Can't decide if you want brownies or blondies? No problem!
Brownie blondies are the best of both worlds combined into one! Made with pantry ingredients and no special equipment, you'll be enjoying this sweet treat in no time at all.
Jump to:
Brownie blondies are an extra special treat. The caramel and butterscotch notes brought out by the addition of brown sugar in a blondie work deliciously well with the rich decadent chocolate of a crackly top brownie.
And Lord knows I love brownies, whether it's my fudgy Nutella brownies with salted caramel sauce or I'm too impatient to bake at all and just eat a big bowl of edible brownie batter. Brownies are good in all forms, whether they're vanilla or chocolate, warm or cold, enjoyed with a tall glass of ice cold milk, or a la mode with a scoop of ice cream on top.
Or, wait, you could even top these brownies with salted caramel sauce too! OMG!
My brownie blondie recipe is also super quick and easy! It's made with eight simple pantry ingredients, along with some bowls, a whisk, a spoon, and a baking pan, to get the most gooey, fudgy, rich delight you've ever tasted.
π€ What's the difference between blondies and brownies?
While blondies and brownies are both considered a dessert bar, the most obvious difference between blondies and brownies is that brownies have chocolate, sometimes in the form of cocoa powder and other times melted chocolate is used.
Blondie recipes also typically have more flour, so they're often a bit cakier than rich, fudgy brownies.
Although blondies are essentially blonde brownies, they're also made with a whisking together of butter and brown sugar, which lends hints of caramel or butterscotch to the flavor (although I added a little brown sugar to my brownies too, for extra sweetness).
π Which came first?
According to Wikipedia, the blondie! Blondies apparently pre-date the brownie by at least 10 years, as the chocolate brownie wasn't created until 1905.
I'm glad I didn't live in the 1800's, a world with no brownies or blondies. Sad, just sad.
π§Ύ Ingredients
The ingredients used in brownies and blondies are identical, with the only difference being the amounts of each, and the addition of cocoa for the brownies.
Brownie ingredients
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Salt
Blondie ingredients
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Salt
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
π Ingredient notes
- Butter - Use salted butter that has been melted
- Granulated sugar - Regular white sugar is a staple in baking and in this recipe, as it will provide both sweetness and structure to your brownies and blondies
- Brown sugar - I used light brown sugar in this recipe, as it's just lightly sweetened with molasses, to give that caramel or butterscotch flavor to the blondies and a little extra sweetness to the brownies. You can substitute dark brown sugar if you prefer an even sweeter flavor. Make sure the brown sugar is packed in the cup when measuring.
- Eggs - Large eggs are used in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract - No baking recipe is complete without vanilla extract. It adds wonderful flavor to nearly any baked good.
- Flour - All purpose flour is used in this recipe. No need to get fancy here. I haven't personally tried any other flours, but if you do, please leave a comment and let me know how it worked out for you!
- Cocoa - I use Hershey's 100% natural unsweetened cocoa in my recipes.
- Salt - Salt helps to balance the sweetness of many baked goods, including enhancing the flavor of chocolate.
π Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Large mixing spoon
- 9 x 9 brownie pan
- Parchment paper (optional, but makes it really easy to lift the brownie blondies out of the pan with no sticking!)
π₯£ How to make brownie blondies
Preheat oven to 350β.
Brownie batter
Whisk together melted butter and both sugars in a bowl. Then, add the egg and vanilla, and whisk again until smooth.
Stir together the flour, cocoa, and salt, then add to the wet ingredients and stir just until you don't see the flour anymore (don't overmix!).
Blondie batter
Using another bowl, whisk together melted butter and both sugars. Then, add the egg and vanilla, and whisk again until smooth.
Stir together the flour and salt, then add to the wet ingredients and stir just until you don't see the flour anymore (don't overmix!).
π₯ Assembling batter in the baking pan
The batter for both the brownies and blondies will be quite thick and this is normal.
Either grease your brownie pan or line it with parchment paper.
Place about one-fourth of the brownie batter in one corner of the brownie pan and then another one-fourth in the opposite corner. Then, place half of the blondie batter in the other two corners (one-quarter of the batter in each corner). Spread each dollop of batter out to cover the bottom of the pan. See the photo below.
For the second layer, place dollops of brownie batter over top of the blondie batter, and vice versa, and spread it out, so there are alternating layers of brownie batter and blondie batter.
β Tip: Completely optional - Using a butter knife, make swirls throughout the batter, to give it a pretty appearance when baked.
β²οΈ Baking
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
Let cool completely in the pan before slicing.
π¬ Mix in ideas
Both blondies and brownies are wonderful for adding lots of fun mix-ins:
- Chocolate chips - Add chocolate, butterscotch, toffee, or white chocolate chips to your batter
- Nuts - Stir in some walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds
- Candy - M&Ms would sure be fun for the kids!
- Toppings - Dust the top with powdered sugar, drizzle with my salted caramel sauce, or serve a la mode with a big scoop of ice cream
β FAQ
My brownie blondies are good for several days when kept on the counter in an airtight container.
Yes you can, but be aware that the texture may change slightly.
Once the brownie blondies have completely cooled, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let thaw at room temperature for several hours.
Do you love sweet treats as much as I do? Check out a few more of my recipes now!
- Fudgy Nutella Brownies With Salted Caramel Sauce
- Edible Brownie Batter
- Easy Fudge Recipe
- Coffee Bean Cookies
- Nutella Babka
- Tiramisu Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Orange Cake
- 3-Ingredient Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
- Chocolate Castella Cake
- Butterscotch Milkshake
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Mint Chocolate Cheesecake
Did you make these Brownie Blondies? Let us know in the comments below!
π Recipe
Brownie Blondies
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Large mixing spoon
- 9 x 9 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper (optional, but makes it really easy to lift the brownie blondies out of the pan with no sticking!)
Ingredients
Brownies
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ΒΎ cup granulated sugar
- β cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Β½ cup all purpose flour
- β cup cocoa powder
- ΒΌ teaspoon salt
Blondies
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- β cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350β.
Brownie Batter
- Whisk together melted butter and both sugars in a bowl.
- Then, add the egg and vanilla, and whisk again until smooth.
- Stir together the flour, cocoa, and salt.
- Add flour/cocoa/salt mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until you don't see the flour anymore (don't overmix!).
Blondie Batter
- Using another bowl, whisk together melted butter and both sugars.
- Then, add the egg and vanilla, and whisk again until smooth.
- Stir together the flour and salt.
- Add the flour/salt mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until you don't see the flour anymore (don't overmix!).
Assembling Batter In The Baking Pan
- Either grease your brownie pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Place about one-fourth of the brownie batter in one corner of the brownie pan and then another one-fourth in the opposite corner. Then, place half of the blondie batter in the other two corners (one-quarter of the batter in each corner). Spread each dollop of batter out to cover the bottom of the pan.
- For the second layer, place dollops of brownie batter over top of the blondie batter, and vice versa, and spread it out, so there are alternating layers of brownie batter and blondie batter.
- Completely optional - Using a butter knife, make swirls throughout the batter, to give it a pretty appearance when baked.
Baking
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
- Let cool completely in the pan before slicing.
- Enjoy!
Notes
-
Mix in ideas
Both blondies and brownies are wonderful for adding lots of fun mix-ins:
- Chocolate chipsΒ - Add chocolate, butterscotch, toffee, or white chocolate chips to your batter
- Nuts -Β Stir in some walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds
- Candy -Β M&Ms would sure be fun for the kids!
- Toppings -Β Dust the top with powdered sugar, drizzle with myΒ salted caramel sauce, or serve a la mode with a big scoop of ice cream
- How long are brownies good for? My brownie blondies are good for several days when kept on the counter in an airtight container.
- Can you freeze brownies? Yes you can, but be aware that the texture may change slightly. Once the brownie blondies have completely cooled, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let thaw at room temperature for several hours.
- Suggestion: If you enjoy this, then you're gonna love our fudgy nutella brownies with salted caramel sauce!
Amelia
This blew my mind! I just made these tonight and they were amazing!
maplewoodroad
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! π