The absolute best Chocolate Chip Blondie Recipe you’ll ever taste, these bars are lightly crisp around the edges, soft and chewy in the center, and absolutely bursting with chocolate chips, toffee pieces, and pretzels. Offering the perfect balance of rich, sweet, salty flavors and soft, melty, crispy textures, they’re one dessert that has it all!
The BEST Chocolate Chip Blondie Recipe
If you think you’ve had a good blondie before, just wait.
This is not your average blondies recipe! We’re talking rich, nutty brown butter, melty pools of chocolate, crunchy pretzels, and buttery toffee all baked into one perfectly gooey, slightly chewy, salty-sweet situation.
The brown butter alone? It’s a game-changer, adding a deep, caramel-like flavor that takes these blondies from “good” to “Where have these been all my life?” Then you’ve got the combo of chocolate chips and chopped dark chocolate melting into every bite, plus little pockets of toffee that become buttery as they bake.
And just when you think it couldn’t get better… the pretzels come in. They’re slightly crunchy, a little salty, and the perfect contrast to all that sweetness.
These bars are soft in the center, perfectly set on the edges, and loaded with texture in every bite. Fair warning: you might want to hide a few bars for yourself before serving, or you might not get any!
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: I use a combination of all-purpose flour and bread flour to give the blondies structure while keeping them soft and chewy in the center. If needed, you can use a 1-to-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour for gluten-free blondies. KING ARTHUR and CUP 4 CUP are two great options.
Leaveners: Both baking powder and baking soda help the batter rise, creating a soft, fudgy bite.
Salt: A must-have in any baked good, a pinch of salt enhances the rest of the ingredients and balances the sweetness.
Unsalted Butter: Once browned, this adds richness and moisture and infuses the blondies with a deep, nutty taste that takes them to a whole new level of delicious.
Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the dough and helps give it structure. Then, light brown sugar enhances the molasses flavor and contributes to the soft, chewy centers we want.
Molasses: This works with the brown sugar to add a smoky, caramel-like flavor to the bars, giving them incredible depth and the perfect chew!
Eggs: We’re using one whole egg and one egg yolk to help the chocolate chip blondies hold their shape while keeping them rich and soft.
Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract to enhance the sweetness and infuse the blondies with delicious vanilla flavor.
Mix-Ins: We’re using homemade toffee bits, chopped and mini whole pretzels, and chopped dark chocolate to take this recipe from good to great!
Flaky Salt: This enhances the sweet and salty combo, making for the perfect finishing touch.
How to Make a Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondie Recipe
Step 1: Make the brown butter. Heat small pieces of butter in a small pan over medium heat until the butter turns amber in color. You’ll know it’s done when the popping slows, and you smell a nutty aroma! Transfer the butter, along with all the browned bits from the bottom (these are the secret to amazing flavor!), into a bowl, and set aside to cool.
Step 2. Sift the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
Step 3. Next, whisk both sugars, the brown butter, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Then, add the egg and egg yolk, and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat on medium speed.
Step 4. Add your sifted flour mixture to your wet batter, and mix just until combined. Be careful not to overmix! Then, fold in your chocolate chips, toffee pieces, and chopped pretzels.
Step 5. Transfer the dough to a greased baking dish, pressing down until it’s flat and even in the pan. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips, toffee pieces, and mini pretzels on top.
Step 6. Bake the bars just until the edges are set, and immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
Step 7. Set your blondies aside to cool at room temperature. Then, slice, serve, and enjoy!
My Top Tips & Tricks
- Let the butter cool slightly. If your butter is too hot when you mix it with the sugars, it can mess with the texture (and even cook the eggs). Give it about 10-15 minutes to cool so your batter stays smooth and glossy.
- Measure your flour correctly. Too much flour can result in dry blondies (and we do not want that). Spoon and level your flour instead of scooping straight from the bag to keep them soft and chewy. Or, use a kitchen scale for the most accurate results.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the bars dense instead of tender.
- Underbake slightly for gooey centers. The edges should be set, but the center can still look a little soft when you pull them out. They’ll continue to set as they cool and stay perfectly chewy.
- Let them cool before cutting. I know it’s hard, but give your chocolate chip blondies at least 30 minutes to set. Cutting too early will make them fall apart instead of giving you those clean, bakery-style squares.
- Line your pan with parchment. Leave a little overhang so you can lift the whole batch out easily. It makes slicing (and cleanup) so much easier.
How to Store
Store: Once cool, transfer leftover blondies to an airtight container. They will keep fresh at room temperature for up to 7 days. To keep them soft, I like to place a piece of white bread in the container. This helps absorb excess moisture.
Freeze: For longer storage, wrap each blondie with parchment paper, transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, and bring them to room temperature when you’re ready to serve.
More Incredible Desserts You’ll Love
- Soft & Chewy M&M Cookies with Brown Butter
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet with Brown Butter
- Brown Butter Toffee Cookies
- The Best Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Fudge Brownie Recipe
I hope you love my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondie Recipe! The bars are soft, chewy, and loaded with sweet, chocolatey, salty flavors. If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @butterloveandsalt on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support Butter, Love & Salt and make it possible for me to continue to create delicious recipes.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondie Recipe with Toffee & Pretzels
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup bread flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter cubed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp of molasses
- 1 large egg + 1 yolk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toffee bits more for topping
- 1/2 cup pretzels roughly chopped
- additional who mini whole pretzels for topping
- dark chocolate chopped for topping
- flaky salt to top
Instructions
- Make the brown butter: Cut the butter in small pieces and heat the butter in a small pan on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until the butter turns an amber color. The butter will first foam and start to pop. Then, brown bits will begin to form in the bottom of the pan. Once browned and popping slows, it is ready. You should smell a nutty aroma. Scrap the butter (and all the of those magical brown bits into a heat-safe bowl and let rest for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 8X8 baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, brown butter and vanilla and whisk for about 2 minutes. Next, add the egg and egg yolk. Beat on medium until combined.
- Next, add your “sifted flour mixture” into your wet batter and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Be sure not to over mix.
- Fold in your chocolate chips, toffee pieces, and chopped pretzels.
- Transfer the dough to the greased baking dish. Press the cookie dough until flat and even. Next, add the chopped chocolate, additional toffee pieces and whole mini pretzels to the top of the dough.
- Bake the bars for 18-25 minutes or until the edges are set. Top with flaky sea salt as soon as you take the bars out of the oven. Let cool for at least 30 minutes or until set.
- Once cooled, let them through the parchment, cut, and enjoy! Also, feel free to add a comment on my blog! Also, be sure to share your photo on instagram and tag @butterloveandsalt! We would love to see how your chocolate chip cookie bars come out!
Nutritional Information
Recipe by: Chavez Adams / Butter, Love & Salt | Photography by: Meg McKeehan.
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