Blondies

A good blondie should have crisp golden edges, a chewy center, and plenty of buttery, caramel-like flavor from brown sugar. This blondie recipe checks all those boxes, with lots of chocolate chips and optional pecans for crunch. It’s been a longtime family favorite and, best of all, the batter comes together in one bowl.

Blondie Ingredients

• Melted Butter: Melted butter gives the blondies their rich flavor and dense, chewy texture.
• Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Brown sugar gives the blondies their caramel-like flavor and helps keep them chewy, while granulated sugar contributes sweetness and crisp edges.
• Egg & Vanilla Extract: The egg binds everything together, while vanilla adds warm, aromatic flavor.
• All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure for the blondies. For the most accurate measurement, use the spoon-and-level method: spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge—don’t scoop directly from the bag, which can pack in too much flour.
• Semisweet Chocolate Chips & Chopped Pecans: Semisweet chocolate chips add pockets of melted chocolate, while pecans add crunch and are entirely optional.
• Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

How to Make Blondies

Mix the butter and sugars: Beat the melted butter with both sugars until the mixture looks smooth—this is what helps create that shiny, crackly top later on.

Add the egg and vanilla: Beat until the batter looks smooth and cohesive.

Mix in the dry ingredients: Add the flour and salt on low speed, stopping as soon as you no longer see dry streaks. Overmixing can make the blondies tough rather than tender and chewy.

Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts: The batter will be quite thick at this point — that’s normal. If you’re skipping the nuts, a few extra chocolate chips in their place works well.

Spread into the pan and bake: Transfer the batter to a greased pan and spread evenly. Bake until the top looks set and lightly golden, with edges just starting to darken. The center may still look a little soft—that’s exactly what you want

Cool, then slice: Lift the blondies from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve warm or room temperature. The bars will keep nicely for a few days stored in an airtight container at room temperature; freeze for longer storage.

Pro Tips And blondie Variations

• Swap the mix-ins: Swap all or half the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips, change the nuts or leave them out, or even add some dried cranberries. Just keep the amount of mix-ins you add to 1¼ cups.
• Line your pan with parchment paper: It makes removing the blondies a breeze and ensures cleaner slices. Be sure to leave an overhang on two sides so you can lift the whole slab out of the pan once cooled.
• Don’t be tempted to add baking powder or baking soda. This recipe is designed to bake up dense and chewy with crisp edges. Adding a leavener will give the blondies a lighter, cakey texture.
• Want to double the recipe? This blondie recipe works great doubled and baked in a 9 x 13 pan. You may need to add a few minutes to the bake time.