Christmas Blondies Twist
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Classic blondies with a holiday spin, swapping cornstarch for arrowroot for a lighter crumb and popping in crushed pretzels instead of some M&Ms. Butter texture matters; grainy sugar mix before eggs helps with structure. Melted butter gives chewiness; watch batter consistency carefully, too wet and edges won’t crisp right. Baking till edges firm but center slightly jiggly signals the perfect pull-out moment. Cooling fully is crucial for clean cuts otherwise gooey mess. Parchment paper essential for clean lift, use shortening or neutral oil for slick sides. Mini M&Ms replaced partially with pretzel bits for salty crunch contrast. Egg incorporation method affects density drastically. Mixer overuse ruins texture. Bake temps ±5 mins adjusts for your oven quirks.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
28 min
Total:
43 min
Servings:
12 servings
#holiday baking
#blondies
#dessert
#arrowroot
#pretzels
Ever wrestled with blondies that come out either too cakey or flat like a pancake? Been there. It’s a dance between wet and dry, folding and mixing, baking temperature, and patience after the oven. Here, I ditch the usual cornstarch for arrowroot—lighter crumb, trust me—plus I threw crushed pretzels in instead of all M&Ms for a salty surprise. Melting butter first is non-negotiable; it changes how sugar dissolves and how the crumb feels. Sugar and butter should feel like gritty wet sand before adding eggs—that’s your cue. The batter looks thick but soft if done right. Baking time isn’t exact, depends on your oven and even your pan. Edges pulling away, center jiggle, toothpick with moist crumbs—those signs save rookie frustration. Cooling fully is the bad-behavior lawyer of cutting blondies, but no shortcuts. Flavor bursts in every chewy bite with M&Ms popping on top. Tried and tweaked this whole thing after multiple failures. No wasted batter here.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini M&M's, divided
- ½ cup crushed pretzels
About the ingredients
Substitutions: Arrowroot powder replaces cornstarch, lighter finish but same thickening; if none, sifted cornstarch works. Brown sugar can be half dark for richer flavor. Unsalted butter essential—salted throws off sodium balance and taste. Mini M&Ms swap half with crushed pretzels adds texture contrast; can use chopped walnuts or toffee bits instead. If out of mini M&Ms, use regular but chunkier size means uneven bake, best to chop. Vanilla extract quality matters, cheap stuff kills aroma. Eggs room temp helps even mixing; cold eggs cause curdling and uneven crumb. Greasing pan with shortening works best over butter or spray for slick release. Parchment paper crucial—no shortcuts. Baking pan type affects baking time; glass holds heat more, metal cooks faster. Always watch edges and center beyond times. Sometimes I reduce sugar slightly for less sweetness, depends on your candy.
Method
- Preheat oven 345°F. Grease 9x13 pan with shortening. Line bottom with parchment—helps for perfect release. No quick wax paper substitute; messes the crust.
- Sift together flour, arrowroot, baking soda, salt in medium bowl. Arrowroot makes crumb lighter than cornstarch, subtle but noticeable. Set aside.
- In big bowl, stir melted butter + brown sugar until granular texture appears, like wet sand. Crucial. Too smooth means sugar dissolved prematurely; texture will suffer.
- Add eggs one at a time, plus vanilla. Scrape sides bottom frequently; eggs need full incorporation to avoid dense blondies. Overwork here and you get dense, tough bars.
- Add dry stuff slowly. Mix just until few streaks remain; overmixing develops gluten. Batter should be thick, slightly sticky—if runny, flour measurement off, expect flat blondies.
- Fold in all but 2 tablespoons of M&Ms and crushed pretzels—salt cuts sweetness, adds crunch. Pretzel substitution unexpected but wakes up the chew and adds flavor depth.
- Spread batter into pan evenly. Smooth top gently. Scatter reserved M&Ms on top, makes colorful pop and prevents sinking into batter
- Bake 23-30 minutes. Watch edges firm and pull slightly away from pan. Center jiggles gently but not liquidy. Insert toothpick must come out with moist crumbs. Too dry = overbake, no crackly top.
- Cool completely—blondies still warm crumble or stick messily. Patience here pays off for clean slices.
- Lift parchment, slice into 12 squares. Serve or store airtight. Stale quickly so no dawdling.
