it. If you like a thinner, chewier cookie, then this is the best and easiest way to get it. If you like a crisp cookie, then just let it cook all the way through. If you like a dense and sensuous bar cookie or brownie, then this is your hook. It truly was a revelation! Later on when I worked with a pastry chef in a 3 star restaurant, I saw her doing the same thing, and smiled to myself for my ingenuity.
The bars are awesome. They almost taste like you’re eating cookie dough. And I totally agree with some of the comments about how good they taste on day 2. I’m eating one now. The flavor is richer today. And the macadamia nuts are heaven!
Terrific!
I made the doubled recipe, baked in a 9×13 metal pan lined with buttered foil so I could lift them out easily. Browned the butter, used dark brown sugar. Added 1 cup toasted chopped almonds(oh, no, I’m out of pecans!!) and about 3/4 cup dried sour cherries. Forgot to mix in the teeny semi-sweet choc chips I had intended, so I scattered about 3/4 cup over half with about 5 minutes to go, about 30 minutes total. Then somewhat inelegantly spread the melty chocolate over half the pan. Yummy!
Next will be a pan of brownies with orange zest and orange chocolate chunks…
Deb — This recipe is my favorite. I have made them countless times for last-minute events. I can throw them together in less than 5 minutes with any add-in I have around, and they are so, so, good! Cannot wait for your cookbook. Thanks so much.
I have made these so many times I can’t count. Just made them again for my kids. Doubled the recipe and made them in a 9×13 pan. Added m&m’s and milk duds to use up Halloween candy I had lurking in the freezer! They were a huge hit yet again. Thanks!
I thought these looked delicious and based on all the comments I was pretty sure they would be, but given the fact that I’m in Europe (and our oven is slightly off) they came out really thin and more like caramel squares than the thicker blondies I love. Granted, I didn’t double the recipe and used an 8 x 10 pan but still! Was dissappointed. And I didn’t scrimp on mixtures either (used chocolate chunks, walnuts and a half of a banana, mashed) I’m wondering if maybe my conversions were off…can anyone recommend a good US/Metric conversion website? I’m living in France and they do have great patisseries but they sure don’t know how to diversify and I miss all of my American faves. thanks everyone!
Hi Hope — I just added weights to the recipe! Just for you. :)
Any tips on freezing? I just made these with my kids (it’s a wonderful make-with-kids recipe!) to bring to a baby shower next weekend. Cut first? How should I wrap them? Thanks!
i’m addicted to smitten kitchen! just wondering….would you say that this recipe makes a crisper blondie, or a chewier one? i’ve had problems im the past with too much crisp in blondies, and i’m in search for the perfect recipe. thanks!
I just wanted to let you know that I made these today and they have become my favorite cookie bar! They are DELICIOUS and extremely easy and fast to make, thanks so much for the recipe! Oh! and last week I made the apple and cheddar scones…….love them too!
FYI, do not add an entire bag of choco chips. There is, apparently, such as thing as too much chocolate.
Also, my baking time was practically double what you suggested. I used a circular metal cake pan and was pleased that it popped right out afterwards for wedge serving. How could it not though with all that butter?
I made these this weekend for a family party, and they were a hit! I doubled the recipe and stirred in about 3/4 of a cup of natural chunky peanut butter. I also sprinkled chocolate chips over about half of the pan before baking–we have chocolate-averse in our family, and this was an easy way to make two kinds of treat in one pan. I especially like the crispy corner pieces.
Made these last night, and they were absolutely wonderful. I added a 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips and a 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, and found the combination of sweet and tart with the chewing blondie background fantastic.
I did add to the baking time a bit, as the middle seemed far to soft. I started checking at 20 min, and they came out at probably 35. Ended up still being gooey, but with crispy outsides. Perfect!
Fairly new to Smitten Kitchen, but thanks for everything Deb. I’ll keep cooking with you, for sure…
i made this recipe with white chocolate buttons, peanut butter and coconut and it smelt and looked delicious however after ten minutes cooking i realised i had not put egg in, oops! :)
Deb- I LOVE this recipe!!!!!!!! and after 4 years its still going… this one to share..
Hi, I want to make these for a bake sale but I have a few questions because i don’t think i’ll have a chance to test them out first…
all i have is whole wheat flour, would that change the texture or taste too much? what about adding peanut butter? and for a 9×13 pan, do I need to change the proportions significantly or does it not make too much of a difference? sorry for the bombardment!
haha… i added marshmellows. NO that was nnot a good idea.. I thought so kinda like a rocky road kinda thing.. sounds yummy
Deb, this looks like an amazing recipe! I’ve never tried blondies before.. have you ever tried adding chopped snickers or bounty bars??
I made these yesterday. I’m an English gal so had never tried blondies before (shocking I know!). It took literally only a minute or two to put the recipe together & I added a chopped up bar of milk choc (once I had ‘tested’ (greedily gobbled) a few squares!) & a dose of pure vanilla extract (please read that as it was Sunday and technically a day of rest I was far too lazy to open the drawer & take out a teaspoon resulting in a rather large amount of my beautiful high quality vanilla finding its way into the mixing bowl!). The mixture looked pretty runny & I wasn’t convinced it would work. I used a round cake tin (closest to hand) and popped it in the oven. 20 minutes later (should have done 25 but hey!) and ooooh la la! Fudgey, sugary, vanillery, chocolatey heaven. You must try these. Super easy and super fabulous!
