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These extra thick and chewy, buttery gluten free blondies with white chocolate chips even have that crackly top everyone loves.
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What makes these gluten free blondies special
These gluten free blondies are the rich, chewy, buttery bar dessert with the subtle butterscotch or caramel flavor. I like them best with a mix of white chocolate chips and/or butterscotch chips to go with all that molasses-rich brown sugar.
To get that crackly top, like in the best gluten free brownies, you'll need to cook down the butter with the white sugar, and then add the brown sugar and melt everything together. Other than whisking together the few dry ingredients, you make the bars in one mixing bowl, so it's easy to throw together any time.
Blondies are also sometimes called blonde brownies. The main difference is that, in brownies, the main flavor is chocolate. In blondies, the flavor of brown sugar, which tastes faintly like butterscotch, is strongest.
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Recipe ingredients
- Gluten free flour blend and cornstarch – I like to add a bit of cornstarch to an all purpose gluten free flour blend like Better Batter, for a bit of a chewier, softer touch. Make sure your flour blend contains xanthan gum, or be sure to add 1/2 teaspoon to the dry ingredients
- Butter – Add flavor, and helps keep the blondies chewy in texture
- Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness and tenderness.
- Brown sugar – Adds sweetness, texture, and the molasses in brown sugar is what gives the bars their signature taste and color
- Eggs – Provide rise, and bind the other ingredients together into a chewy texture
- Vanilla extract – Adds depth of flavor and richness
- Baking soda – Helps the bars brown in the oven and neutralizes the acidity in the brown sugar
- Salt – Enhances the other flavors and balances the sweetness
- Baking chips – I find that a mix of white chocolate and butterscotch chips is perfect, but be careful with milk or dark chocolate as they might overpower the overall taste. Select your chips carefully, too, because some white and butterscotch chips contain gluten!
How to make gluten free blondies
Similar to gluten free chocolate chip cookies, these blondies have two types of sugar: granulated sugar and light brown sugar for the perfect balance of sweetness, texture and flavor. Here's how to make them.
Whisk dry ingredients; melt butter and sugars
- Whisk together the dry ingredients (gluten free flour blend, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt) in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- In a saucepan, place the granulated sugar with the butter over medium-low heat until melted and simmering lightly.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the brown sugar, and stir until everything is melted.
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Finish making the raw batter
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until foamy with a mixer or by hand with a whisk.
- Add the melted butter and sugar mixture, and beat until well-combined.
- Add the whisked dry ingredients, and mix with a spoon or spatula to combine. The batter will be very sticky and thickly pourable.
- Add most of the chocolate chips (here, I used all white chips) to the batter, reserving a few to place on top.
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Bake the blondies at 325°F
- Scrape the batter into a prepared square baking pan. Nonstick aluminum foil makes it easy to spread the sticky batter in the pan.
- Scatter the remaining chips evenly on top of the batter.
- Bang the pan on the counter a few times to break big air bubbles and help the chips on top sink a bit into the batter.
- Bake at 325°F for up to 50 minutes for an 8-inch square pan. A toothpick should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
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Recipe tips
Line the pan for easier cutting and cleanup
I like to line the baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil, if you have it. If not, I suggest that you use parchment paper. Lining the pan ensures more even baking and easier cleanup.
When you pour the blondie batter into the lined baking pan, the nonstick foil or parchment will keep it from sticking to the walls of the pan. Instead, it will stick to the paper, which you peel off easily later.
Once the blondies have had time to cool, just lift the sides of the paper, and your blondies will come right out. Peel away the foil or paper and slice.
Melt the butter and sugars the right way
Place the chopped butter and white sugar over medium-low heat until very lightly simmering. Both should be melted and smooth. Melt the brown sugar off the heat by adding it to the hot butter and white sugar so that the brown sugar doesn't burn. Then, let the mixture cool until it's not hot to the touch before you add it to the beaten eggs, so you don't cook the eggs.
Don't cut those blondies until they're cool
These buttery treats still need time to firm up before you cut them. If you try to handle them right out of the oven, they're unstable so they'll crumble and fall apart.
At the very least, let them sit in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes. I recommend that you allow them more time to cool after removing from the pan, and if you want clean slices, refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes, too.
