The BEST blondie recipe lives up to its name! This recipe yields buttery soft cookie bars with vanilla-caramel undertones. It come together quickly, no mixer needed. Include your favorite add-ins (white chocolate, dark chocolate, nuts) or enjoy plain! This carefully tested recipe has been a fan favorite for years and has garnered hundreds of five-star reviews! ⭐️
Actually *Perfect* Blondies
Buttery, soft, chewy, loaded with your favorite add-ins, my blondie recipe is perfectly decadent. With hints of butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel, you won’t miss the chocolate. Serve slightly warm, topped with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce for a truly indulgent experience.
I spent a great deal of time developing this blondie recipe (you can’t imagine how many batches of not-quite-perfect blondies I had to eat, it’s a tough life 😉) and I finally have the perfect version to share. My recipe includes lots of tips and tricks so you’ll get perfectly soft, chewy and buttery results every time. No dry or cakey blondies here! Let’s get right to it.
Blondie Ingredients
We don’t need to cover everything, but let’s chat a moment about some of our key players:
- Butter. Melted butter is the key to a softer, chewier blondie recipe that stays soft and chewy (it’s also a key ingredient in my best chocolate chip cookie recipe, if you’ve tried that you already know what a game changer it is).
- Sugar. A blend of brown and granulated sugar works best here. The higher ratio of brown sugar works well to impart a deep, rich, and subtly caramel-y flavor that makes these irresistible.
- Eggs. An extra egg yolk contributes to the tender, dense texture of the bar.
- Baking powder. Blondies ought to be dense and leaning toward fudgy territory, but just a pinch of baking powder adds a bit of lightness to the bar so it’s not too dense or difficult to chew. Note that the omission of baking soda is intentional, baking soda would create a lighter airier, and more cakey texture that we’re actively trying to avoid.
- Cornstarch helps make the bars tender and chewy.
- Add-ins (use your favorites!). Truth be told, you can add nothing, no nuts, no chocolate, and you’ll still have a darn good cookie bar. But I prefer to dress things up a bit. White chocolate chips and chopped walnuts are my favorite, but swap out the white chocolate for semisweet or a chopped baking bar, swap out the nuts for a different kind of nut or more chocolate, or if you want to toast your nuts before adding them, that works just fine, too!
For the full recipe and the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
How to Make Blondies
The blondie batter comes together quickly and easily. No mixer needed, no fancy equipment.
Start by melting your butter. It doesn’t need to cool completely, but if it’s still quite hot when you add the butter you can expect your blondies to be a bit greasier on the bottom after baking and to take longer to bake.
Add the sugars, eggs, yolk, and vanilla. Stir it well, but don’t go crazy. Mixing well can help create shiny/crackly tops, but over-doing it could make the blondies a bit cakier than I personally care for them to be. I never use a mixer for this step.
Add the dry ingredients. Always whisk them together separately (to make sure the baking powder and salt are well-distributed through the batter), then stir them into the batter. Once again, don’t go overboard with the mixing. Any add-ins you’re using get stirred in last.
Bake & enjoy. The very edges will turn lightly golden brown and a toothpick should come out clean. A sprinkling of flaky sea salt while they’re still warm is optional, but strongly encouraged 😉. Let the blondies cool completely before you cut into them, otherwise you may panic that you completely underbaked them (you likely didn’t).
Tips & Variations
- When it comes to sugar, a blend is best. For the brown sugar called for in the recipe, you can just use light brown sugar, but I personally prefer a blend of light and dark brown sugar. I don’t care to use all dark brown, though, as I feel it makes things a bit too rich and butterscotch-y.
- Adjust the add-ins. You can add up to 2 cups of your favorite add-ins to this blondie recipe. I listed a mix of chopped walnuts and white chocolate chips in the recipe. I found that this combination provided a nice balance of sweetness and crunch. Feel free to use all walnuts, all chocolate (completely fine to make this recipe nut-free), or swap out some or either of these. A chopped semisweet chocolate bar is quite delicious, in my opinion.