Do you think this would work with the addition on non-dried fruit, raspberries or something? Thanks!
I love these! I make them all the time, especially when I’m feeling lazy. And I’ve found that I can mix in whatever I feel like, about as much as I want. Really.
For all those people wondering, can I use this or that mix-in? I’m pretty sure the answer is yes! This recipe is sweet and forgiving.
The only thing that I do consistently different than the written recipe is I usually bake them for more like 35 minutes, which leaves them still a little gooey in the middle.
Just pulled these out of the oven….. oh goodness they smell fabulous can’t wait to dig in! Such an easy recipe! :)
I seriously have a problem, I am 8 months pregnant and its fathers day soon and I want to send my dad a box of home made goodies and seriously, it’s a sin getting on here, my list gets longer and longer! I don’t even know how to choose!
Just made these yesterday for Father’s Day and they…are…divine. Used chocolate chips and can’t wait to experiment with the add-ins more! Maybe coconut?
Deb,
I have a convection oven (which I love!) but always have a hard time adjusting the bake time. I check them at half time and it seems that maybe a little more than half is typical. I don’t like having to check every 2 minutes. Do you have any suggestions on determining the right bake time?
Thanks,
Charlotte
These are so yummy and so easy to make–made them last night for dinner at friends and they couldn`t stop eating them! Made mine with mashed bananas/dark chocolate chip and pecan pieces. I also grind a little bit of salt on top. Now heading to a BBQ and made these (again) along with your barley corn vericot salad. Love your blog! I never run out of stuff I want to try making! =)
What an easy, tasty recipe! I took the “adaptable” part literally and made them with the sugar I had on hand (2 parts Demerara, 1 part white), and added dark chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, curry powder, ginger, and rum. Sooo rich and complex. I love it!
These blondies are FANTASTIC!! I made them for a 4th of July barbeque and there were none left. I used Earth Balance buttery spread instead of butter, added 3/4 c. chocolate chips, 1/4 cup dried cherries, 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, and sprinkled top with coconut. I’ve tried other blondies recipes which have been good, but this one is the very best…..even subbing out the butter! Thanks for sharing. :)
This is by far my favorite basic recipe. It’s amazing with roasted cherries, a bit of bourbon and dark chocolate chips or chunks. So tasty!
Just wanted to say this is a great recipe! They are kind of fudgy and chewy (which is my personal preference). I was concerned at first because I combined all the ingredients while the butter was still quite warm. But they turned out great. I did my batch with chocolate chip cookies, and I can’t wait to jazz up future batches with other ingredients. Thanks, Deb!
I made mine with brown butter and half a cup each of toasted walnuts, chocolate chips (a mixture of milk and dark), and mashed banana. So delicious and the batter tasted like butterscotch pudding – yum! I’ve had to stash them in the freezer to stop me inhaling them all in the space of 15 minutes.
Coconut is also a great addition! just must cook longer thank suggested :)
I love these. They taste amazing but don’t have the richness of brownies which is normally too much for me. I had 5 in one go when I first made them. And they’re so easy to make! I used pecans and chocolate chips.
Another fantastic recipe! Thank you. Made with three quarters dark and one quarter light brown sugar, with additions of white chocolate chunks and butterscotch milk chocolate chunks, plus cognac! Doubled and in an 8 x 13 pan, mine were slightly overbaked at 25 minutes, but even though I dialled down the temperature my oven is like the fires of hell. Really good.
I might try them again with less butter (I know…!) as they do tend to leak grease a bit and I wonder if they might work with less. If a disaster, perhaps I’ll just end up with cookies.
Baking them now. Added chocolate chips, pecans and coconut. Just checked at 25 minutes….definitely not done though. As suggested by a poster above, the coconute makes them require further baking time. I’ll post again to let you know exactly how long it takes. They smell good, though!
Just a few extra minutes were needed. Perfect. Big hit today at a birthday party. Will definitely make again!
Move over Brownies…..Blondies are in town!!!!
The phrase “way too much bourbon” has never crossed my lips. I have had a bad habit lately of craving something sweet around 8:00 pm and not thinking twice of whipping up a batch of brownies. Tonight, I went with your blondies and I plan on adding the bourbon next time! :)
I have these in the oven right now, however I’m trying for a gluten-free version using oat and rice flour. If they are not delicious I will blame the flour, but I think they’re going to be great!
P.S. I added pecans!
I made these last week with my 4-year-old daughter. She wanted M&Ms in them, so we dumped a generous amount of them in the batter and they turned out delicious (buttery, chewy, rich, YUM). It was so easy to make and my daughter was excited that we did it together. Thank YOU!
Made these last night with 1/2 chopped roasted almonds and 1/2 Heath bar bits and dark brown sugar. Very delicious!!
I want to try the light brown sugar next time and perhaps have the butter at room temp to cream with the sugar instead of melting it. I found them to be a bit chewy/thin for my tastes but my husband loved them. (I did too but they are to chewy cookie which is not my favorite.) Or I might try some baking powder/soda. But I will SO be making these again. Yum!
So late in posting my gratitude, Deb…for the last 3+ years, this has been my go-to recipe any time I want to make someone’s day a little brighter (including mine, occasionally ;) Love how simple ingredients and a drop-dead easy technique can create such wonderful results – I mix in everything from chocolate chips, to butterscotch chips and pecans, to my most indulgent discovery yet, chopped up Reeses peanut butter cups. (If it helps any of my fellow SK fans, I have started lining my 8×8 glass pan with some parchment – leaving overhang – for easy removal after baking. This really helps if, like me, you prefer a gooey-middled cookie!)
