Gluten Free Blondies

These Gluten Free Blondies are rich, buttery, and simple to make. Blondies, also known as blond brownies, are baked bars that replace the cocoa powder in a brownie with brown sugar to turn them into a warm, rich butterscotch-flavored treat. The fudgy texture in blondies comes from the melted butter. They are simple to make - no mixer required and ready to eat within one hour. Adding Chocolate Chips is optional but highly recommended.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: This is gluten free blondie recipe is very forgiving. I use my own gluten free flour blend in this, but it works great with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1. Those blends do contain xanthan gum.

Egg Yolk: The added egg yolk gives this bar cookie recipe its chewiness. So, make sure not to skip it.

Dark Brown Sugar: Using dark brown sugar in blondies adds a deeper, more molasses-like flavor. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses compared to light brown sugar, which contributes to its darker color and more robust flavor with hints of molasses. Light brown sugar can be used as well.

Chocolate Chips: I use a mix of Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and regular dark chocolate chips. Feel free to use any combination you enjoy. Butterscotch Chips, peanut butter chips or caramelized white chocolate is delicious in blondies. You can also leave them out completely.

Vanilla: Don't skip using high-quality Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Paste in this gluten free blondie recipe. Vanilla paste is a blend of concentrated vanilla extract and vanilla bean powder with the consistency of liquid glue. It is more intense than vanilla extract plus you will actually have vanilla bean specs in your final product. Please be aware some brands like to add sugar or corn syrup to stretch out the vanilla paste (make it less flavorful and also cheaper).

Finishing Salt: I highly recommend sprinkling the baked blondies with some flaky sea salt. I use Maldon Flaky Sea Salt.

How to make Gluten Free Blondies

This recipe for gluten free blondies can be made by hand with a whisk but you may also use a hand mixer or your stand mixer. This recipe is for an 8x8 baking pan but can easily be doubled.

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set it aside. Make sure to leave some overhang so you can easily remove your blondies from the pan.
2. In a small bowl combine the gluten free flour, baking powder, and kosher salt and whisk to combine.
3. In a sauce pot, over medium heat, slowly melt the butter. If you like you can brown the butter which will give the blondies a rich and nutty note. Allow the butter to cool in the sauce pan.

4. Add the dark brown sugar, room temperature egg and egg yolk and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk together until light in color and thicken.
5. Remove the melted, and slightly cooled butter, from the stove and carefully add it to the mixed egg-sugar mixture. I like to do this little by little since it can get tricky to add the melted butter and keep whisking at the same time. The warm butter will melt the sugar and is the key to the shiny crinkle top (similar to making my gluten free brownies). Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
6. Once your wet ingredients are fully combined, fold in the dry ingredients. This is easier with a flexible spatula than a whisk. When there are just a few streaks of flour visible, add the chocolate chips (or any other add-ins you may choose). Fold in the chocolate until combined. Make sure not to overmix the blondie batter.

7. Transfer the gluten free blondie batter to the prepared baking dish. Smooth out the top with a back of a spoon or small offset knife. Top with additional chocolate chips if you like.
8. Bake the blondies at 350F for 20-22 minutes. Bake until the blondies are golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs. If you prefer a cakier blondie, bake them for at least 22 minutes. If you prefer a fudgier center make sure to underbake the blondies slightly.
9. Remove the blondies from your oven, sprinkle with some flaky sea salt (if using) and allow for them to cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes before serving.

Serving Ideas

While these gluten free blondies are delicious on their own, they make a fabulous base for a Sundae. Slightly warm a slice of blondie (10 seconds in a microwave can do wonders), top with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and top with some homemade fudge sauce or salted caramel sauce.

Storage & Freezing

I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. Just like most gluten free baked goods, these are the best day and the day after.

Blondies do freeze very well. Bake, cool, and cut your blond brownies and freeze the individual pieces on a sheet tray. Once frozen transfer them to an airtight container or Ziplock bag and freeze up to 3 months. If you like wrap each blondie in plastic wrap before transferring to a freezer container to minimalize freezer burn. Thaw them at room temperature when ready to eat.

Variations of Blondies

This recipe for gluten free blondies is a great base recipe. You can add any add-ins you may like. For an 8x8 pan, please use only around 90-100 grams of add-ins. For a 9x13 pan, I recommend around 180-200 grams of add-ins.

• Nutty Blondies: Add chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts for a crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
• Butterscotch Blondies: Use butterscotch chips or butterscotch-flavored baking pieces to enhance the caramel flavor.
• Fruit Blondies: Add dried fruits like raisins or cranberries or even shredded coconut for a fruity twist. Dried cranberries and white chocolate chips makes for a delicious combination of flavors.
• Spiced Blondies: Add warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or a dash of cardamom for a spiced blondie variation.
• Espresso Blondies: Incorporate instant espresso or coffee powder for a subtle coffee flavor. I recommend adding around 1-2 teaspoons depending how espresso forward you would like the blondies to be.

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.