Classic White Chocolate Chip Blondies

Name: Classic White Chocolate Chip Blondies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¾ cup (12 tbsp) (170 g) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons; 1 cup, firmly packed (215 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed, any lumps broken up; 2 large (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; ½ tsp (2 g) baking powder; ¾ tsp (4 g) fine salt; 1 cup (170 g) white chocolate chips, divided: ¾ cup (130 g) for the batter, ¼ cup (40 g) for the top; ½ cup (65 g) roasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Chewy, buttery blondies with crackly tops, deep brown sugar flavor and pockets of creamy white chocolate. They come together in one bowl with no mixer.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 1 hr 35 min
Total: 2 hr 25 min
Makes: 16 bars (one 9×9-inch pan)

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Steps

Before you start

Set the eggs out 30 minutes ahead so they come to room temperature. Cold eggs can firm up the warm butter and make the batter lumpy.
Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it, or weigh it. Packed flour makes dry, cakey blondies.
Plan on 90 minutes of cooling before cutting. Warm blondies are gooey and will smear.
Check that your oven runs true with an oven thermometer if you can, because blondies go from fudgy to dry quickly.

1
Preheat and line panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Cut two strips of parchment paper, each 9 inches (23 cm) wide.
- Lay them in the 9×9-inch (23×23 cm) pan, crossing in opposite directions, so the bottom and all four sides are covered with a little overhang to use as handles.
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Ready when: Pan is fully lined and the oven has reached temperature.
Tip: Press the parchment into the corners so the batter doesn't slip under it.
2
Melt the butter
- Put the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes until completely melted and just beginning to foam.
- Don't let it brown.
- Pour into a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Butter is fully liquid and warm, not hot or sizzling.
Tip: If the bowl feels hot to your hand, wait a few more minutes.
3
Whisk in sugar
- Add the brown sugar and salt to the melted butter.
- Whisk for about 1 minute until the mixture looks smooth, thick and glossy, like wet sand.
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Ready when: No dry sugar clumps remain and the mixture looks glossy.
4
Add eggs and vanilla
- Add the eggs and vanilla.
- Whisk vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until the batter is thick, smooth, and lightened in color to a pale caramel.
- This beating helps create the shiny, crackly top.
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Ready when: Batter is uniform, thick, and falls from the whisk in a ribbon.
Tip: Add the eggs one at a time if the butter is still warm.
5
Fold in dry ingredients
- Sprinkle the flour and baking powder over the batter.
- Switch to a silicone spatula and fold gently, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until just a few streaks of flour remain, about 20 strokes.
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Ready when: Only a few faint flour streaks remain; the batter is thick and sticky.
Tip: Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing makes blondies tough and bready.
6
Add chips and fill pan
- Fold in ¾ cup (130 g) of the white chocolate chips and the macadamias, if using, until evenly distributed.
- Scrape the thick batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with a damp spatula, pushing it into the corners.
- Scatter the remaining ¼ cup (40 g) chips over the top.
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Ready when: Batter is level and the top chips are evenly scattered.
Tip: Dampening the spatula keeps the sticky batter from dragging.
7
Bake the blondiesOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- The blondies are done when the edges are golden brown and pulling slightly from the pan, the top is shiny with light cracks, and a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
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Ready when: Golden edges, set top, toothpick with a few moist crumbs; center reads about 200°F (93°C).
Tip: The center will look slightly underdone but sets as it cools. Overbaking is the main cause of dry blondies.
8
Cool completely
- Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for at least 90 minutes, until the pan bottom feels barely warm and the center is firm.
- For cleaner cuts, chill the cooled pan in the fridge for 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Center feels set, not wobbly, and the pan is near room temperature.
Tip: Resist cutting early. Warm blondies fall apart.
9
Slice and serve
- Lift the blondies out using the parchment handles and place on a cutting board.
- Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 bars with a large sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts.
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Ready when: Bars have clean edges and hold their shape.
Tip: Warm the knife under hot water and dry it for the neatest edges.

Good to know

Tips

Use a light-colored metal pan. Dark pans and glass can over-brown the edges before the center sets.
Weigh ingredients when possible, especially flour, for consistent texture.
Pull the blondies when the center still looks a bit soft; they continue to set as they cool.
Add a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top right after baking to balance the sweetness.

Make ahead

"Bake up to 2 days ahead and store uncut and well wrapped at room temperature; cut just before serving. The batter can also be spread in the pan, covered, and refrigerated up to 24 hours. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 3 to 5 minutes."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: airtight container up to 4 days. Fridge: up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before serving. Freezer: wrap individual bars tightly and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight on the counter, or warm a bar for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave for a gooey center."

Substitutions

white chocolate chips → semisweet or milk chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips. Use the same weight; semisweet gives a less sweet, more classic flavor.
light brown sugar → dark brown sugar. Gives a deeper molasses flavor and slightly moister bars.
roasted macadamia nuts → chopped pecans or walnuts. Toast them for 8 minutes at 350°F (175°C) first for better flavor.
unsalted butter → browned butter, cooled. Brown 170 g butter, then cool; the nutty flavor is excellent, but add 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk to replace evaporated water.