My friend just made me these and they are to die for!
So morish, thanks for the great recipe
Wow, delicious, easy, quick. These are so good!
I added milk choc chips & walnuts. Will try bourbon (yummy) next, thanks!
How do you make this into a brownie recipe? Could I just add some melted chocolate?
i like to add more peanuts
These turned out delicious, and were so easy. I added choc chips and walnuts, but I think they would be even better with just a combo of interesting nuts. (Pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.) I reduced sugar to 3/4 cup and they were plenty sweet. Might even reduce it more next time. Thanks for the great recipe.
ALL HAIL THE SMITTEN KITCHEN!
In a fit of “marthatude” I volunteered to bake for our Cub Scout camp out this weekend. Then I found out there were 66 people going and apparently I was the only one baking. (faint)
Add on to that my son’s teacher’s birthday is tomorrow and one little girl is allergic to nut and chocolate (and fish, but that’s really not a first grade party problem)… so I decided to make Blondies to go with their ice cream. 8×8 pan of perfection…
So I decided the best thing I could do for myself and the Cub Scout family would be to chocolatify these! I doubled the recipe and baked in foil lined/greased in 9×13 pans increasing the baking time by 15 minutes. BRING ON THE CAMP OUT!
Just put these in the oven! I’m so excited!! Judging by all of the comments, they should be delicious! Thank you!!
Thanks so much for sharing this incredible recipe! My brownies (up until now) have been my ‘claim to fame’ but since my family tried these, they have no interest in brownies. I have made three batches so far – one batch with VERY coarsely chopped macadamia nuts (so yummy), one with dried cherries (my favourite) and one batch with Skor pieces – my kids went crazy for these ones!
Awesome!! :)
Just put these in the oven. In a rush for a halloween party I promised to bring something sugary baked to. Added rum extract and dark chocolate chips. Can’t wait. Will let you know how they turn out.
On a side note: With brownies, I always foil line my pan so I can easly remove and cute.
dear smitten,
every time i stray away from your site, i wind up getting linked to you anyway. i wanted to do something with these butterscotch chips and wasn’t feeling inspired, so i scoured the internet. then i thought, hey, blondies with the chips sound pretty decadent, let me find a blondie recipe. somehow i wound up being linked to your site, i think via another blog, and as soon as i saw this i was like ok no question, baking this now. they are freaking DECADENT and my boyfriend has already requested that i not take any to work with me or give any away. so thank you, so much, for posting this, and doing it in such a way that it’s pretty easy to memorize the concept and i’ll be able to use it again and again.
These are fabulous, they took 20 minutes and are coming on a mini-road trip from Austin to San Antonio! We’ll see if they make it the 90 minute journey.
One thing I did that really popped these puppies up a notch (besides the pecans, chocolate chunks, and bourbon I gleefully threw in per your suggestion) was sprinkle the top with kosher salt in addition to what I put in the batter. It just emphasized the salty/sweet vibe I love out of sweetness+nuts. <3
Sooo I got another receipt to make these that said add baking powder and baking soda thy were horrible!! So I hope these come out waaay better
These are great and super easy to make!
I’m not sure I’ve even tasted blondies before – I live in Israel and they’re not that common here. The truth is I tried them because I bought some high quality chocolate chips and was looking for an interesting way to use them. Everybody loved them!
Do you think an addition of irish cream would be right?
Noaya, irish cream would totally work!! I made (and tasted) blondies for the first time ever yesterday and were they fab!! Doubled the recipe and used dark choc chunks, chopped walnuts (untoasted) and 1/4 cup of baileys and everyone loved them! the bailey’s flavour came out a lot more prominent the next day so definitely save some for the next day if you can wait that long!! even my grandmother, who doesn’t normally have a sweet tooth, ate about 5 bite-sized pieces!!
Deb, I’ve never been disappointed with your recipes, and I love your site!! So much that I decided to come out of silence!! :)
Hello – do you think i could add small marshmallow in there, as well as dark chocolate? thanks.
Hi, so I am making a video for a school project. I saw the idea of homemade gifts in jars and one of my favorite vegan cooking blogs had blondies in a jar. However, I am a vegetarian but not a vegan and I wanted to make blondies that everyone would eat. I think that these will be just the ticket to get the professor to give me an A! What do you think of chocolate chips and crushed peppermint for a holiday twist?
Hi,
I’m a frequent visitor of your blog, and I’ve been meaning to try these for a while. So what better time than when I should be studying for finals?
These are in the oven as I speak, but I do have a question:
I browned the butter (because brown butter is the BEST), doubled the recipe, and prepared my 9X13 pan, but when the batter was ready I noticed that there was not enough batter to fill the whole pan, so I used an 8X8 pan instead. I was wondering if maybe there would be more batter if I had not browned the butter – maybe a lot of the volume evaporated? I still don’t see how it could’ve shrunk down so much when I doubled all the other ingredients as well, and also added a cup of chocolate chips. Are they supposed to be very thin? I see that a few other people were also experiencing something similar, and I was just wondering if maybe the thick blondies in your pictures were made with doubling the recipe in an 8X8 pan.
