Sometimes, you want a simple dessert that you can make with ingredients you have on hand. Other times, you’re looking for a baking project that lets you exercise a little creativity. This easy five-ingredient blondie recipe is the solution in both cases.
The base recipe is quick and delicious. It comes together in about 10 minutes, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Once they’re done, the blondies have a surprisingly deep and caramelized flavor. If you stop here, you’ll be more than happy.
If, however, you’re feeling creative, this recipe is also infinitely adaptable. If you’re a chocolate fiend, add some chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar before baking. If you’re feeling fruit, you could fold in frozen berries, or even swirl in some jam once the batter is in the pan. Three Blue Apron team members took it for a test drive, and each came back with a twist that worked for their kitchen.
Chef Alex stuck to the base at first, but after the blondies came out of the oven, he decided to dress them up. One cooled, his bars got a generous drizzle of melted chocolate and cookie butter.
Madeline sprinkled crushed walnuts over half of the pan before baking, much to Chef Alex’s dismay. When it came time to serve, she chopped her pan into 32 tiny bars, instead of 12 larger ones.
Laura took a look at her co-worker’s result, and decided to halve the recipe. She split the ingredients down the middle, and swapped in an 8X8 pan. The smaller pan created a slightly thicker bar, so she also increased the baking time by 5 minutes to make sure that they cooked through. For a summery twist, she folded in frozen blueberries.
All three bakers gave rave reviews.
Five-Ingredient Blondie Recipe
Adapted from Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers
Makes 12 bars
- 1 ½ sticks (170g) salted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
- 1 ½ cups (188g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups (350g) packed brown sugar
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch pan by buttering the bottom of the dish and lining with parchment paper. Leave a ½ inch overhang on the long sides of the pan, you’ll use this as a handle later.
2. Combine dry the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Combine the eggs, brown sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat vigorously, until the mixture is thick and light in color. Slowly pour in the melted butter and mix until well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients in two portions, stirring gently after each addition. If you’re using any add-ins, fold them in here.
5. Locate your prepared pan. Using a spatula, spread the batter all the way to the edges in an even layer. Place in the oven on a middle rack, bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
6. Remove the blondies from the oven, and leave them to cool. Once the pan is completely cool, use the parchment paper handles to life the blondies out of the pan. Cut into 12 bars. Keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.
