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    Home > Recipes > Brownies and Bars > Brownie Blondies

    Brownie Blondies

    Published on July 22, 2021. Last updated on September 9, 2021. By Gabby. 42 Comments

    2.0K shares
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    Jump to Recipe

    These brownie blondies are the perfect combination of blondies and brownies. They're gooey and fudgy with notes of brown sugar and caramel - you'll never have to choose between the two desserts again! Easy to make, 8 ingredients, and no mixer required!

    brownie blondies stacked on top of each other with crumbs in front
    TABLE OF CONTENTS show
    1 Why These Brownie Blondies Work
    2 Ingredients Needed
    3 Step By Step Instructions
    4 FAQS
    5 Storage Instructions
    6 Brownie Blondies

    Choosing between blondies and brownies is a regular dilemma for me. I crave the chocolatey fudgy taste of brownies but I also love the brown sugar, caramel flavor of blondies.

    And so that's how brownie blondies were born! If blondies and brownies had a baby, this would be it, and I have to admit - I might like these brownie blondies more than regular brownies or regular blondies on their own.

    blondie brownies sliced and shot from above

    Why These Brownie Blondies Work

    • They're gooey, with notes of caramel and brown sugar from the blondie batter and so much fudgy chocolate flavor from the brownies.
    • These brownie blondies have the perfect crinkle top that we all know and love!
    • Even though two batters might seem like a bit of work, brownie batter and blondie batter require almost all the same ingredients, so making the two batters is easy! Just swirl them together in the pan and voila!
    • You can make this recipe using regular dairy butter or dairy free butter - it's been tested both ways!

    Ingredients Needed

    • Butter: you can use regular butter or dairy free/vegan butter in this recipe.
    • Cocoa powder: I recommend using unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder, but you can use natural cocoa powder if that's what you have on hand.
    • Flour: This recipe uses all purpose flour. I don't recommend substituting this as the recipe hasn't been tested with other types of flours.
    • Brown sugar: Light brown sugar is what gives these brownie blondies their caramel flavor, so I don't recommend substituting. The one exception is that you can use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar.
    ingredients needed to make brownie blondies in bowls with labels

    Step By Step Instructions

    STEP ONE: Prepare an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Line it with parchment paper and leave some hanging over the sides to make it easier to remove the brownie blondies from the pan later. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    STEP TWO: To make the brownie batter, melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Add in the brown sugar and white sugar, then whisk well until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl like a paste.

    STEP THREE: Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Whisk well, then add in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk until just combined and set aside.

    step by step process for how to make brownie batter for brownie blondies
    step by step process for how to make blondie batter for brownie blondies

    STEP FOUR: Make the blondie batter in a separate bowl following all the same steps as above, except the dry ingredients are just flour and salt (no cocoa powder).

    STEP FIVE: Scoop around ¼ cup of the blondie batter into one corner of the 8x8 lined pan, then use a different measuring cup to scoop ¼ cup of brownie batter into the opposite corner. Alternate in a checker pattern (see step by step pictures below), always adding brownie on top of blondie and vice versa. The batters will seep together a little bit - that's okay.

    STEP SIX: Take a knife and make a swirl in the top of the batter, starting at one end of the pan down to the other. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownie blondies comes out mostly clean with just a few wet crumbs (see picture below). Let them cool completely in the pan before slicing.

    process showing how to make brownie blondies

    FAQS

    How can I tell when the brownie blondies are done?

    It's tough to tell when brownies and blondies are done baking but here are the tell-tale signs:

    1. The top has that shiny, crinkly look to it.
    2. Jiggle the pan - the batter in the middle shouldn't shake!
    3. Finally - always stick a toothpick in the centre of the brownie blondies! The toothpick should not be clean, but not covered in batter either. It should be mostly clean with a few wet crumbs.

    Help! My brownie blondies are too gooey or liquid!

    Unfortunately, you probably under-baked them. Or, you sliced into them too early. The brownie blondies continue to set as they cool, so slicing into them when they are warm will create a gooey mess. You can try to salvage them by putting them in the fridge to firm up.

    Can I make these brownie blondies in a 9x13 pan?

    Yep! Just double the recipe and keep a close eye on them - I would start checking on them at around 20-25 minutes, as they will bake faster.

    Why can't I see the blondies anymore?

    You likely mixed the batters together too much. The pattern of the brownie blondies will look slightly different every time these are made as it depends on the way the batters naturally blend together.

    Why didn't I get a crackly top on my brownie blondies?

    In order to get that crackly top, you need to do two things:
    1. Vigorously whisk the butter and sugars together until a paste forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl
    2. Whisk the eggs into the batter well.

    If you add the ingredients to the bowl out of order or skip the above steps, you might not get the crackly top.

    four brownie blondies stacked on top of each other

    Expert Tips

    • Properly measure your flour - please! Use a $15 kitchen scale (this is the most accurate way) or the fluff, scoop, and level method.
    • Do not over-mix the batter! Only mix until the dry ingredients are just combined.
    • Be sure to whisk the butter and sugars together until they are paste like and pull away from the sides of the bowl, and whisk the eggs in well. This helps create the crackly top as well.
    • Don't mix the two batters together too much with the knife, or else they will be too blended and you won't have the two distinct flavors.
    • Use two different measuring cups to scoop the brownie batter and blondie batter into the pan so that the batters don't mix together.
    • I highly recommend using an 8x8 metal baking pan. The brownie blondies will bake more evenly, and baking them in a glass pan will take longer as well.
    • Don't over-bake the brownie blondies - if the toothpick comes out clean, you've likely over baked them and they won't be gooey and soft like they should be! I like to start checking on them early, at around the 28 minute mark.
    • Don't slice the brownie blondies until they have completely cooled - trust me. Slicing into them while they are still warm is a great way to ruin brownie blondies as they will be a gooey, liquidy mess!
    four brownie blondies stacked on top of each other with more sliced in the background

    Storage Instructions

    The brownie blondies should be stored un-sliced in the baking pan covered tightly with tin foil. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days (if you can make them last that long!).