Other than that, the batter tasted delish and they smell divine, so thanks for the awesome recipe!
just made a batch with caramel bits and dark chocolate – SO AMAZING, especially paired with Jeni’s Brown Butter Almond Crunch ice cream. OMG. They’re supposed to be for my boyfriend, but he’s not here for another hour. They may all be gone by then…
Hi Leili — There is some volume loss when butter is browned but it shouldn’t be so significant that the blondies don’t fit in the pan. However, the 9×13 size with a doubled recipe should produce ever-so-slightly thicker blondies than the 8×8 size as its base area is 117 (rather than 128, or twice that of an 8×8), so I too am perplexed as to why it didn’t fit! Glad they smelled good. Hope they tasted good anyway.
I made these with both vanilla and almond extract, and added cinnamon chips and butterscotch and it was heaven. It was perfect. I have had Blondie Bars before and none of them have been this good.
I gave the recipe to a guy friend who is now know in Charleston as the famous blondie-maker extraordinaire! These are a go to whenever I need an easy, delicious, parve dessert. As a southerner, I always spike mine w/bourbon and choc chips. Thanks Deb!
Wow! I wasn’t sure I even liked blondies, but these are truly incredible. I used Madagascar Bourbon vanilla paste (instead of vanilla extract), 1.5 Tbsp of bourbon, 1/2 cup of Ghirardelli’s 60% bittersweet chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup of toasted chopped pecans. I baked them for 22 minutes and they came out PERFECT. I’m about to take them to a relative who is in the hospital, and I think these blondies just might put him on the road to recovery. Thank you, thank you, Deb!
I just made these with white white chocolate chunks and frozen raspberries i, and they are delicious! thank you for the recipe, I will definitely be using it again. :)
I just made these and was really looking forward to them but unfortunatly I chose to use the Almond extract insead of Vanilla. It is extremely overpowering even over chocolate and peanut butter chips! I would recommend a quarter of a tea spoon for those that don’t want an overwhelming almond taste or just use vanilla. I will try it that way next time and i’m sure it will be excellent!
Hi, greetings from Sweden. I found this recipe while looking for the other kind of blondies, y’know, brownies but with white chocolate instead, and was instantly intrigued! So, first, thanks for adding the grams as well, made things alot easier. And second, haven’t tasted them yet, they’re still in the oven, but OH MY GOD, I have never tasted a batter that tasty! So thanks, will be using again!
Hello! Firstly, I just wanted to get it out there–I absolutely LOVE this blog! I realize this is an older post but I have it bookmarked and it’s definitely become one of my go-to recipes. I just wanted to share that the other day I spooned the batter into some porcelain ramekins and scooped ice cream on top for individually portioned pizookies. In the past I’ve also baked this in a round cake pan and scooped ice cream on top for a group to share. I love making it with the almond extract as a variation from the usual vanilla–everyone who’s tried it is intrigued by the difference and loves the way it tastes! Thanks for posting such an awesome recipe…along with all the others on this site! I’ve lost count of how many of your recipes I’ve bookmarked over the years. Thank you, thank you, thank you! :D
I just took these out of the oven, and they are delicious! I mixed in one mashed (and disgustingly overripe) banana, the remnants of a bag of toffee pieces, and a couple handfuls of pretzels that I crushed. These seem to be the perfect vehicle for cleaning out the cupboards! I’ve been dreaming about blondies since elementary school – my school’s lunch ladies made the best homemade blondies, and I’ve never found a recipe I liked that much. This is it!
I made these christmas time as a double recipe in a 9×13 and they would not set. They tasted amazing but even at double the time (my oven temp is accurate that was the first thing I checked). I made them with a very ripe banana, coconut and pecans. Today I made them in an 8×8 with choc chips, butterscotch chips and nuts and again they are not cooked in the middle with double the time. I know you are going to ask me if I am sure my oven is alright but I bake ALOT and this is the only recipe that is not working. I weighed the ingreadients this time and they are all fresh so I don’t understand what the problem is. Any suggestions?
Did they set at all as they cooled? They’re on the gooey side, but do set for me as they cool. (I think the best chocolate chip cookies, as well, look underbaked when you pull them out of the oven but do mostly firm up as they cool.)
Oh my goodness. It is superbowl day and I will be adding bourbon, chocolate chips, and pecans. What a good versatile recipe!! Thanks for sharing!
Just made these and they are thin and very gooey. Am I correct that they do not have any baking soda or baking powder? I used an 8 x 8 pan and followed directions exactly. Suggestions?
i die. literally. these are absolutely amazing. i undercooked them on purpose, because a gooey brownie knocks the socks off of any other dessert out there! i added the whiskey, and chocolate chunks and topped with a whiskey whipped cream. sugar high anyone? :)
I just made these and they are incredible. I don’t like my blondies that gooey (yeah, I’m crazy) so I added an extra tablespoon of flour, baked it for 30 minutes and they came out perfect. I made mine with chocolate chips and macadamias. Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ll be baking these again soon.
I made these yesterday with the grated rind of an orange, a cup of toasted pistachio pieces and a dash of cardamon. Used only 100 grams butter –it is enough, there was no leakage.Wrapped them in aluminum foil and refrigerated them over night and have just cut them into small pieces to serve as companions for the chocolate truffles someone else is bringing to the meal. Lovely and intense. Thank you, Deb, for this recipe and everything else.
These are amazeballs – love them! I tossed in some dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and salted pine nuts!