Cooking tips
Start with oven preheat to 345°F—lower than usual to avoid overbake. Greasing pan with shortening then parchment ensures blondies lift clean, prevents crust sticking. Dry ingredients sifted and combined first because uniform flour mix helps batter consistency. Greasing then lining pan a step many skip, trust me, saves baking frustration. Melted butter and sugar stirred to gritty, granular stage, not smooth—key for blondies chewy texture, sugar hasn’t melted but coats butter. Eggs added one by one with frequent scraping bottom and sides avoids dense pockets, ensures even crumb. Dry folded in slowly avoids gluten shock—overmixing leads to tough blondies. Fold in M&Ms and pretzel pieces gently; rough handling knocks color and texture out. Batter thick, sticky, and evenly spread—if too wet, check flour, baking powder quality, or egg size. Scatter extra M&Ms on top for festive look and texture burst. Bake edges firm and pulling away, center soft-jiggly best done by feel; toothpick test is classic but trust wobble for moist crumb. Remove early rather than overbake. Cooling fully, ideally on wire rack; warm blondies are crumbly or sticky. Lift with parchment and slice clean with sharp knife, wipe blade between cuts. Store airtight; stale fast due to sugar and butter content. If you smell burnt or see browning edges, pull immediately and test again in 2-3 mins. A little underbake better than over. Use timer as guide, eyeball and touch preferred. Learned all hard way.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Sugar and butter stir granular, like wet sand. Not melted but coated. Key for chewiness. If smooth batter, bars turn flat, dense. Eggs fold in one at a time, scrape sides often. Dense pockets kill texture, avoid mixer overuse. Batter thick but sticky; runny means flour off or egg size issue. Always mix dry in slowly—gluten forms fast. Pretzels fold gently, salt cuts sweetness. M&Ms reserved to scatter on top keep their pop from batter moisture.
- 💡 Oven at 345°F, 5 degrees less than usual for this type of blondie. Grease pan first with shortening, then line with parchment for smooth lift. Wax paper no-go; crust turns bad quickly. Watch edges pull from pan, firm but not dry. Toothpick out with moist crumbs. Center’s soft jiggle key. Bake early over bake. Baking time varies with pan type—glass vs metal shifts heat retention. Keep an eye on visual and tactile doneness, timer only a rough guide.
- 💡 Cooling fully important, iceberg rule. Warm blondies crumble or stick everywhere. Best on wire rack, parchment bottom. Lifting off parchment with cold bars makes slicing easier without bleeding colors or crumbling. Sharp knife, wipe blade between cuts. Store airtight immediately or stale hits fast with sugar butter combo. No fridge recommended unless sealed well; moisture shifts quickly otherwise. Leftovers reheat lose crunch, eat fast or freeze wrapped tight.
- 💡 Substitutions: Arrowroot replaces cornstarch with lighter crumb but similar thickening action. Cornstarch okay if no arrowroot, just sift. Brown sugar can be darker for richer chew but grainy mix stage changes. Butter must be unsalted; salted ruins flavor balance here. Mini M&Ms half swapped with crushed pretzels adds unexpected texture. Can use chopped walnuts or toffee bits if pretzels not on hand but different mouthfeel. Vanilla extract quality impacts aroma sharply; cheap kills scent immediately.
- 💡 Eggs at room temperature crucial. Cold eggs cause batter to seize, curdle, or mix unevenly. Scrape scrap after each egg added. Mixing speed matters; slow fold to avoid overwork and gluten buildup. Pan choice impacts baking timeline—metal heats quick, glass retains heat longer, needs shorter or longer bake. Watch visual cues not time blindly. Underbake rather than overbake; edges firm, center jiggles, toothpick moist but not wet. Rest time in cooling can’t be rushed.
Common questions
Why use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch?
Arrowroot lighter texture, similar thickening. Cornstarch okay backup, sift well. Arrowroot changes crumb subtly, less dense bite. Both keep structure against wet batter. Pick what’s handy. Keep ratio same.
How to avoid dense blondies?
Fold eggs one at a time, scrape bowl. Don’t overmix dry stuff. Mix till slight streaks remain. Overworking develops gluten, chew tough. Batter thick and sticky, not runny or loose. Watch butter sugar granular stage; smooth mix leads to bad texture.
What if edges burn or brown too fast?
Lower oven temp 5 degrees, swap to glass pan slower heat or shield sides with foil. Make sure pan greased and lined properly. Pull early if smell burnt then rest and test again. Watch time but trust sight and touch. Sometimes overbake happens fast, better to check sooner.
How long keep blondies fresh?
Airtight container only. Cool fully before storage. No fridge best, dries out. Freeze if longer than 2 days; thaw wrapped. Stale hits fast because of butter and sugar moisture. Warm bars stick, crumble. Eat fast or seal tight to hold texture.