- Pay attention to your pan. A metal pan is best for this recipe and will ensure the quickest and most even baking. If you opt for a glass or ceramic pan, your blondies will almost certainly take longer to bake, and exactly how long will vary. I haven’t tried this blondie recipe in a silicone pan, but am not sure I’d recommend it.
- Brown your butter for a gourmet flavor. Brown 1 cup of butter (you do not need to brown extra to accommodate the lost liquid from browning). You will want to make sure it’s cooled a bit before adding the eggs, so the eggs don’t cook prematurely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blondies are occasionally referred to as “blonde brownies”. They are made without cocoa powder and without melted chocolate and aspire to a rich, buttery brown-sugar-vanilla flavor rather than a deep chocolate one (so you can expect a higher ratio of brown sugar to granulated here).
White chocolate brownies are closer in nature to brownies than blondies are, while blondies are more similar to chocolate chip cookie bars.
Most often this is due to over-baking. Baking for too long or on too high of a temperature will quickly change the texture from fudgy/borderline gooey to crumbly and dry instead.
Other culprits include accidentally mis-measuring an ingredient, using the wrong kind of flour (you need all-purpose, and please do not use self-rising!), accidentally using baking soda instead of powder, or over-measuring your flour.
First, check your pan. If you used a glass, ceramic, or silicone pan the blondies will take longer to bake, and exactly how much longer can vary greatly depending on the particular material of your pan (some people have needed over 45 minutes to bake!). If you use a smaller pan, even if it’s metal, the blondies will also take longer to bake.
If you substituted or accidentally mis-measured any ingredients, this could also cause this issue.
Wait for the blondies to cool at least mostly before cutting into them, if cut into while warm they’ll look quite underbaked.
If a visual is helpful, see the video in the recipe card for exactly how this blondie recipe look in my kitchen every step of the way.
I’ve been in love with this recipe for years and am so excited for you to try it yourself. If you do, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
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Best Blondie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cup (250 g) brown sugar firmly packed (see note)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (285 g) all-purpose flour (note that in the video I accidentally said 2 ½ cups flour, that is incorrect, you only need 2 ¼ cups as written here)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (115 g) white chocolate chips (see note)
- 1 cup (130 g) chopped walnuts (may omit, see note)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 13×9 metal baking pan with parchment paper (or lightly grease and flour the pan).
- Combine melted butter and sugar in a large bowl and stir well.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cup (250 g) brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined. Set aside.2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.2 ¼ cups (285 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Gradually stir the dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
- Fold in white chocolate chips and nuts, if using.⅔ cup (115 g) white chocolate chips, 1 cup (130 g) chopped walnuts
- Spread blondie batter into prepared pan and transfer to oven.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few fudgy crumbs.
- Allow to cool before cutting and enjoying
Notes
Brown sugar
I like to use half dark and half light brown sugar in this recipe for a perfectly balanced flavor with butterscotch undertones. If you don’t have both, you can use just light brown sugar.Add-ins (nuts & chocolate), and making this recipe nut-free
You can use up to 2 cups of your favorite add-ins, feel free to swap out the white chocolate chips and nuts for your favorite additions (semisweet chocolate chips, pecans, a chopped baking bar, etc.). This recipe can certainly be made nut-free, just swap the nuts for an equal amount of white chocolate chips or your preferred add-in.Pan note
A metal baking pan is recommended. Using a glass, ceramic, silicone, or other material will increase the time needed to bake, sometimes significantly. Please also note that if you opt to use a smaller pan the baking time can be expected to be longer.Storing
Cover tightly (or cut and transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 4 days. These blondies may also be sliced, tightly wrapped and frozen for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
More Cookie Bars to Try:
Amira
Tasted good but came out more like a cake and not chewy ??
Sam
Hi Amira! Is it possible they were over-baked?
Ali
These are perfect!!!!
