Soft and chewy Nutty Butterscotch Blondies are loaded with butterscotch chips, mixed nuts, and a few chocolate chips for good measure. This small batch recipe is easy, only requires one bowl, and are the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Nutty Butterscotch Blondies
Truth time – I’ve never been a big fan of blondies. I think because every blondie I tried was either too dry, not enough interesting flavors, or just packed full of sugar.
After testing, testing, and testing some more, I’m happy to announce I am now a fan of blondies. As the name implies, these Nutty Butterscotch Blondies converted my beliefs. And it is because of the nuts – because there is not just one kind of nut in these.
I opted for a mixed nut blend and they are a game-changer. What’s even better, they are the salted kind. I figure if we are going to go all-in with every kind of nut, they may as well be salted too!
What Do Blondies Taste Like
I always thought of blondies like a ‘blonde’ brownie. However, I think they are completely opposite of brownies. Even Wikipedia draws similarities between blondies and brownies.
I, personally, think blondies are more like a cookie. Because let’s face it, the ingredients are more similar to a chocolate chip cookie than they are a brownie.
How I would describe a blondie:
- Chewy and tender
- Caramel flavor – thanks to the brown sugar
- Buttery
- Rich in vanilla flavor
- Thick chocolate chip cookie
- Spiked with butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and nuts
Easy One Bowl Blondies
The more small batch recipes I make, the more I find how easy they are. And these blondies are no exception.
- The ingredients are easy – no fancy flours, spices, exotic fruits, hard to find syrups, etc., etc.
- Only one bowl is needed – ok, maybe two if you count the small bowl to melt the butter. However, there is no need to mix wet and dry ingredients separately.
- No electric mixers required – I suppose you could use a hand-mixer or even your stand mixer, but all I recommend is a good, sturdy spoon.
- Any pan will work – caveat: because this is a small batch, it needs to be a small pan – 6×6-Inch cake pan, loaf pan, small casserole dish, even a small cast-iron skillet
- Ready in 30 minutes – any dessert that I can start snacking on in a half-hour is a bonus in my book.
- Versatile flavor – you can get fancy with your mix-in’s – white chocolate chips, a single nut, like pecans, dried fruit, or different spices. You could even frost the blondies for a bit more decadence.
So you see, they are a pretty easy dessert.
Small Batch Of Blondies
Is it just me, or is a big ol’ batch of brownies or blondies just too much? Maybe it is just me, but blondies are the one confection that is just too dangerous to have too many laying around. And I mean too dangerous for my waistline.
I’m going to give another plug for small batch desserts. Any dessert that is baked in a pan means you can cut the treat into any size you want. And, to be clear, a 6×6-inch cake pan (which is what I used to bake the blondies) is small.
So, while you can get 4 decent size blondies out of the batch, you can also get 9 ‘portion-control’ size blondies. That’s not to say you won’t go back for seconds or thirds, but you do have the option to make them a size that works best for you!
One more note on small batch desserts: I am sometimes asked if you can double or triple a batch to make more. And the answer is I don’t know because I haven’t tested the recipe as such. I have talked about baking science and ratio considerations need to be made with the ingredients.
Tips For Making Butterscotch Blondies
- Line the baking pan of choice with a piece of parchment paper that is long enough to hang over the sides. We use this to lift the blondies out of the pan.
- Use a sturdy spoon to mix the ingredients. A wooden spoon is a great option.
- Sift the flour when adding. I think this is a good ‘best practice’ for any baking recipe. Makes mixing in the flour easier and avoids unnecessary clumps.
- Rough chop the butterscotch and chocolate chips. This ensures you have a chip in every bite!
- The toothpick should have a few crumbs. When testing for doneness, the blondies have chewy centers and will have some crumbs stuck to the toothpick.
Lastly – get creative with your mix-ins. Blondies are a versatile recipe and can handle a lot of different flavor combinations, so have fun with your flavors!
More Brownies And Bars Recipes
- Fudgy Brownies with Vanilla Whipped Topping
- Frosted Brownie Blondies
- Hot Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
- Cinnamon Caramel Nut Crumble Bars
- No-Bake Key Lime Bars
- Cinnamon Caramel Nut Crumble Bars
Nutty Butterscotch Blondies
Equipment
- 1 – 6-Inch Square Cake Pan (or) 9×5-Inch Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butterscotch chips
- 1 tablespoon bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup mixed nuts, roughly chopped - any kind of nut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the cake pan/loaf pan, long enough to hang over the sides of the pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and stir until combined.
- Sift (or sprinkle) the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon over the wet ingredients. Stir with a sturdy spoon until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Add the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts. Stir until just combined. Note – I like to rough chop the butterscotch and chocolate chips to make sure every bite has a chip!
- Press the blondie batter into the prepared cake pan/loaf pan – making sure the batter is spread evenly to all corners.
- Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs. Cool in the pan set on a cooling rack. When ready to serve, use the parchment paper overhang to gently lift the blondies out of the pan.
- Cut into any size/quantity blondies you like. If using a 6 x 6-Inch cake pan, you can get 9 small blondies. Enjoy!
