December has been a month of cookies, cakes, coughs and colds.
Now that I have stopped sneezing (too many kisses from Thanksgiving), I’m back to simplify your holiday baking with these easy one bowl blondies.
One bowl blondies are the perfect holiday cookie bar:
*Nine ingredient cookie dough baked in a pan.
*No rolling or cookie cutters needed.
*One bowl.
*Mix and bake in 45 minutes.
*36 delicious two-bite squares
Two bites of this rich, buttery blondie are all you need. Stack them on top of holiday M& Ms or other colorful candy and watch them disappear.
For more ideas, see my other two bite dessert recipes.
It’s fun to bake different types of blondies too.
Get creative with mix ins like m & ms, toffee bits, white or butterscotch chips.
Make a few double batches with your favorite mix-ins and wrap them up in cute containers or bags to give as holiday gifts.
For a fancier blondie, drizzle tops with melted white or milk chocolate like these chocolate crunch bars.
Other mix-in ideas :
1/2 – 1 cup chocolate chips or candy
1/2- 1 cup toasted, chopped nuts
1/2 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup nut butter (peanut, almond, sunflower)
1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, chopped apricots)
1/2 cup bourbon, whiskey  or rum + 1 extra tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon of expresso powder mixed in with the vanilla
1/2 teapoon mint or almond extract instead of vanilla
Blondies are versatile! Use regular or a gluten free flour blend.
Dairy free and/or vegan: : use a vegan “butter” like Earth Balance but don’t add extra salt. Replace egg with flax seeds and water.
A few baking tips:
Spray your brownie pan and line it with parchment for easy removal and clean up. Crumple the parchment sheet into a ball and then carefully smooth out the sheet again to fit the paper easily into the corners.
Preheat your oven and toast your oats or nuts while the oven warms up to 350 F. Measure your ingredients and place them in ziplock bags beside the bowl before you start mixing.
To add depth of flavor to this simple recipe, brown the (dairy) butter. This is optional but adds a caramel/Â toffee flavor to the blondies that I love.
As soon as butter turns brown, mix in sugar to stop the cooking process.
This post by The Kitchn shows you How to brown butter.
(Time crunched? Just microwave butter in a large microwave safe mixing bowl and then stir in sugar.)
Let butter/sugar mixture cool before combining it with egg and vanilla or other flavorings. Add in dry ingredients and stir gently to combine with as few strokes as possible.
This one bowl blondie recipe has enough variation and flavor to satisfy your most discriminating cookie lover!
Dig in to One Bowl Blondies and enjoy your holidays!
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One Bowl Blondies
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 36 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Use just one bowl to make these easy pan chocolate chip cookies. Can be gluten free and vegan. Makes 36 rich bite-size squares.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats or chopped nuts (120 gm) (gluten free okay)
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 4 ounces or 113 grams) butter, melted ( vegan okay)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (185 gm)
- *1 large egg or flax egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup (4 3/8 ounces or 130 grams) all-purpose or gluten free flour (176 gm)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate baking chips or mix in of choice (3 oz/100 gm)
- ****************************************************************************
- * Flax egg: 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds+ 3 tablespoons water. Mix and chill for 5 minutes.
- **Other mix in ideas:
- 1/2– 1 cup chocolate chips or candy
- 1/2– 1 cup toasted, chopped nuts
- 1/2 cup mashed bananas
- 1/2 cup nut butter (peanut, almond, sunflower)
- 1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, chopped apricots)
- 1/2 cup bourbon, whiskey or rum + 1 extra tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoon of expresso powder mixed in with the vanilla
- 1/2 teapoon mint or almond extract instead of vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and set top baking rack in middle of oven.
- Spray and line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment or foil.
- Measure all ingredients and set next to a large mixing bowl.
- Toast oats or nuts: While oven is warming up, place oats or nuts on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment until slightly brown, 10-15 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside.
- Melt butter: use a microwave safe bowl or brown the butter in a saucepan, stirring continuously over medium heat until it boils. Continue stirring on medium low until butter begins to turn brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Let cool a few minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine egg or flax egg and vanilla and stir until well combined.
- Add in butter/sugar mixture and blend.
- Add in flour, baking powder and salt and stir with as few strokes as possible until flour disappears.
- Add mix ins: oats/ nuts and chocolate chips or other substitutes. Blend until just combined.
- Spoon into baking dish and spread evenly across and into corners.
- Bake about 20 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Do not overbake. Let cool.
- For the prettiest blondies, freeze or refrigerate until very cold before cutting into 36 small squares.
Notes
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Broma Bakery and Inspiredtaste.net
Based upon 36 servings.
Each serving is about 1/2 oz or 16 grams.
Nutrition Information using all purpose flour, real dairy butter, toasted oats and semi-sweet regular chocolate chips.
Recipe analysis at Caloriecount.com
Dear Dig in With Dana,
Thank you for your wonderfully delicious recipes that always give options for special diets (e.g. GF, vegan).
Your fan,
Liz
Liz,
I am happy you like this and the other gluten free recipes! You are my go to best gluten free customer and I aim to please!
★★★★★