    If they've already been sliced, you can store them in an air tight container at room temperature.

    I don't recommend freezing these bars!

    MORE BROWNIES AND BLONDIES YOU'LL LOVE

    • Biscoff Brownies
    • Nutella Blondies
    • The Best Fudgy Brownies
    • Strawberry Banana Milkshake
    • Coconut Milkshake
    • Nutella Milkshake (3 Ingredients!)
    • Strawberry Blackberry Banana Smoothie
    brownie blondies stacked on top of each other with text overlay for pinterest

    If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

    four brownie blondies stacked on top of each other

    Brownie Blondies

    Gabby
    These brownie blondies are a perfect combination of blondies and brownies! Gooey, fudgy with notes of caramel and just 8 ingredients and no mixer required!
    5 from 34 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Bake 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 brownie blondies
    Calories 206 kcal

    Equipment

    • 8x8 inch Square Baking Pan
    • Whisk

    Ingredients
     
     

    Brownies

    • 6 tablespoon butter, melted (regular or dairy free)
    • 6 tablespoon light brown sugar
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 egg
    • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 6 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder SEE NOTES
    • â…› teaspoon salt
    • 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour SEE NOTES

    Blondies

    • 6 tablespoon butter, melted (regular or dairy free)
    • ½ cup light brown sugar
    • 6 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 1 egg
    • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
    • â…› teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cup all-purpose flour SEE NOTES

    Instructions
     

    Brownies

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving parchment paper hanging over the sides of the pan so that you can easily remove the brownie blondies from the pan later.
    • Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small pan over the stove. Transfer the melted butter to a medium sized bowl.
    • Add in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk the butter and sugars together. Keep whisking until the mixture resembles a paste that pulls away cleanly from the side of the bowl when you mix it.
    • Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk well.
    • Pour the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into the bowl and mix with the whisk until just combined. Do not over-mix! Set aside while you make the blondies.

    Blondies

    • In another medium bowl, add melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Again, whisk the butter and sugars together until it resembles a paste that pulls away cleanly from the side of the bowl.
    • Add in the eggs and vanilla, then whisk well.
    • Add the flour and salt into the bowl and mix with the whisk until just combined. Again, do not over-mix!
    • Use a measuring cup to scoop about ¼-1/3 cup of brownie batter into one corner of the baking pan. Use a different measuring cup to scoop the ¼-1/3 cup of blondie batter into the space beside it. They will start to spread together since the batter is runny - that's okay.
    • Add another scoop of brownie batter to the corner opposite where the other scoop of brownie batter was, then if there is room, do the same with the blondie batter. Add a scoop of brownie batter over top of the blondie batter, then a scoop of blondie batter over top of one of the brownie batter areas, and alternate this way until all batter is gone. (Process photos are in the post above for reference).
    • Take a butter knife and lightly draw an "S" shape in the top of the batter with the tip of the knife, creating a marble effect (Photo in post above for reference). This step is optional, as it just creates a prettier look on top. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownie blondies comes out with just a few wet crumbs on it (but not covered in batter).
    • Let cool completely in the pan before slicing!

    Video

    Notes

    PLEASE NOTE: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Metric measurements are found above under the "Metric" tab.
    COCOA POWDER: I recommend using dutch processed cocoa powder, but you can use natural if that's what you have.
    MEASURING FLOUR and COCOA POWDER: Either measure your flour using a kitchen scale or use the proper scooping method: fluff the flour in the bag/container with a fork then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then run the back of a knife along the top of the cup to even it out. Do the same for the cocoa powder.
    BAKING TIME: This will vary depending on your oven. If using a glass baking dish instead of aluminium, the brownie blondies will take longer to bake as well.
    MARBLING: Your brownie blondies will likely have a different pattern than the ones in the photos, as it all depends how the batters decide to blend. Each time I make these the pattern is slightly different! The most important thing is to try not to mix the batters together too much, so that the blondies don't get lost in the brownies.
    MEASURING CUPS: Use one measuring cup to scoop the brownie batter into the pan, and another measuring cup to scoop the blondie batter in. Using the same cup will cause the batters to mix together too much.
    Storage Instructions: Store un-sliced in the pan, covered tightly with tinfoil 3-4 days. If they've already been sliced, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container. 
    Doubling Instructions: To double the recipe, double all ingredients and bake the brownie blondies in a 9x13 pan for 20-35 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 116mgPotassium: 69mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 431IUCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.

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    Comments

    1. Cynthia

      May 14, 2023 at 1:36 pm

      5 stars
      These are ABSOLUTELY amazing! I have to make them sparingly because the pan only last for two days between me, my husband, and four year old. The batter has been a different consistency a couple times I’ve made them but they always come out delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe!!

      Reply
      • Gabby

        May 16, 2023 at 5:01 pm

        I'm so happy you all love them so much! Thanks for the review!

        Reply
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