Followed the instructions and they turned out great. The whole pan is almost gone and it hasn’t even been 24 hours. Husband and kid approved!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad the blondies were a hit with your family, Ali! Thanks for trying our recipe 🥰
Sam
Help! I just made these and the inside is completely raw. Can I do anything to salvage them? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Sam! Unfortunately it sounds like they may have needed to bake a bit longer. 🙁
Rebecca
You have 3 blondie recipes that I’d like to try. I have never had success with any blondie recipes. Every time I try to make them, the edges puff up high and become really hard when they cool. Do you have any advice to avoid this? Or is there one of your recipes that won’t do this? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Rebecca! Do you use an electric mixer when you make them? It sounds like the batter may be over-mixed. It’s not easy to over-mix blondies, but an electric or stand mixer on high speed could do it, especially after the eggs are added. I hope this helps!
Claire
Try a water bath or wrapping the sides (just the sides, not the bottom). I use cloth velcro wrappers purchased on Amazon.
Elle
Incredibly dry. Threw out the whole batch… waste of ingredients.
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened, Elle! Is it possible they were slightly over-baked? 🙁
Bri
Best blondies I’ve ever made by far! Super moist and chewy. Thanks for the recipe!
Anonymous User
Omg same! I make this recipe ALL the time now, it’s sort of like my go to recipe! Everyone loves them as well! Thanks for the recipe, Sam!
Pam Freygang
I make this at least once a month for my family. They eat them in 2 days! Absolutely the best recipe I’ve ever tried. Thanks!
Kerri
I found your recipe online after Googling it and I’m so glad I did! These are DELICIOUS! I added some shredded coconut and walnuts with the white chocolate chips and they were amazing! Thank you for the great recipe!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! We love that combination, Kerri ☺️ Enjoy!
Sam
Amazing recipe! I browned my butter, used all dark brown sugar and added semi-sweet chocolate chips. The result was picture perfect! It cut into 24 very neat squares. Perfectly crisp edges and a decadent soft middle. This will definitely be something I will be baking again. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Sam! We’re so happy you enjoyed them 😊
Jess S
I love these blondies! They taste of salted caramel, only better. So moist and chewy. Definitely a keeper.
Andrea
Not sure what happened but mine turned out cakey and too floury.
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear that Andrea! Did you weigh your flour? Did you make any other substitutions/alterations? It sounds like there may have just been a bit too much flour. 🙁
Beth
OMG! Thank you for this recipe!! I did make one modification, in that I baked the dough in mini muffin tins. ( My husband and I both prefer corner pieces for the crisp edges!) They came out exactly as I fondly remember them, but with no yucky inside pieces! Thank you again!
Meredith A DeVoe
These are just what I was looking for. Simply divine! Thank you. I was worried because I discovered I had only 1 egg in the fridge, so I used flax egg to supplement, and you would never know. Wonderful chewy texture without being too heavy, shiny crinkly top. I used dark chocolate chunks. Definitely making these again in the future.
Suzanne
They were DELICIOUS. But next time I would definitely add a full cup of white chocolate chips. I (shockingly) did not find them sweet enough.
Ally
Best Blondie recipe I’ve found. Thee only blondie recipe I follow! This is a big hit in my house!!!! Thanks for sharing! The directions are accurate and easy to follow. The video is a bonus if you like following visually! Definitely recommend!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We appreciate the review, Ally! We’re so happy you love the recipe and found the post helpful ❤️
Anne
Hi! I just want to say that these brownies are absolutely amazing!!! I am allergic to chocolate and these brownies in my opinion are way better then chocolate brownies!!! They are so moist, chewy, and have such a lovely carmely flavor that my family can’t get enough of!!! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe that makes me feel like I am not missing out on browines!! 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you were able to enjoy the blondies Anne! ❤️
PJ
Delicious! I decided to try browing the butter and added a bit of almond extract to really up the nutty flavor. It came out of the oven smelling amazing. It was so hard waiting for them to cool!! I just did white chocolate chips and no nuts, but next time I think I’m going to do both white chocolate and semi sweet. Definitely making again. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum, that sounds so good, PJ! Thanks for letting us know how it went for you 😊