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**Blondies** are the buttery, brown-sugar cousin of the brownie, with chewy edges, a soft middle, and pockets of melty chocolate chunks in every bite. I whipped up a pan on a rainy weeknight when Maddie begged for a chewy chocolate fix that was not chocolate cake, and this one-bowl recipe was on the table in under an hour. If you love an easy bar dessert, these are right up there with our two-bite brownies.
No mixer and no chilling required, these chocolate chunk blondies come together in one bowl and bake up golden, gooey, and impossible to resist.
Blondies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 15 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 318kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery, brown-sugar sweet, and loaded with melty chocolate
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, beginner-friendly like our white chocolate brownies
Quick Answer
Blondies are a chewy bar dessert made with brown sugar and butter instead of the cocoa or melted chocolate you find in brownies. That brown sugar gives them a rich, caramel-vanilla flavor and a soft, dense texture. This easy version stirs together in one bowl and bakes with chocolate chunks folded throughout for gooey pockets of melted chocolate in every square.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Brown sugar does the work. Using all brown sugar instead of white gives blondies their signature caramel notes and keeps them moist and chewy.
- Melted butter, no mixer. Melting the butter means you can stir everything by hand in one bowl, and it gives the bars a denser, fudgier crumb.
- Do not overbake. Pulling the pan when the center is just set keeps the middle soft, since the bars continue cooking as they cool.
- Chocolate chunks over chips. Chunks melt into larger gooey pools and hold their shape better than chips, so every bite has real chocolate flavor.
- Parchment sling. Lining the pan with parchment lets you lift the whole slab out for clean, easy cutting once cooled.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One bowl and a whisk are all you need, with no mixer to drag out or clean.
- They are ready in about 40 minutes from start to finish.
- They travel beautifully for potlucks and bake sales, just like our frosted banana bars.
Key Ingredients
Just a handful of pantry staples turn into the chewiest blondies. Here is what each one brings.
- Brown Sugar: The star of the show. It delivers the caramel flavor and chewy texture that sets blondies apart from a plain butter cookie.
- Butter: Melted for a dense, fudgy crumb and rich flavor. Unsalted lets you control the salt.
- Chocolate Chunks: They melt into gooey pools throughout the bars. Use a good-quality bag for the best melt.
- Eggs: Bind everything together and add structure so the bars slice cleanly.
- Flour: Just enough to hold the bars together without making them cakey. Measure it by spooning and leveling.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These blondies are a blank canvas. Try one of these easy twists.
- Swap the chocolate chunks for white chocolate, butterscotch chips, or chopped peanut butter cups.
- Add a half cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
- Stir in a teaspoon of espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top before baking for a sweet-salty finish.
- For a fruitier bar, try our chocolate brownies with strawberry frosting.
How to Make Blondies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined with no dry patches, then fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is shiny and set. Cool completely, then lift out and cut into bars.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Spoon and level your flour. Scooping packs in too much and makes the blondies dry and cakey instead of chewy.
- Cool the melted butter slightly. Adding hot butter to the eggs can scramble them, so let it sit a few minutes first.
- Underbake just a touch. The center should look set but soft, since the bars firm up as they cool.
- Let them cool fully before cutting. Warm blondies tear, while cooled bars slice into clean squares.
- Use a parchment sling. It makes lifting and cutting effortless and keeps the pan clean.
- Warm leftovers for 10 seconds. A quick zap in the microwave brings back that fresh-baked gooey center.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These blondies are a dessert-table staple right next to a plate of two-bite brownies and a batch of golden Oreo strawberry cheesecake bars.
Serve them slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel for an easy plated dessert, or stack them on a platter for parties and bake sales.
They pair perfectly with a cold glass of milk or a cup of coffee, and they round out any spread alongside our key lime eclair cake.
Blondies FAQs
Brownies get their flavor and color from cocoa powder or melted chocolate, while blondies skip the cocoa and rely on brown sugar and butter for a caramel, vanilla-forward taste. Both are chewy bar desserts, but blondies are golden instead of chocolate brown.
Pull them when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the top looks shiny and set. The edges should be lightly golden. They continue to firm up as they cool, so it is better to slightly underbake than overbake.
Store cooled blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Layer parchment between them so they do not stick. They also freeze well for up to 3 months, so wrap individual bars and thaw as needed.
Yes. Blondies actually taste even chewier the day after baking. Make them up to 2 days ahead and store them airtight at room temperature, or freeze the whole slab and cut once thawed.
Cakey blondies usually mean too much flour or too much leavening. Spoon and level your flour rather than scooping, and measure the baking powder carefully. Melted butter and all brown sugar also help guarantee that dense, chewy texture.
Absolutely. Double all the ingredients and bake in two 9×13 pans, or use a large rimmed sheet pan and add a few minutes to the bake time. Watch for the same shiny, set top to know when they are done.
Hungry for more? Try our white chocolate brownies next for another easy, chewy bar dessert.
Love an easy cookie? Our potato chip cookies need just six ingredients.
Easy Chocolate Chunk Blondies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 11.5 ounce bag chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.
- Melt the butter, set it aside to cool slightly as you continue with the next steps.½ cup unsalted butter
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.1 ½ cups light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined with no dry patches. Add the chocolate chunks and stir them in.11.5 ounce bag chocolate chunks
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top will appear shiny and set.
- Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Using the parchment paper to help, lift out the blondies and cut them into bars, and serve.
Notes
- Swap out chocolate chips for the chocolate chunks.
- You can use your favorite chocolate flavor for these.
- Add in some other additions like chopped nuts, candy pieces, etc.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- Easily halve this recipe.
Nutrition
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