My husband was pestering me about making something sweet to eat… he didnt want to be picky but would really like some blondies!! I was like”wow” i had never made them before and didnt know where to start. So, I hopped online and looked around and after reading all the comments I settled on yours! Gotta say, so glad I did. I double the recipe because of my pan, added chocolate chunks, ‘Heath’ pieces and a shot and half of Grand Manier….These were fabulous!!! I will make these a million times over! So quick and simple and the varitables make it a true winner!!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!!!
I have the 2nd batch of these that I have made this week in the oven right now. They are TO DIE for! I love the versatility of them! This is going to be my “go to” recipe when we are having people over and I need a quick homey dessert. So simple – just one bowl and I usually always have the ingredients on hand. YUM! and THANK YOU!
Ummmm….I had a few of these for breakfast this morning!
They are truly the best blondies. My previously “best” recipe used to rise and fall in the middle. While the middle was excellent, the edges were always dry. When I read this recipe and saw there was no baking soda or powder, I almost added one of them thinking the blondies would be a mess without this leaving. Not so. These are fabulously gooey just the way they are!
….And if you have trouble with these sticking, use parchment paper (not waxed paper). I had no problem getting these out of the pan and off the paper. And, PP seems to keep the edges from getting overcooked.
I was so psyched to try this super easy recipe – I just did and the blondies are so full of chewy gooey buttery yumminess! My entire family (11 and 8 yr old girls + hubby) loved it. I’m going to be making your vanilla birthday cake on Saturday for my youngest’s birthday – I’m hoping for greatness!
My mommy just posted a comment above. She put chocolate chips in hers. I am 8 years old and I thought the blondies were one of the best squares in the whole universe. Thank you.
I’m making these right now and they don’t seem to be baking through. They are like mush! Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?? I’ve had them in for over 40 minutes and still very mushy! Not sure what I did wrong! They smell amazing though!
I had the same problem with mushy blondies, so i threw them in the oven for another 6 mins and they looked done. Very brownie like, with light cracking on the top. I went to take them out of the baking dish about 5 hours later and they stuck to the glass dish (that was buttered) and the blondies were’nt even near cooked under nice golden brown crust. Very frustrating! The semi-cooked blondie squares I removed tasted delicious though! I’m just a little disappointed that there has been such a problem with under done blondies and the original recipe hasn’t been fixed yet. My oven usually runs relatively close to the correct temp so im not sure why this is the case?
If you, like me, have a pan/oven/climate combination that, for mysterious reasons, makes these blondies a delicious pile of mush, I’ve had some success adding an extra 1-2 Tbs of flour. Like some others, my oven temp is accurate, but my blondies did not resemble Deb’s- mine were more like warm cookie dough, even with extra time (note: I ate them all. By myself. In less than 48 hours. THEY WERE LIKE WARM COOKIE DOUGH!!). But I also wanted to eat a solid blondie. So I tried again. The recipe is clearly working for many as written, so my recommendation: try it as written, and if it has to be eaten with a spoon, enjoy it(!), and add more flour and a little more baking time (33 minutes worked for me) on the next go round. Thanks for the tasty and infinitely modifiable recipe!
YUM! I didn’t have vanilla extract so I substituted half of the sugar for a 1/3 cup of maple syrup. Delicious maple flavor with my additions of dried cranberries, pistachios, and white chocolate chips. My friends loved them! I baked mine for only 20 minutes, and they were cooked perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe!
I make these all the time, they are fantastic! Love this recipe. Usually make them with white chocolate, dried blueberries and pecans. They’re great! Sometimes just white chocolate and toffee bits. Such a versatile desert!
I made these today and they are so good. It’s my first time trying a Blondie and I’m not sure whether I prefer a chocolate brownie. I added m&m’s because I was lazy to go out to the store. The next time I make these, I will try the other combinations you listed above. Thanks for posting a great recipe.
I made these tonight. They are cooling on the counter, but look (and taste- of course I couldn’t resist) amazing. I used chopped pecans and milk chocolate chips. I think next time I’m going to swirl in some homemade honey peanut butter.
I also made your Jacked Up Banana Bread tonight, too. (I had freckled bananas!) Still waiting to see the results!
Oh my goodness!! These are the best blondies! What I really love is how easy they are to make! My new go to receipe!! Move out the way brownies…blondies are taking over
I made this using dried blueberries, white choc chip, chopped walnuts and a bit of coconut. Delicious! Thanks for the great posts.
Great, great recipe! I used dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chunks, almond extract, and mashed bananas. So good!
The first time I made these, I separated the mixture evenly between 8 mugs and with a huge selection of candies and other additions I bought, let the kids mix their own flavours before I put them into an all edges individual brownie pan. They turned out great although I had to adjust the time (about 7-10 mins less) because I used the individual brownie tin. Additions included white, dark and milk choc drops, crushed oreos, mini marshmallows, coconut, all sorts of M&Ms, mars bar, crushed mint choc cookies etc. etc.
And I’ve just taken my second batch out of the oven, again using my individual brownie pan. They are salted caramel with caramel sauce swirled through it, crushed pretzels and Rolo candies in the centre! They look wonderful and gooey.
Thanks for the recipe! Five stars!
Hi Deb,
I’m new to the smitten kitchen world and I am so pleased I found it. I have made a few different recipes from the website and they have all turned out wonderfully. I have made this recipe twice in the past two days (go ahead, laugh out loud) and I have just one question: is it typical for the blondies to sink in the middle upon cooling once it has been baked or am I doing something wrong (possibly over stirring it allowing too much air to enter the batter)? Ccan’t wait to hear your response and congratulations on the completion of your first cookbook.
