The Best Buttery Blondies Recipe

It's funny to think that, somewhere along the line, someone looked at a brownie and thought it needed less chocolate — so much less chocolate, in fact, that it would become a completely different dessert entirely. Blondies, which are brownies without the cocoa powder, are the moist and buttery cousin to the chocolatey bar cookie and a close relation to chocolate chip cookies. Made with melted butter for a fudgy texture, these blondies are soft and nutty, with notes of caramel and vanilla in every bite. For chocolate lovers, the melty chocolate chunks add just the right amount of rich cocoa flavor.

My favorite blondies are classically made, with a sweet and nutty flavor and a richness from extra butter. Yes, that means an entire two sticks of butter, but trust me, it's worth it — these blondies are the perfect dessert. Easy to make with just a few minutes of prep and a short bake time, these blondies come together quickly for a dessert you can enjoy anytime. My recommendation: Eat them warm with a cold glass of milk or a creamy latte, you won't regret it.

The ingredient list for buttery blondies isn't dissimilar to the ingredient list for chocolatey, fudgy brownies — the biggest difference is that they don't contain any cocoa powder. You'll still need brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, salt, and plenty of butter; and while you don't need any cocoa powder, you will need chocolate chunks or chocolate chips, which give the pop a hint of chocolate flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

Add the butter and combine again until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients and stir until smooth.

Fold in the chocolate chunks until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool before slicing and serving.

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The butter in this recipe is melted, which can be done in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove. If using the microwave, I recommend putting the sticks in a heat-proof measuring cup, which makes it easy to pour the butter into the batter with no mess. If you are making the butter on the stove, heat it over medium-low heat until just melted, and remove the butter before it bubbles and burns — unless you want to brown it.

Browning butter adds a nutty flavor similar to toffee or caramel. It's a more intense flavor than melted butter alone, and even more caramel-forward than brown sugar. When mixed into ingredients like vanilla and brown sugar, browned butter blossoms into an aromatic, nutty flavor that adds depth to the dessert. To brown the butter, constantly whisk the butter while it melts over medium-low heat, allowing it to foam and form dark brown spots on the bottom of the pot. From there, watch it closely, and remove it from the heat when it becomes a toasted brown color throughout. If the butter burns, it becomes bitter, so if you start to see black spots forming, turn the heat down or remove it from the heat.

While I like the inclusion of chocolate chunks in my blondie, which add a melty texture and rich flavor, you can add a number of other ingredients to enhance them instead of or as well as the chocolate. Instead of dark chocolate, you can use semi-sweet or white chocolate, which will add milder chocolate flavors. You can also add butterscotch chips, which have a sweet toffee flavor. For a bit of crunch and nutty flavor without the sweetness of chocolate, you can also add chopped walnuts or pecans, and for a more sophisticated sweetness, you can try dried fruits. 

You can also add flavor to the batter in other ways. Another way to achieve a nutty flavor (similar to browned butter) is to add a spoonful of miso. For a sweeter flavor, try adding maple syrup. For a unique cookie-like sweetness, you can also use Biscoff cookie butter. For even more interesting inclusions, you can add pistachios, orange zest, and cardamom, or keep it simple (and fun) by adding colorful M&M's.

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