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This is the ONLY Blondies Recipe you need! These easy blondies are fudgy cookie bars full of your favorite candy or chocolate chips. I’ve been making this recipe in different ways for YEARS and it’s the best.

stacked blondies with m&ms baked in.


What is a blondie?

Besides being one of my favorite desserts, a blondie is a fudgy baked bar reminiscent of a brownie without the chocolate. (You’ll often hear them called “blonde brownies” for this reason.) They’re crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside and are better than any cookie, and easier to make too.

This basic recipe is the BEST blondie recipe you’ll ever make. It’s chewy and soft, stays soft for days, and is great with any candy or even plain!

One of the things I love about this blondie recipe is how chewy AND soft they are. They stay soft for days and are a great blank canvas for your favorite flavors. Everyone RAVES about this recipe!

ingredients in blondies recipe.

Ingredients Needed

  • Brown Sugar – I think the main reason the texture of these blondies is so great is because of all the brown sugar in them. There are 2 cups of packed brown sugar in this recipe! 2 cups sugar to 1/2 cup butter, which seems like a lot, but creates the best ever texture and flavor. Brown sugar gives so much flavor and texture to baked goods. I use light brown sugar but you can also use dark brown sugar.
  • Eggs: 2 eggs in the batter make it a looser dough, allowing the end product to be gooey. But the egg yolks lend to a chewy texture.
  • Baking Powder: instead of using baking soda these blondies use baking powder which helps keep them soft.
  • Mix-ins: this is where it gets fun! You can add any kind of mix-ins you like (see my list below) or you can leave them plain.

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

How to make this blondies recipe

  1. Cream the softened, room temperature unsalted butter and sugar in a large bowl until crumbly.
  2. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt and mix until smooth.
  3. Mix in the all purpose flour.
  4. Decide on what mix-ins you want to add or leave them plain. Press cookie dough into pan.
  5. Bake these in a metal 9×13-inch baking pan until they just lose their glossy sheen and are lightly golden around the edges. They’re better under-done!
stacked blondies with m&ms baked in.

Tip From Dorothy

Expert Tips

  • Use real butter, not oil or fake butter. The flavor of butter is a must!
  • BROWN SUGAR, as before mentioned. Use 2 full cups, packed!
  • The dough is wet, so spray your hands with cooking spray to press them into the pan. Same goes if you press it with a rubber spatula.
  • I highly recommend using a metal pan for these. They might not set properly or bake properly in a glass or porcelain pan.
  • These are best under baked so they finish setting as they cool. Take them out when the edges are light golden brown and the top JUST looks done (no longer glossy).
  • Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Or place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

FAQ

Are blondies meant to be gooey in the middle?

They will be cooked through but they’ll be fudgy looking.

How can you tell when they’re cooked?

It’s best to err on the side of under-baked with these. As soon as the edges look golden and the top just loses the glossy sheen they’re done. They’ll still be a bit jiggly in the center when you take them out – they’ll finish setting while they cool.

How long will blondies keep?

These stay fresh for at least a week in an airtight container because of all that brown sugar! You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

What is the Difference Between a Blondie and a Brownie?

A Brownie is rich and fudgy and all chocolate, whereas a Blondie isn’t chocolate. A blondie isn’t just a cookie bar, it’s a different recipe than a traditional cookie and is rich and fudgy without all the chocolate.

stacked blondies with m&ms baked in.

Best Blondies Recipe

4.72 from 42 votes
This is the ONLY Blondie Recipe you need! These easy blondies are cookie bars full of your favorite candy or chocolate chips.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 24 bars
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups (400g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cups (242g) all purpose flour
  • 2 cups mix-ins: toffee, chopped candy bars, M&Ms, chocolate chips, nuts, etc
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13” pan with foil and spray well with cooking spray.
  • Mix butter and brown sugar with a stand or a hand mixer until crumbly. Mix in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Mix in salt, baking powder, then flour. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the mix-ins.
  • Spread in prepared pan. The mixture is wet so it’s best to spray your hands with cooking spray and then smooth the dough with your hands to get an even layer. Top with remaining mix-ins
  • Bake for about 22-25 minutes until they start to turn golden. Err on the side of under baked with these – they’ll finish baking as the cool and you don’t want them over baked.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • Use real butter, not oil or fake butter. The flavor of butter is a must!
  • BROWN SUGAR, as before mentioned. Use 2 full cups, packed!
  • The dough is wet, so spray your hands with cooking spray to press them into the pan.
  • I highly recommend using a metal pan for these. They might not set properly or bake properly in a glass or porcelain pan.
  • These are best under baked so they finish setting as they cool. Take them out when the edges JUST look done.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 58mg | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Blondie Variations

This basic blondie recipe will be your go-to and is the perfect blank canvas for any flavor combination!

Favorite Blondie Recipes

Last Updated on February 2, 2024



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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Recipe Rating




42 Comments

  1. Made these with PB chips and all dark brown sugar. My husband is euphoric. He gives them A Plus. They were perfect and only needed an additional 10 minutes to make a them perfect blonde. Major YUM!

  2. So delicious but like other review said, needed MUCH longer to bake! Around 45 minutes or even longer. Great recipe though! 🙂

  3. Really do recommend extending bake time.  Excellent recipe, however in a 9X9 using convection oven 38 minutes needed.

  4. These are the best! I make them often with different mix-ins and take them to work. They are gone by lunch!.

  5. My rating is based on the cooking time.  The ingredients were spot on, but I needed to bake this 45 minutes.  After removing from the oven after 25 minutes, they were complete goo.  Placed back in for another 20, & they were still gooey.  Let them cool, cover & sit overnight and they were delicious with coffee the next morning.

  6. My daughter and i made our first Blondies ever tonight with this recipe and I can’t imagine how there could be a better one. You’re right that it is the only one we need. We sprinkled in a few mini-chocolate chips and I can see how it would be perfect with lots of different add ins.

    Thanks for a great recipe for a new favorite.

  7. You are not kidding about the name! These ARE the BEST Blondies!!! This was my first time ever having them and also making them and I may never make chocolate chip cookies again (and I have a chocolate chip cookie that I call “the best ever”) because these were so much easier to make and fabulous! Thank for sharing this recipe with us. They will be made again and again! 

  8. Thank you for a great basic recipe! I made two batches of salted caramel chocolate chip Blondies yesterday, and my church family and in-laws loved them! The recipe is so easy and the addition of choosing whatever mix ins you feel like is so adaptable! I will be going back to this often!