Glad you’re enjoying the site! Maybe a tiny bit of sinkage but nothing significant, no. I know that some folks have found that this recipe firms up just a tad more with an extra tablespoons or two of flour. It’s less gooey, but also a little more structured. Hope that helps.
Sounds good, i’ll definately give that a try! Thanks : )
try browning the butter with some pecans first, using that butter in the recipe and adding the pecans at the end…Butter Pecan Blondies!!! YUM!
Ok, having a problem Deb. First time I made these they were divine! 2nd, 3rd, and 4th not so much. 2nd time: They were way too gooey and did not set like the first batch, but i added 1.5 oz of choc. 3rd time: i forgot to add the salt and they tasted just like butter and sugar. My last batch was hard and crispy on the top and gooey in the middle but I added toffee pieces and choc this time. This seems to happen to me with Baker’s One Bowl Brownies too. What am I doing wrong? I think it might be with the first two steps. After melting the butter, do you add the sugar while it’s still hot or wait for it to cool? Please respond…having a Blondie/brownie craving but I’m afraid to make either recipe until I figure out what I did wrong.
Hi Deb! I am planning to make these for a wine tasting tour with some friends around the North Fork. I’d like to add dulce de leche…could you advise me on how much to add, and the best way to do so? Thank you! By the way – I’ve tried so many of your recipes and they’ve never done me wrong! Even my husband advises me to check out SK when looking for new recipes. :)
Hi Sarika — LOVE the North Fork! Don’t miss Shinn. I haven’t made these with dulce but don’t see why it can’t be swirled or marbled into the batter in the pan right before you bake them.
Just wanted to report back – these were a huge hit! I swirled about 1/4 cup of dulce de leche into the batter (I slightly heated it beforehand to aid in spreading), then swirled with a knife. I also included 1/4 cup of bourbon into the batter (for those fearful of this much bourbon, know that in my blondie version, the bourbon taste had totally mellowed out by the next day). I also had to increase the cooking time, and refrigerate them after baking so they would firm up, but overall, they were so easy and beloved. Thank you!!!
Just popped this in the oven…amongst other things…added in homemade candied pecans – yum! Thank you!
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! I’m totally not going to cut these into small cubes because it would take too much effort to pick up each dainty piece when what I have in mind is to eat a LOT! Can’t wait to try this recipe, thanks for sharing. Mary
ok I’m eating a hot warm-from-the-oven blondie… Heaven… So delectable and gooey.. My house smells like melted butter, sugar and chocolate.. I threw all the ingredients in a bowl, stirred, added dark chocolate chips, some mashed bananas, a LOT of vanilla extract and some sliced almonds. So good!! Despite my unpredictable oven, these came out perfectly (I was reading some of the comments and was scared they were going to come out all mushy) but I just gave them a slightly longer baking time and they are perfection – browned on the edges and gooey in the middle. Thank you Deb!!
Such a wonderful recipe. I made these last night with walnuts. One of my friends suggested adding white chocolate chips, topping it with vanilla ice cream and caramel. Now to just find a good caramel sauce recipe. Would you happen to have any?
wow just made these now and are baking in the oven… I’m so excited, i’m counting each minute!! Thank You for the recipe Deb! :) I’ll let you know how they turn out!!
Hello, I have just stumbled upon your lovely blog.
I run an after-school cooking-club in Devon, England, and each week we tackle something different; I try recipes I’ve always wanted to cook, and encourage the students to do the same.
This Wednesday is the 4th July, and we have an American theme. As I am a ‘blondie virgin’, your blondies are my choice.
I shall keep you posted as to the outcome.
Love love love these. This is my go-to cookie recipe now! I always double the recipe, and then I do have to cook them for about 45 minutes – I don’t like them quite so gooshy. Still, my favorite bars! I linked to them on my blog this morning. :D
These are really yummy!!! They are the perfect consistancy. I used a half a cup of semi-sweet chips and a half a cup of butterscotch! My son calls them “goldies”, and will definately be my go-to blondie recipe!
I made them today with chocolate chips and bourbon but I’m afraid the bourbon was too much and I didn’t bake them long enough (20 min). They’re for a potluck so I hope people don’t mind… At least it was a fast recipe.
I make these all the time! often have two pans going on the counter. With 4 kids and lots of their friends around, they always get eaten. Some of my favorite flavor combos are: White chocolate chip and roasted, salted macadamia nuts
White choc chip with walnuts and dried blueberries or dried cherries
Chunky peanut butter, rolled oats and semi-sweet choc chips
Can’t go wrong with either. They will beg for more!
You were right, the gooey-ER (sp?) the better!
I don’t know why I bother searching the web when I should just search this blog! Can’t wait to get my hands on the cookbook.
Made these “blank” as it were, as we had nothing in the pantry to complement them – well, a just a glass of milk. Truly decadent, and very satisfying. Delicious!
Hi! Just wanted to make the suggestion to all the people doubling the recipe to make this recipe in two 8×8 inch square pans if you have them. I have found the recipe is happiest and needs no adjusting when made in the 8x8instead of attempting to throw it all in a 9×13. This is, of course if you have them on hand (though something tells me the awesome bakers and foodies who seem to follow you just might!). For the record, I made mine with unsweetened coconut, chocolate chips and bourbon. A hit!
i just made these! fastest recipe ever.