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Storage instructions
These will stay fresh for about 2 days at room temperature in a sealed container. If you wrap each of them tightly in plastic wrap, you can refrigerate them for up to a week.
For longer storage, freeze the cut and cooled brownies in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. To defrost, let sit at room temperature or microwave one blondie for 15 to 20 seconds.
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Ingredient substitutions
Dairy free
For the butter, try vegan butter like Miyoko's Creamy or Melt brand. If you can't find dairy free white chocolate chips, try replacing them with dairy free chips of another kind or with chopped walnuts or pecans.
Egg free
You can try replacing all of the eggs with your favorite egg replacer, but I'm not sure if it will work since there are 3 eggs in this recipe and they provide a lot of rise and binding. If you try 3 “flax eggs,” you will probably taste it in the bars. “Chia eggs” may work, but you'll have to experiment.
Mix-in variations
If you're not a fan of white chocolate or butterscotch chips, just make up the difference with the one you do like.
If you like nuts, replace half of the baking chips with a tender variety like pecans or walnuts. Just be sure that whatever mix-ins you add, they will complement the buttery, brown sugar flavor of blondies.
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FAQs
Typically, blondies are not gluten free because they're made with wheat flour. However, you can enjoy that same great flavor without risk of gluten contamination when you follow my gluten free blondie recipe.
No! Blondies have their own distinct flavor that has a lot of notes of butterscotch because of an abundance of brown sugar.
White chocolate chips, like butterscotch chips, sometimes contain gluten. Hershey's brand, at least in the U.S., is usually gluten free. Just be sure to read labels and check websites to make sure.
In fact, if you want white chocolate with real cacao butter, you often have to make your own. If you're feeling adventuresome, you can try our recipe for homemade vegan white chocolate.
Did you use baking powder instead of baking soda in the recipe? The baking soda in these blondies is to help them brown in the oven and to neutralize some of the acidity in the brown sugar. Baking powder would definitely add lift that we don't want here.
You can store them at room temperature, covered, for 2 days, wrapped tightly in the refrigerator for up to a week, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If your blondies are gooey in the middle, they are underbaked. Try returning them to the oven to finish baking until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached. If it's wet, they're not done baking. Remember that they'll take longer to bake in an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan, since they're thicker.
This recipe makes 8 to 9 cups of batter, and a 9-inch x 13-inch pan holds 13 to 14 cups of batter. Try increasing the yield from 9 bars to 14 bars for about 13 cups of batter, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean. It should take at least an hour.
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Gluten Free Blondies Recipe
Ingredients
For the blondies
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose gluten free flour blend I used Better Batter; please click thru for full info on appropriate blends
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter chopped
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 ounces white chocolate chips or a combination of gluten free butterscotch and white chocolate chips (See Recipe Notes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease and line an 8-inch x 8-inch (for thicker bars) or 9-inch x 9-inch (for thinner bars) baking pan, and set it aside.
Make the blondies.
- In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda, and whisk to combine well. Set the mixture aside.
- In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the butter and granulated sugar. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a very light simmer, whisking frequently. The butter and sugar should be melted and smooth.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and add the brown sugar. Whisk to combine and to melt the brown sugar until smooth. Set the saucepan aside to cool briefly.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the eggs and vanilla and beat with a handheld mixer or whisk with a large balloon whisk until foamy.
- While whisking or beating constantly, add the butter and sugars mixture. Continue whisking or beating until very smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients, and mix by hand until well-combined. The batter will be very sticky, and very soft and pourable.
- Add most of the chips (about 5 of the 6 ounces), and mix until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and shake and spread it into an even layer. Bang the pan flat on the countertop to break any large air bubbles in the batter.
- Sprinkle the remaining chips evenly on top of the batter. Bang the pan again a few times to help the chips adhere.
- Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean, with just a few moist crumbs attached (about 40 minutes for the 9-inch x 9-inch pan, and about 50 minutes for the 8-inch x 8-inch pan).
- Remove the pan from the oven, place the pan on a wire rack and allow the bars to cool in the pan until stable enough to move without cracking (at least 20 minutes).
- Remove the bars from the pan, place on the wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- For cleaner slices, place the cooled pan of brownies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Slice into 9 equal squares.
