Why choose between brownies and blondies when you can have the best of both? These Fudgy Swirled Brownie Blondies have all the thick, fudgy, cookie flavor of blondies plus the chocolatey bliss of brownies in every bite.
This easy blondie recipe has quickly become one of my favorites for dessert because they are quick to whip up and use simple ingredients with high visual and tasting impact.
Brownie Blondie Ingredients
Here’s everything you need:
- Butter. This recipe requires unsalted softened butter.
- Brown sugar. For that caramel-y flavor.
- Granulated sugar. For a little more sweetness.
- Eggs. For binding and leavening.
- Vanilla extract. For flavor.
- Flour. This acts as the base of your brownie blondie batter.
- Salt. To enhance the flavor.
- Corn Starch. This will only go in the blondie half of your batter, to thicken it.
- Cocoa Powder. What are brownies without it?
- Chocolate Chips. For a little texture and extra punch of chocolatey goodness.
Brownie Blondie Tips and Tricks
The Secret is in the Softening
For the butter, make sure it is unsalted to allow you to control the amount of salt you are adding to your Brownie Blondies. It’s also imperative that your butter is softened—not melted, and not too cold.
If you take your stick of butter out of the refrigerator before you get started and set it near your oven while it’s preheating, that is typically enough time for it to soften.
But if you forget to take it out, I’ve got an easy solution for you! Just microwave it until you get the right consistency. Start with 15 seconds, then drop down to 10 if it’s still too solid.
From there, heat in 5-second intervals until it’s ready. You’ll know your butter is softened when your finger leaves an imprint when you poke it.
Green tip: Look for organic and palm oil-free butter if you can. Buying organic means you are supporting farms that do not use damaging pesticides and fertilizers, and palm oil production is a huge driver behind deforestation.
Cream Your Butter and Both Sugars
Creaming your fat (in this case your butter) and the brown and granulated sugar together doesn’t just combine these ingredients together smoothly, it actually aerates them.
Adding these little air pockets to the batter is an effective way to ensure you get that soft and chewy texture you expect from a fudgy brownie blondie.
Use a hand mixer on high to get the butter and sugar mixture nice and smooth.
Add Your Eggs and Vanilla Extract Next
Once you’ve creamed together your butter and sugar, it’s time to add your eggs and vanilla extract.
It’s always best to crack your eggs in a separate bowl and then add them to your batter to avoid eggshells or a bloody egg, though I must admit, I sometimes opt to live life on the edge and crack ’em right in!
Use your hand mixer again to combine until your batter is once again smooth.
Add Your Flour and Salt
Next up, add your flour and salt. Use your hand mixer again to integrate. Use a spatula as needed to push any flour down from the sides of the bowl, to ensure there’s none left behind.
You’ll be left with a thick batter at this point.
Scoop Out Half of the Batter
Use a measuring cup to scoop out about 1 and 1/2 cup of the batter and put it into a separate mixing bowl. This should split your batter into roughly half.
We will use half of this base batter to make the blondie batter and the other half to make the brownie batter.
Add Chocolate to One and Cornstarch to the Other
To one bowl, add cocoa powder and chocolate chips to make the brownie batter. To the other, add the cornstarch to make the blondie batter.
Use your hand mixer in the blondie batter first to keep it free from chocolate. Make sure there are no lumps of cornstarch! The cornstarch is necessary to thicken the blondie batter and give it the right consistency but will hit you with a bitter taste if you bite into a clump.
Once your blondie batter is finished, you can then use your hand mixer to mix up your brownie batter. Again, make sure no clumps of cocoa powder are left behind.
Layer the Batters
Use a lined or greased 9 x 9-inch square baking pan to bake your brownie blondies in.
Add your blondie batter first and use a spatula to smooth it out.
Then, scoop your brownie batter on top. I find it easiest to use a cookie scoop! Use your spatula again to smooth it out. You can also choose to use your spatula to swirl it around and make a pretty design!
Storing Your Brownie Blondies
Keep your brownie blondies in an airtight container or cover them to keep them fresh. At room temperature, these treats will keep for 3-4 days.
If you want to extend the life of your brownie blondies, freeze them! They will last up to 4 months in the freezer in an airtight container. Just allow them to thaw at room temperature to enjoy them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a brownie and a blondie?
The biggest difference is the presence of cocoa powder! While brownies and blondies have the same texture, brownies contain cocoa powder and often chocolate chips, while blondies do not.
Blondies will often, but not always contain white chocolate chips, but you will rarely see a blondie with dark, milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Are blondies gooey?
Just like brownies, blondies can come in a multitude of different textures including, fudgy, chewy, gooey, and cake-like.
The variance in texture can be from the ingredients, method, or cook time.
These brownie blondies fall somewhere between fudgy and chewy!
What does a blondie taste like?
The easiest way to describe a blondie is a brownie without chocolate. It has notes of caramel and vanilla, and is the same texture as a brownie.
Why You Should Make
- The texture. Thick and fudgy. Enough said.
- The complex flavor. More than a blondie, more than a brownie.
- The swirls! We eat with our eyes first and the marbling in these Brownie Blondies is just so pretty!
If you’re loving these Brownie Blondies, check out these Fudgy Matcha Brownies and No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites.
Fudgy Swirled Brownie Blondies
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (1 cup usually = 2 sticks)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line or spray a 9 x 9-inch square pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and both sugars with a hand mixer on high until the mixture is smooth.
- Add vanilla extract and eggs and mix again until combined.
- Next, add your flour and salt and mix again until well-combined and no clumps remain. Your batter should be pretty thick at this point.
- Use a measuring cup to scoop out about 1 and 1/2 cups of your batter and place it in a separate mixing bowl, leaving you with two roughly equal bowls of batter.
- Add the cocoa powder and chocolate chips to one bowl to make brownie batter and the cornstarch to the other bowl to make blondie batter. Use your hand mixer to combine the blondie batter first, then the brownie batter, so as to not get any chocolate in the blondie batter.
- Add the blondie batter to the prepped pan first and use a spatula to smooth it out. Then, add the chocolate brownie batter on top sporadically, and use a spatula to smooth it out, swirling the two batters together.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Pro Tips
- To quickly soften butter, microwave it in 15-second intervals until your finger leaves an imprint in the butter when you poke it.
- Make sure there are no clumps of cornstarch or cocoa powder left behind—they will leave you with a bitter taste!
