Description
Buttery Strawberry Blondies with fresh berries and optional white chocolate chips! These easy one-bowl dessert bars are chewy, moist, and perfect for spring. Ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
Blondie Batter
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced (pat dry to remove excess moisture)
Optional Add-Ins
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- Zest of ½ lemon (brightens berry flavor)
- A pinch of cinnamon (optional warm note)
Topping (Optional)
- ½ cup coarse sugar or sparkling sugar
- Glaze: ½ cup powdered sugar + 1–2 tablespoons milk + ½ teaspoon vanilla or lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides (this becomes your handles for lifting later). You can also grease the pan well if you prefer, but parchment makes life easier!
In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and packed brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and glossy – this takes about 30 seconds of good stirring. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition until everything is completely combined. Mix in the vanilla extract. The batter should look silky and caramel-colored at this point.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This step is important – whisking helps distribute the leavening evenly so you don’t get spots that rise differently.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. You should still see a few small streaks of flour – that’s perfect! Overmixing develops gluten and makes blondies tough instead of tender, so stop stirring as soon as you don’t see big pockets of flour anymore.
This is crucial: Make sure your diced strawberries are patted completely dry with paper towels. Gently fold them into the batter using a rubber spatula. If you’re adding white chocolate chips and lemon zest, fold those in now too.
Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan, using your spatula to smooth the top. The batter will be thick – that’s what creates those dense, chewy blondies! If you want that gorgeous bakery-style sparkly top, sprinkle the coarse or sparkling sugar evenly over the surface now.
Bake for 25–30 minutes. You’re looking for lightly golden edges and a center that’s set but still soft. Insert a toothpick near the center – it should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, NOT wet batter, but also NOT completely clean.
This is the hardest step – waiting! Let the blondies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. I know they smell amazing, but cutting them warm will result in a crumbly mess. Give them at least 45 minutes to an hour to set up properly.
If you’re making the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar with milk and vanilla or lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Drizzle it over the cooled blondies in whatever pattern makes your heart happy – zigzags, straight lines, or just a casual drizzle!
Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire slab of blondies out of the pan. Place it on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into squares. For the cleanest cuts, wipe your knife between each slice. I usually get 12 large bakery-style squares or 15 more modest portions.
Notes
Make them gluten-free by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. I’ve had great success with Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur brands.
Freeze-dried strawberries can be added along with (or instead of) fresh ones for even more intense berry flavor without extra moisture. Crush them slightly and fold in ½ cup.
Don’t have brown sugar? Mix 1½ cups white sugar with 2 tablespoons molasses. It’s not quite the same depth of flavor, but it works in a pinch.
The toothpick test is tricky with fruit additions. If your toothpick hits a strawberry, it might come out looking wet even when the blondies are done. Test in a few different spots to get an accurate read.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American