Oh my. OH MY. I love a blondie. This is actually my favorite dessert, aside from creme brulee. These were fabulous, and so simple. I made them with pistachios and dried apricots…heaven!
Yum! Made them with 100g of white choc chunks and about 50g dried cranberries. Having never made a Blondie before I’m now a convert! I did quadruple the recipe since I intended to take some to work and then the rest for a big family get together, and found that it needed at least an extra 10 minutes in the oven – mine had the extra 10 mins and are verging on uncooked, but are delicious in their gooeyness. I’m sure they’ll go down just fine :)
I made these yesterday and they are amazing! I added dried cranberries, dark chocolate chips and chopped pecans. They came out just right baked for in an 8×8 pan for 25 minutes. I will admit I was worried about them being raw in the center when I checked on them at the 20 minute mark but they were good to go at 25 minutes. My 7 year old son pronounced them delicious and I cannot wait to experiment more with these as the recipe is not fussy but tastes like it is.
I’ve made a lot of brownie recipes, and my husband said these were the best I’ve ever made. I stirred chocolate chips into the batter. Once they were done, I slathered on a caramel frosting. Next time, though, I think I will do just a light drizzle of caramel on top.
Last night for a happy hour I made some elaborate cupcakes — graham cracker cupcakes filled with chocolate ganache, topped with marshmallow frosting that I toasted with my culinary torch. S’mores! Incredibly fussy s’mores!
At the last minute I grew concerned that there wouldn’t be enough goodies, so I made a batch of these blondies with a handful each of chopped pecans and chocolate chips that I found buried in the pantry. I whipped up the batter in just a few minutes on my lunch break and baked them until they were still a wee bit gooey in the middle.
Guess what was immediately devoured? Yep.
I was wondering if somebody would like to know my combo of dried cranberries and marshmallows with lots of vanilla,, being the options available in my cupboard, which are delicious. Funny to be the third mention of cranberries this week too!
Sorry to be redundant-but these ROCK. Seriously. I bake all the time and it is so nice to have a quick, simple, one-bowl recipe that i can throw whatever i have into the pan and to know they’ll be amazing.
This is the best blondie that Ive have ever made and may i mention my first!!! lol Im absolutely in LOVE with this recipe!!! I never knew how simple this dessert was and the most amazing part in the richness and not overly too sweet it is!!! I stumbled on SmittenKitchen on a humble i had a taste for a blondie didnt know how to make it or even where to start to find a recipe that i could follow….Well I google “Blondie Recipe” and a few searches came up I by pass FoodNetwork and went to the site that i have no idea, i guess caught my attention!!! What lead me to continue through was the pictures and I was like YES thats what i want to make exactly!!! meaning I want to my blondies ( the first I have ever attempt to make lol) to come out just like that…and too my surprise it came out exactly like the picture ( well not quite)!!! I followed the recipe and I added a chocolate chips and that was it!!!! Me and my Mom and Sis enjoy those blondies like I felt like I was in another world lol and I personally have NEVER commented on any blogs especially cooking but I had to truly give you your props because they were so deserved Im sorry I dont even know you name but your site will forever have a place in my Favorites Tab!!! Im looking forward to many more exciting recipes that you have to offer me!!!!!!!!!!
A friend made these for a weekend trip. They sat around for a day in the freezer before we found them, but didn’t last long after that. THEY ARE AMAZING!! Go ahead, try to eat just a half of one. In fact, try to eat just one! Bet you can’t do it. These are really delicious, and I will probably be making them myself in about ten minutes.
I just popped these in the oven, thanks so much for the recipe! mmm already salivating at the thought of having one. I wonder if there will be any left by the time my husband gets home.
Hi,
I made these blondies today and they are the oven now. I am on a restricted diet so I can’t taste them for another month…another batch will be required. But I have some questions. You say to melt the butter and mix with the brown sugar and beat until smooth.. Smoothness was never acquired, but neither is patience my greatest trait. I see some are melting the sugar with the butter, tho I don’t think it reads that way in the recipe. It did smooth out after the egg was added. Also I used white whole wheat flour and the batter was more cookie like. I had to press it into he pan. The directions say ” pour” so I don’t know what I am in for here. I have had to add more liquid in other recipes.. Do you recommend another egg perhaps? Maybe just a yolk?
I think they’ll bake up just fine, even if it didn’t seem smooth. You’re right; it’s not really a pouring batting, more of a cookie dough.
Just what I needed to help ride out Hurricane Sandy – reduced dark brown sugar by 25%, browned the butter, & added a handful of toasted chopped walnuts and ~.5 cup unsweetened applesauce – perfect! Thanks!
Beautiful recipe, but I’m wishing I had not added the espresso grounds…
Blondies, infinitely adaptable:
Best blondies recipe I’ve tried. I made a couple of batches for hubbys work and he said co-workers were still talking about how good they were the following day. I made mine with mixture of chocolate and peanut butter morcels. Tonight I’m making a batch for just me and hubby using The Kracken Rum (black spice rum). Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
I’ve made these twice now and both times they’ve turned out fantastic! I didn’t have any problems with the mushiness other people described. It took a bit longer to bake, closer to 30 minutes (35-40 the first time…. but I think its because I accidentally put them on the top rack at first) and they do seem a little soft when first out of the oven (as most baked goods do..) but they firm up nicely. The first time I used a mix of milk and white chocolate chips and the second I did the same plus added some pecans. Super easy and quick recipe. Everyone who tried them loved them. Will definitely make them again. Thanks!
