The Best Blondie Recipe Ever (Refined Sugar Free) (2024)

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This is the single best blondie recipe you will ever make in your entire life. These chewy, fudgy bars are lightly flavoured with vanilla and studded with pools of rich dark chocolate. They come together in 35 minutes from 7 pantry-staple ingredients and only require one bowl, making them perfect for a weeknight baking project. Read on to discover all my tips on how to make the best blondies without using any refined sugar!

Table of Contents

• The best blondie recipe you will ever make
• What’s the difference between a brownie and a blondie?
• Ingredients in this chocolate chunk blondie recipe
• How to make a blondie
• The perfect blondie texture
• FAQ’s
  • Why do my blondies sink in the middle?
  • How do you tell if this blondie recipe is done?
  • Can I make this a small-batch recipe?
  • How to store this blondie recipe
• More easy refined sugar free traybakes

The best blondie recipe you will ever make

I have a confession to make: I much prefer a blondie to a brownie.

Gasp! Shock! Horror!

Look, I adore the texture of brownies and can’t get enough of their chewy outer edges and fudgy insides. But sometimes a brownie is just too much chocolate, ya know? That’s when I whip out this blondie recipe.

It’s basically like eating the love child of a brownie and a really good chocolate chip cookie. You get all the gooey, chewy texture of a brownie and the flavour profile of a CCC. It’s the best of both worlds!

What’s the difference between a brownie and a blondie?

Blondies are essentially a vanilla flavoured brownie. They have the same fudgy and chewy texture you love in a brownie, but they don’t contain any chocolate or cocoa and are traditionally made with brown sugar instead of granulated.

They’re flavoured mainly with vanilla extract and usually feature fun add-ins like chocolate, nuts, or caramel.

Ingredients in this chocolate chunk blondie recipe

Just 7 simple ingredients come together to make these delightfully sweet treats:

• Unsalted butter: Lovely butter is what makes these blondies supremely rich and chewy. We’re using unsalted because it’s easier to control the salt by adding it separately.
• Coconut sugar: Our brown sugar substitute and what makes these treats naturally sweet! The sugar also creates the thin, flakey layer on top, which is just a delight.
• Vanilla extract: Our main flavour enhancer for these bars, so use a good one!
• Egg: Since we’re not using any leaveners, the eggs are what help give the blondies some lift. They also provide extra richness and structure.
• Sea salt: Essential to season and enhance the sweetness of the bars.
• Plain flour: Flour provides the main structure for the bars – but just a little because we want them extra gooey and fudgy. Too much flour makes the blondies cakey instead of chewy.
• Dark chocolate: I love adding huge chunks of dark chocolate to my blondies, but you could add in chopped nuts, dried fruit, citrus zest or anything else that strikes your fancy!

How to make a blondie

Blondies are one of my favourite bakes to make because they’re super quick and can satisfy my sweet cravings fast. Here’s how to make them:

1. Preheat the oven and lightly grease and line a square baking tin with non-stick paper.
2. Whisk together melted butter and coconut sugar in a medium bowl until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until frothy.
3. Add the salt, flour, and chocolate and whisk just until smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking tin and level the top. Top with extra chocolate chunks.
4. Bake the blondies for 18-22 minutes. Place the tin on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before slicing into 16 pieces.

Full details are in the recipe card at the end of this post.

The perfect blondie texture

The most perfect blondies are meant to be gooey in the middle and chewy around the edges. Preferably with that signature wafer-thin crisp on top. This blondie recipe achieves just that even while being refined sugar free! Here are a few tips on how to get the best texture out of your bars:

• Aerate your eggs using an electric whisk. I tried using a hand whisk the first few times I made this recipe, but I wasn’t able to get enough air into the batter to lift the bars enough and they ended up raw in the middle. Once you add the egg to the batter, whisk it up very well (at least 3-5 minutes) until it’s much paler and frothy. This will ensure a gooey, not raw, centre and chewy edges.
• Gently mix in your dry ingredients. Yes, this is a one bowl recipe, but we still want to be gentle with the flour. I use a spatula and fold them in for the best results. Overworking the flour can develop the gluten and create tough blondies.
• Watch them closely while they’re baking. If you underbake them, you’ll end up with raw blondies; if you overbake them, they’ll be dry and cakey. It’s best to watch for visual cues (see below) and start checking them at the 18 minute mark.
• DON’T slice them hot. For the ideal texture, leave the bars in the tin and let them cool completely before you take them out to slice them. They will continue to cook from the tin’s residual heat and create a firm, chewy texture.

FAQ’s

Why do my blondies sink in the middle?

Blondies are supposed to be fudgy, gooey, and chewy in the middle. However, they shouldn’t be falling apart. If your blondies are coming apart in your hands, it’s likely for one of three reasons:

• You didn’t aerate the eggs enough. The leading cause of raw, sunken blondies is not whipping enough air into the batter. Once you add the egg, you want to whip the batter on a high speed for at least 3-5 minutes or until the colour turns pale and the batter is frothy. This will provide the lift needed to avoid sinking as well as give the blondies that characteristic flake on top.
• You underbaked your blondies. You want to make sure you’re following the baking time in the recipe directions exactly and start checking them about 2 minutes before the time indicated. (See below for tips on how to know they’re done.) If you followed the directions correctly, your oven may be running too hot or cold. I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer as internal temperature gauges are rarely accurate.
• You didn’t let them cool completely before slicing. I know it’s incredibly tempting to dive straight in while they’re warm from the oven, but blondies – like brownies – need time to set. Ideally, you want to leave them in the tin to cool completely before slicing. The residual heat from the tin will keep cooking the blondies and help them to set properly.

How do you tell if this blondie recipe is done?

You’ll know this blondie recipe is done baking from visual cues. Watch for the bars to start to pull away from the sides of the tin slightly and look for a glossy, dry top. These are the best indicators they’re ready. Toothpicks can lie as they’ll likely be quite gooey in the centre when you take them out.

Can I make this a small-batch recipe?

Yes! Just half the ingredients and then bake them in a 450g (1 lb) loaf tin. The temperature and timing should be about the same, but start checking them at 18 minutes.

How to store this blondie recipe

Blondies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

To freeze: Stack the cut bars in a freezer-safe container; separate the layers with a sheet of non-stick baking or wax paper. Seal the container and freeze for up to 3 months. They will defrost well at room temperature.

More easy refined sugar free traybakes

Salted Caramel BlondiesRefined Sugar Free BrowniesMillionaire ShortbreadChocolate Orange Shortbread BarsHoney Almond FlapjacksMint Chocolate BrowniesApple Crumble SlicePeanut Butter FlapjacksBest Ever Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter BarsHoney Lemon Shortbread Bars

If you make this recipe, let me know by snapping a picture and tagging me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen. I love seeing your creations and sharing them in my Stories. Or let me know you love this best ever blondie recipe by leaving a comment and rating below!