Brown Sugar Blondies

These brown sugar blondies are a simple, old-school bar cookie—rich with caramel notes, soft in the center, and the kind of dessert that disappears fast at family get-togethers. The base recipe is intentionally straightforward (one bowl, one pan), and it’s a perfect canvas for mix-ins like ginger + cranberry, chocolate chips, toasted nuts, or a cinnamon-sugar swirl.

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp table salt

Directions

Prepare the Batter

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until evenly incorporated. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake and Cool

Bake until the top is dry and the edges begin to pull away from the sides, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Preparation

These blondies are soft and lightly cake-like as written. For a chewier, denser blondie, make this one change:

• Chewier Texture Option: Use 2 eggs (instead of 3) and 1 tsp baking powder (instead of 2 tsp). (All other ingredients stay the same.)

Doneness is best judged by texture, not time:

• A toothpick should show moist crumbs, not wet batter.
• Overbaking will dry the bars quickly, so start checking a few minutes early if your oven runs hot.
• For clean slices, cool completely and use a sharp knife, wiping between cuts.

Altitude can affect baking results (especially dryness and rise):

• High Altitude (~4,750 ft / 1400 m): Start checking 2–4 minutes early. If your blondies tend to bake up dry at altitude, add 1–2 tbsp extra melted butter to the batter.
• Sea Level: Bake time is typically closer to the full time; keep the base butter amount as written.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve at room temperature for the cleanest texture and easiest slicing.
• For a dessert-style presentation, warm individual squares briefly and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Variations

Stir the variation ingredients below into the batter unless otherwise noted.

White Chocolate Toffee Blondies:

• ¼ cup white chocolate chips (sprinkled evenly on top before baking)
• 1 tbsp toffee bits (sprinkled evenly on top before baking)

Ginger Cranberry Bars (Revised):

• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
• ½–⅔ cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 8 oz white chocolate chips
• Optional: ½ tsp orange zest

Classic Walnut Blondies:

• 1–1¼ cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
• Optional: ½ tsp cinnamon

Chocolate Chip Blondies:

• 1½–2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips
• Optional: a light sprinkle of flaky salt on top before baking

Maple Pecan Blondies:

• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Optional: add 1 tbsp maple syrup

Espresso Toffee Blondies:

• 1 tsp instant espresso powder
• ¾ cup toffee bits

Cinnamon Roll Blondies:

Gently marble this swirl into the batter just before baking:

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp melted butter

Apple Spice Blondies:

• 1½ cups finely diced apple, tossed with 1 tsp flour
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Variation baking note:

• Fruit-heavy or topped variations may need 1–3 additional minutes of bake time.
• Toasting nuts before adding improves flavor and keeps them tasting fresh in the finished bars.

Make-Ahead & Storage

• Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freeze fully cooled bars (well wrapped) for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature.