Salted Caramel Blondies
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A chewy blondie bar studded with butterscotch chips and a salted caramel drizzle. Uses a mix of brown and granulated sugars for texture. Vegetable shortening for shallow greasing. Slight tweak with one egg swapped for yolk. Baking by scent as timer varies. Coarse salt option instead of fleur de sel. Fluffy butter creamed well is key. Sifted flour combo prevents dense crumb. Clean toothpick dry but moist crumbs stick best. Caramel sauce added for richness and contrast. Sweet, deep, just enough salt bite.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
30 min
Total:
50 min
Servings:
16 servings
#dessert
#baking
#caramel
#blondies
#butterscotch
Butter creaming. Brown sugar and white sugar working double duty—brown for moisture, white for snap. Eggs hold it all. Flour—the sifter key. Butterscotch chips giving that nostalgic kiss of sweet cream. Caramel drizzle? That’s a rich umami hit, salty and sticky, marrying the chewy base with a lip-smacking finish. Toss in a pinch of coarse salt or fancy fleur de sel, depending on mood. These blondies walk a line: not too cakey, not too gooey. A few tweaks changed everything. Swapping one egg for just yolk deepened flavor and fudginess. Timing is by scent and sight, not clock alone—edges darken first; don’t panic if center jiggles under the skin a bit. Patience here is pay-off. From experience, pure butter for creaming or else toughness. Sifting flour and salt together avoids harsh pockets. A good batter is thick but spreadable. Always tap pan to level batter, no dollops. The smell when baking—warm sugar and butter mingled—trust it. Let bars cool fully in pan or regret cuts that crumb. Stored right, they last days with flavor kept. Trust these tricks. Worth every crumb.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce
- coarse sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
About the ingredients
Butter soft but cool, never melted, is critical. Creaming butter with sugars aerates batter and builds texture; rushing to mix wet and dry often ruins chew. Light brown sugar adds moisture; granulated sugar adds snap and balances sweetness. One whole egg plus yolk in place of two whole eggs boosts richness without wetness. Flour sifted with baking soda and salt ensures even rise and avoids dense pockets. Kosher salt or regular fine salt in batter, coarse salt at end for crunch contrast, offers flavor complexities. Butterscotch chips swap for white chocolate chips works but reduces brown sugar punch. Vegetable shortening for greasing pan stops sticking without greasy edges common with too much butter or oil. Caramel sauce commercially bought cuts down time; make your own if ambitious, but beware too thin sauces seep into blondie too much making soggy base.
Method
- Heat oven to 350°F. Use shortening to grease 9x13 pan lightly—avoid too much to prevent soggy edges.
- Cream butter and sugars together in stand mixer bowl with paddle or hand mixer. Beat 3 minutes or until pale, fluffy, and aerated. This step locks in air for chewiness. Don’t rush or you’ll have dense bars.
- Add eggs: whole first, then yolk. Beat after each addition. Yolks boost richness and fudgy crumb—learned this after dry results with whole eggs alone.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Incorporate dry into wet gradually. Use spatula or mixer low-speed. Stop mixing once no flour streaks appear; overmixing spells gluey blondies.
- Gently fold in butterscotch chips by hand. Folding keeps chips intact and batter airy.
- Scrape batter into pan. Smooth top with offset spatula, tap pan gently on counter to settle but resist pushing down too hard; keeps texture light.
- Bake 28 to 33 minutes. Watch for color changes: edges golden, center set but slight wobble, smell caramelizing sugars. Toothpick will come out with tiny moist crumbs stuck, never wet batter.
- Cool fully in pan on rack. Cutting too soon messes with texture; wait until bars are firm to touch but not rock hard.
- Drizzle caramel over bars. Sprinkle coarse salt or fleur de sel to add crunch and cut sweetness. I prefer coarse salt for bold bursts, but fleur de sel is fancier.
- Slice into 16 squares. Store airtight, better next day. Blondies improve overnight as flavors marry and moisture redistributes.
Cooking tips
Heat oven fully before prepping. Greasing pan with just 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable shortening spreads thin, preventing greasy lip edges that butter tends to create. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed until color shifts to light, texture fluffy—this reeks of trapped air, vital for chew. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each ensures emulsification; yolk added second changes richness and crumb. Dry ingredients sifted together—watch for lumps. Add gradually to wet mix, slow fold to prevent gluten overdevelopment—overmix and bars toughen. When folding in chips, coax gently—chips keep shape without getting chewed or melted. Bake timing flexible—start near 28 minutes, leaning on smell and color cues. Edges firm, center surface can wobble slightly but not raw looking is the trick; toothpick with moist crumbs, no wet batter. Let bars cool fully before cutting to avoid falling apart. Drizzle caramel and sprinkle salt right before serving or after bars cooled—the contrast is better fresh but caramel seeps into bars if placed too early.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Butter must be soft yet cool never melted. Cream well with both sugars till light pale fluffy—locks in air. Rushing leads to dense bars. Brown sugar keeps moisture; white sugar adds snap balancing sweetness. Mix eggs slow whole first then yolk for crumb rich fudgy texture.
- 💡 Sift dry ingredients together to avoid lumps; flour baking soda salt. Fold dry into wet gently. Overmix goes gluey tough. Mixing just till no flour streaks is enough. Handle batter gently when folding in butterscotch chips; maintain air. Don't crush chips.
- 💡 Grease pan sparingly just 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable shortening. Too much grease causes soggy edges common when butter or oil used. Tap pan gently after spreading batter to level, no pushing down. Flat top with spatula keeps texture airy not dense.
- 💡 Bake 28 to 33 minutes. Watch color edges golden center set with slight wobble. Smell caramelizing sugar and butter mix—signals doneness better than timer. Toothpick test: moist crumbs stick but no wet batter. Burn signals temperature too high, lower 10°F and add bake time.
- 💡 Cool bars fully in pan to set crumb. Cutting too soon crumbles. Drizzle caramel after cool to avoid melting into top layer and making base soggy. Sprinkle coarse salt after caramel for crunch and cut sweetness; fleur de sel optional but less bold. Store airtight; flavors improve overnight.
Common questions
Can I replace butter with oil?
Melted coconut oil works but changes flavor hydration. Butter creaming vital for air in batter. Oil won’t trap air same way leads to denser bars. Use only if no butter; expect textural shift.
Why swap one egg for yolk?
Yolks boost richness without adding wetness. Two whole eggs gave dry, crumbly bars in past. Yolks add fudgy crumb and depth. Whole egg plus yolk balances moisture and texture well. Alternatives less reliable.
How to tell when bars are done?
Color key edges golden center firm slight wobble. Smell caramel sugars. Toothpick moist crumbs not wet batter. No raw batter smell or liquid on toothpick. If edges darken too fast, lower oven temp and extend time.
Best way to store blondies?
Airtight container at room temp few days. Refrigeration prolongs but dries edges. Freeze slices in zip bags for weeks if needed. Flavor merges overnight. Avoid plastic wrap directly; traps moisture makes soggy.
