American
Classic Blondies
Brown sugar bars bake into a chewy middle with a shiny top. The center is set, with a few moist crumbs on a toothpick, not a wet batter.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 26 min
- Total
- 41 min
- Servings
- 16
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Brown sugar, not white, is the flavor. That is the difference between a blondie and a sugar cookie bar.
- An extra yolk makes the center chewy without leaving it raw.
- The toothpick should show moist crumbs, not slick wet batter.
- They firm up as they cool, so the pan has to sit before you cut.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving some overhang.
- 2
Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar until the sugar looks wet and glossy.
- 3
Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- 4
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until the flour disappears. Fold in the walnuts. Do not eat the raw batter.
- 5
Spread the batter in the pan.
- 6
Bake 22 to 26 minutes, until the edges are set, the top looks dry and shiny, and the center does not jiggle.
- 7
A toothpick in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- 8
Cool completely in the pan before lifting out and cutting into 16 squares.
Pro tips
- Underbaked blondies look like cookie dough in the center. Give them the extra minutes.
- Melted butter should be warm, not scorching, or it will cook the egg on contact.
- Use the parchment sling. A knife in the pan cracks the shiny top.
Easy substitutions
- walnuts
- pecans
- walnuts
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips if you want chips instead of nuts
- brown sugar
- dark brown sugar
Storage and reheating
Storage
Keep covered at room temperature up to 4 days.
Reheating
They are meant to be eaten at room temperature. Warm one square 8 seconds in the microwave if you want it soft.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 223
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Budget friendly · Oven
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From the kitchen
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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