Easy Brownie Blondies Recipe
Calling all brownie lovers. If you love brownie recipes then you’ve gotta try these Brownie Blondies! They quite possibly will turn you into blondie lovers! Enjoy the same dense texture that you love in classic chocolate brownies with a sweet butterscotch flavor and luscious cream cheese icing.
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Today, I’m sharing a new recipe with you. Whether you call these Brownie Blondies or Blondie Brownies, you’re just going to love them!
A close second to chocolate chip cookies, brownies are a top five family favourite treat.
The main difference between a blondie and a brownie, is that traditional brownies have melted chocolate or cocoa powder in the batter, whereas blondies have brown sugar as the main ingredient.
Some blondies have white chocolate like my unicorn bars and strawberry lemon blondies. Two delicious recipes that you’re going to want to sample next!
The cream cheese icing makes these bars a rich brownie. You can easily choose not to frost them and enjoy them plain. If you’re not going to frost them, I would suggest adding pecans or walnuts following the last step of the step-by-step instructions.
I hope you’ll enjoy the chewy texture in this easy blondie recipe. It’s one of the best desserts in my roster!
If you’ve landed here looking for a brownie with two layers, these Chocolate Coconut Brownies are a-maz-ing! The first brownie layer is chocolate, topped with the blondie layer and chewy coconut on top. So yummy!
why you’ll love this easy recipe
- simple ingredients and no fancy equipment required
- quick to make with simple step-by-step instructions
- many variations for add-ins
ingredients & substitutions
You can find the full ingredient list with measurements on the recipe card at the bottom of the page. I have a few quick notes that will ensure success with this recipe.
- all purpose flour – some recipes require a kitchen scale to measure flour. I like to use the scoop and level. See my notes in the paragraph below.
- brown sugar – delicious brown sugar is the base ingredient in this recipe. I use light brown sugar or you could substitute dark brown sugar.
- butter – you can use either salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. Butter should be softened at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge an hour before you start making the recipe. You don’t want melted butter, so please do not try and soften it in the microwave! That would significantly change the texture of the brownies.
- eggs -I use large eggs in all of my recipes. They should be at room temperature. Take them out at the same time as the butter.
- vanilla extract – pure vanilla extract is best for flavour, or you can use artificial vanilla extract.
how to measure flour using measuring cup
- Use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the storage container or bag.
- Spoon the fluffed up flour into the measuring cup until it is overfilled.
- Next, scrape the knife across the top of the measuring cup to remove excess flour.
step-by-step instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F .
Many brownie recipes are made in a square baking pan, this recipe makes a nice big batch and uses a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a parchment overhang so that you can easily remove the bars from the baking dish.
This recipe can be made by hand with a wooden spoon, or with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
In a large bowl, or bowl from a stand mixer at medium speed, beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Although you can mix by hand, for best results, I like to use the mixer for this recipe.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla and mix until well combined.
In a small bowl, combine all-purpose flour and salt.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, in three additions, mixing on low speed of mixer just until combined, scraping down sides with a rubber spatula.
Scrape the brownie batter into prepared pan and use a spatula to spread the mixture out evenly.
Bake in 325°F oven for 35 minutes. Test with cake tester. The middle will still be a little soft but not jiggly.
Place on wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
For the icing:
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with softened butter until smooth.
Add brown sugar and powdered sugar, beating on low speed until the powdered sugar is mixed in. Turn up the mixer speed to medium and mix until smooth.
Spread icing over blondies. Lift the blondies out of the baking dish, using the parchment paper overhang for leverage.
Allow the icing to set for about 20 minutes before cutting.
Place the blondies on a cutting board and cut with a sharp knife.
Serve these blondies with a tall glass of milk or a cup of of coffee or tea. They taste delicious topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
storage instructions
I’m sharing the storage instructions with you. The only thing is that these blondies are so tasty that there might not be any left!
Store brownies in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
freezing instructions
Place the brownies in an airtight container and freeze for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
variations
Chocolate Chip Blondies – stir in 3/4 cup white, butterscotch chips or semisweet chocolate chips. You could even use chocolate chunks if that’s what you have on hand. Omit cream cheese icing.
Walnut Blondie Brownies – if you like a nutty flavor, add in 1 and 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts or pecans into the blondie batter before baking.
Maple Glazed Blondie Brownies – Omit the cream cheese icing and drizzle blondies with the maple glaze from my maple syrup muffin recipe.
faq’s
is that traditional brownies have melted chocolate or cocoa powder in the batter, whereas blondies have brown sugar as the main ingredient.
Melted white chocolate is added to the blondie batter like in these strawberry lemon blondies and these unicorn blondies.
Blondies, like brownies have a gooey texture but they should not be undercooked.
Yes, brownies can be store in an airtight container for up to two months.
For added protection, wrap the container in aluminum foil.
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PrintBrownie Blondies
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 to 16
Description
Sweet butterscotch flavour with a rich cream cheese frosting, these Brownie Blondies are easy to make and freeze well if you want to enjoy them later.
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
2 and 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
For icing:
250g cream cheese, softened at room temperature (half package)
1 tablespoon butter, softened at room temperature
1 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F .
- Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a parchment overhang so that you can easily remove the bars from the baking dish.
- In a large bowl, or bowl from a stand mixer at medium speed, beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla and mix until well combined.
- In a small bowl, combine all-purpose flour and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, in three additions, mixing on low speed of mixer just until combined, scraping down sides with a rubber spatula.
- Scrape the brownie batter into prepared pan and use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly.
- Bake in 325°F oven for 35 minutes. Test with cake tester. The middle will still be a little soft but not jiggly.
- Place on wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
- For icing: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with softened butter until smooth.
- Add brown sugar and powdered sugar, beating on low speed until the powdered sugar is mixed in. Turn up the mixer speed to medium and mix until smooth.
- Spread icing over blondies. Lift the blondies out of the baking dish, using the parchment paper overhang for leverage.
- Allow the icing to set for about 20 minutes before cutting.
- Place the blondies on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into squares.
Notes
- Storage instructions: Store brownies in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Freezing instructions: Place the brownies in an airtight container and freeze for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large brownie
- Calories: 404
- Sugar: 38.9 g
- Sodium: 113.8 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54.6 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 94.7 mg
Quick and easy to make, these are a family favourite! We sometimes have them without the icing and throw in a handful of pecans. Yummy!
Will this recipe work with GF flours? A friend is GF and I’d love another recipe to make when I make goodies for everyone else. Any recommendations on a brand or type of GF flour?
I haven’t tested it with GF flours, so I couldn’t say for sure if it would work.
Are these cakey? How would you describe the texture? I want a blondie that isn’t dense, cakey, nor chewy. Something that’s light and just melts in your mouth.
Hello, they are not cakey. They are dense and a little chewy. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 Sandra
Absolutely delectable. I am making these for the second time. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Thank you SO much for taking the time to comment! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed these blondies! 🙂 Sandra
Love this blondie recipe. Never knew how good they were until we tried this. Thanks!
Delish! Made these tonight for my daughter who cannot eat chocolate and these did not disappoint! Added some walnuts and a caramel drizzle to the top. Perfection