Easy Chewy Blondie Bars Recipe (One Bowl) (2024)

4.77 from 26 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

• ▢ 1 cup butter Melted (salted or unsalted, either work great, if using unsalted, add additional ¼ teaspoon salt.)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed (use light brown, dark brown or half of each)
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temp, let sit in bowl of warm water while you melt butter
• ▢ 1 egg yolk
• ▢ 2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour I use organic unbleached flour in my baking
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum free
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½- 2 cups mix-ins see options

Optional Mix-In Ideas

• ▢ Butterscotch chips or mixture of Toffee Chips and Butterscotch pictures in post
• ▢ Toffee Heath Bar chips with or without chocolate
• ▢ Chocolate Chips semi-sweet, milk or white chocolate
• ▢ Chopped walnuts pecans, almonds or peanuts
• ▢ White Chocolate Chips Dried Cranberries or Cherries or other dried fruit and chopped nuts
• ▢ M&M’s mini Reese’s, Mini Rolo’s, Caramel pieces or chunks, Mini Snickers, Peanut Butter chips
• ▢ Malted Milk Balls Maltesers or Whopper malted milk balls (crushed – pictured in post)

US Customary – Metric

• Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C) (see high altitude instructions below) and line desired pan (see end of instructions) with parchment paper or foil for easier slicing.

• Start by melting butter (1 cup) (try it with browned butter*, too) in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer; add brown sugar (1 ½ cups) and melted butter and stir until smooth.

• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in flour mixture one cup at a time, mixing into the wet mixture a little at a time, until completely combined. Add desired mix-ins (chips, nuts, toffee, etc.), stirring until mixed.

• Spread batter into parchment or foil lined pan (for easier slicing). To easily "spread" batter, scoop batter into prepared pan and using a piece of parchment, wax paper or plastic wrap, lay over top of batter and smooth to edges of pan until even, see video below for how I do it.

• For thinner blondies use 9×13 inch pan, for thicker, chewier blondies use a 9×9 inch pan or 7×11 brownie pan.

• Bake at 350 degrees F (see below for High Altitude Instructions) 9×13 inch pan 20-30 minutes; 9×9 or 7×11 inch pan 30-40 minutes.

• Blondies should just start to turn golden at edges, slightly pulling away from pan and not look quite done in middle, they will continue cooking once removed. Cool on wire rack, using parchment or foil, lift out of pan and slice into desired bars.

• Store in airtight container on counter up to 3 days, in fridge up to one week and frozen up to 3 months.

• High Altitude Baking InstructionsIncrease heat to 375 degrees F if using metal, regular pans (if dark or glass pans; keep temp at 350°)

• 9×13 inch pan bake for 15-25 minutes
  9×9 or 7×11 inch pans 20-30 minutes

• Melt the butter | I’ve made these with regular melted butter as well as Brown Butter (see post on Brown Butter Glaze for simple how to make brown butter), I think browned butter is my fave, but it’s an extra step, so I get it you just need to get these in your belly! Psst…please use REAL BUTTER, real butter means it’s hard coming out of the fridge, if it’s in a tub or is soft out of the fridge it’s not real butter but a blend.
• Extra Egg Yolk | Adding an extra egg yolk adds a bit more fat content and emulsifying abilities to the batter, some people have complained that when they make blondies the fat separates and floats to the top while baking. The fat gives baked goods extra-rich flavor and a velvety texture. The yolk also has the unique ability to bind liquids and fats together, creating an emulsion that prevents them from separating. (Source)
• Brown Sugar | I have used all light brown sugar, half light and half dark brown sugar, the key is to use brown sugar, this gives the blondies that carmel-y, buttery chewiness!
• BAKING TIME!! | This is probably the most critical aspect, I have overbaked many a blondie (or brownie for that matter) and things have a tendency to bake faster at altitude so I typically start checking my baked goods about 10 minutes before the lowest time given. So whether you are at sea level, 1,000 feet or 8,500 feet, do not overbake these babies! Remove them from the oven when the edges are just turning golden, pulling away slightly from the edge of the pan and the center still looks unbaked slightly.

*To brown butter, in small saucepan melt butter over low heat, you will hear it snap, pop, applaud for awhile. Swirl pan occasionally (but don’t walk away), it will go silent and start foaming up, once it does, keep on low heat and swirl for a minute or so until brown starts to bubble up through the foam, when it smells nutty it’s ready, remove from heat.

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