One-Bowl Blondies

Who are you calling vanilla?

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 27 mins

Total: 42 mins

Servings: 12 to 16 servings

Yield: 1 8-inch pan blondies

Although you might imagine that a blondie is nothing more than a chocolate chip cookie in bar form, you’d be very, very wrong. Blondies are fudgy, full of butterscotch flavor, often call for nuts, and are less about pockets of melted chips than their cookie brethren, and more about how vanilla, brown sugar, and butter play so nicely together in such a sturdy little square package.

What’s the Difference Between a Blondie and a Brownie

Blondies are also very different than brownies, despite sharing the characteristic “fudgy.” Obviously they are far less chocolaty, but they also really lean into vanilla in a way a brownie can only dream about (too much competition from the aforementioned chocolate).

They are also easier to assemble than brownies. Yes, brownies are easy, I know, but blondies? Even more so. And believe it or not, some of us even prefer blondies to brownies (shhh, don’t tell).

How To Make These Classic Blondies

The blondies here, for instance, may just become your new go-to bar cookie, as they have become mine. Assembly is a breeze: melted butter, sugar, and (a generous glug of) vanilla are combined with an egg and a sprinkle of baking powder and kosher salt. Flour is folded in along with some deeply toasted pecans and chips.

Ways To Customize Your Blondies

The nuts and chips are 100% optional, but I urge you to give both a try—pecans are so wonderful with vanilla and brown sugar (particularly when toasted long enough to darken, as they really take on an otherworldly flavor), and the chips here are not in your face screaming “CHOCOLATE!!” They're the perfect supporting player, popping up delightfully when you least expect them.

Blondies are full of complex, vanilla-inflected flavor—often described as “butterscotch”—and are truly a joy to make and share. Slightly underbaking increases a blondie’s fudginess and is worth experimenting with, if you know what’s good for you.

Tips for Making Blondies

Avoid overbaking—Blondies overbake easily. Pull them from the oven when a cake tester is covered in a few moist crumbs. The blondies will continue to bake a bit once pulled from the oven.
Mix just enough—Don’t overmix the dough or you will get a tough blondie. Stop mixing when you still see streaks of flour in the dough.
Whisk in the leavener—Make sure you thoroughly whisk the baking powder and salt into the wet ingredients. If you don’t you may have pockets of each in the finished blondies.
Make ahead—Blondies can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and leave on the counter.

“The classic reverse of the brownie kitchen staple provides a lovely flavor of vanilla and brown sugar. Just be gentle with folding in your flour and extras, and your batter will be perfect.” —Noah Velush-Rogers

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, more for the pan
2/3 cup packed (133 grams) light brown sugar
1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pecans, deeply toasted and coarsely chopped, optional
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, optional

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F.
Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan with butter. Line it with a long sheet of parchment paper that extends up and over the two opposite sides of the pan.
Whisk 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, 2/3 cup packed (133 grams) light brown sugar, 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla in a large bowl for 30 seconds.
Whisk in 1 large egg.
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt over the bowl, one at a time, vigorously whisking after each.
Gently fold in 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour, until just a few streaks remain, and then 1/2 cup toasted, coarsely chopped pecans, if using, and 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, if using. Do not over-mix.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. It will be very thick.
Bake until the top is lightly browned and crackly, the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with wet crumbs, 24 to 27 minutes. Let cool on a rack to room temperature.
Lift the blondies out of the pan by the parchment paper overhang, slice, and serve.

How To Store or Freeze Blondies

Blondies will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days and can be placed in a zippered plastic bag and frozen for up to a month.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

Change up the chocolate—Consider using a combination of different kinds of chocolate, as opposed to just semisweet (if using at all). White chocolate makes a very nice blondie.
Use any kind of nut—If you want to add nuts, but don’t like pecans, try adding walnuts or even cashews or macadamia nuts instead.
Brown the butter—Try browning the butter for a toastier, more caramelized blondie flavor.
Maximum fudgy—Consider pulling the blondies from the oven a few minutes earlier for an even fudgier blondie experience.
More vanilla flavor—Increase the vanilla to 1 tablespoon.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories	134
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g	8%
Saturated Fat 4g	18%
Cholesterol 27mg	9%
Sodium 89mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 19g	7%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 20mg	2%
Iron 1mg	3%
Potassium 27mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.