Wow. I just made these and they are so moist and delicious! I used butterscotch chips because my husband can’t have chocolate and they are great. Wonderful recipe.
This is probably the best, easiest, gooiest dessert recipe out there. I can’t stop making them! This time is chocolate chips and heath toffee crumbles – my boyfriend especially is stoked!
I made your peanut butter crispy bars a few weeks ago and cannot go through the week without peanut butter and chocolate now! For the blondes, my variation was to brown the butter, half it and add sweetened creamy peanut butter to the other half. For the filling I chopped up crispy crunch bars and milk chocolate chips and bumped up the pinch of salt to a 1/4 tsp. I would STRONGLY recommend using this variation!
The batter is ready to go into the oven when I get home from a MUCH NEEDED haircut (and color, but that’s our little secret!) For some reason, this dark chocolate lover has milk chocolate chips in the house, so I’ve added those and a healthy pinch of cinnamon. It’s right after Thanksgiving, and I guess I’m not over the cinnamon thing yet… I think these will be extremely luscious!
Just made these with whiskey and pecans and chocolate chips. I had to stop licking the batter, whiskey in a baked good = GENIUS. I used a bit over 1/8 cup whiskey, though, and they smelled and tasted pretty boozy to me. Great recipe!
this recipe rules! gonna add bacon to this and see if your addition of bourbon will work as well for the holidays. smitten kitchen is the awesomest!!!!
I am going to Mae these and add chocolate chips and crushed peanut butter covered pretzels. Can’t wait – every recipe I have ever made from Smitten Kitchen is outstanding!
Try them with Irish whisky, toasted pecans, and dark chocolate pieces. Immensely satisfying and very grown-up ;)
I am currently making these for the third time within the last 24 hours. First was rum and dark chocolate chips (which was…interesting). Second was almond extract instead of vanilla and whiskey (fairly awesome). The batch in the oven is banana, chocolate chip, and brandy. It smells like it may have the potential to be epic. No matter how any of these experiments come out, good or bad, I am having way too much fun with this recipe to stop trying!
First SK recipe that hasn’t turned out perfect. I added 1/4c bourbon, 1T flour, and 1/2c dried cherries. Cooked a single batch in an 8×8. They are really just too gooey. I can’t get them out of the pan in one piece, and they have to be eaten with a fork. I thought about putting them back into the oven, but I think that would have resulted in an overcooked outside edge. Too bad.
I think that I am overcooking these. Second batch in two days, I am so determined to get it right – the taste is amazing. They look raw when they are “just set” – but when they cool, they harden. Taste is amazing, need to get cook time correct. First time I used chocolate chips….today I used peanut butter chips. Should they be taken out at the time, or based on appearance and touch?
Hi Cherie — I’d take them out when they seem right based on your experience. If you’ve been using appearance, then dial it down a little if they seem overbaked.
I can’t believe I’ve never commented, but these are far and away my favorite thing to make for every occasion. So easy, So delicious. To be honest I almost never get to eat any because they disappear so quickly. Also, I almost never make a single batch because it won’t last! My go to combos are baileys/kahlua in place of vanilla, a blend of like 5 different kinds of chocolate chips with Hershey’s caramel syrup drizzled on top and kosher salt sprinkled on. love the salted caramel effect!
This recipe should come equipped with a warning label “Baker Beware of over consumption! Only make if you plan to gain the weight equivalent to a stick of butter!” Needless to say, it is worth EVERY CALORIE regardless of my disgruntled waist line. I bake at 29-30 minutes for the perfect fudge like consistency. My friend/ co-worker Lucy whips up a batch (with bourbon) for our birthday’s and the whole office can’t get enough. Maybe it’s the bourbon we need :-)
I also love adding a 1/4- 1/2 cup of coconut, 1/4 chopped toasted pecans with a combination of semi and bittersweet chocolate chips.
THANKS DEB! These are perfect as dessert with the buttermilk roast chicken. Actually, they are just perfect, period.
This post has comments from 2006 and is still going strong! Excited, have these in the oven right now. I added diced dried Turkish apricots and crystallized ginger. No vanilla, I used some Myer’s dark rum instead. I added a teensy bit more sugar and added molasses. Wondering about spelt flour and honey to make this a little more healthy. Timer has ten minutes left, can’t wait!
Incredible. 1. This is the fastest recipe to make ever. Faster than Betty Crocker package mix brownies. 2. It tastes amazing 2. Literally everything tastes good in these! I added espresso powder and great big dark chocolate chunks, incredible
I was so excited to make these, but the edges are brown and the entire middle is gooey – like not cooked at all gooey. They’ve been in the oven for over 30 minutes.
Wish I didn’t just spend $10 on chocolate chips and nuts.
Sad face…
UPDATE: I took them out before they went really crispy / burnt around the edges, and when they cooled, the gooey-ness turned into yummy dense-ness! Will make these again, though I think I’ll try a different pan.
so these repipes have been by far fab! Unfortionate not often enough but I and all your fans are satisfied with whatever you share. thank you. they are the best and I have enjoyed immeem
This is the most simple yet amazing recipe. So so good. You are incredible!
Hi, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate this blondie recipe, just like you said when you posted it, it is the only one that you will EVER need, it has been just that for me for about 5 years now. Thank you so much! I have shared it with so many others and always get requests for the recipe when I make it.
These are delicious! Delicious, godammit! And so easy.
Thank you!