My friend Adam is a serious health-foodie. He teaches sprouting workshops, is part of a vegetarian soup club, and appreciates a good sourdough as much as I do. He’s also quite fearless in the kitchen, combining tastes and textures I would never dream of, most often successfully. There was that one time however he put peppermint oil in a batch of his granola, and it tasted like breakfast and toothpaste all at the same time. I admire his gumption, but he will never live that one down.
One day while I was over at his place, I was really craving a cookie. He lives near a very high-vibe bakery so I was nearly out the door when he said, “wait! I have something you should try”. He proceeded to tell me that his experimental cookies were flour-free, grain-free in fact, and contained only six ingredients. I was scared – this sounded like a treat from wrong town. But when I took my first skeptical nibble, I was shocked. This cookie was everything I had ever wanted: rich, moist, not-too-sweet and deeply satisfying. Then he told me that it was just almond butter, eggs, maple syrup, chocolate, baking soda and sea salt. Um, what?! No flour? How was this even possible? Inexplicable, culinary wizardry at its best, that’s for darn sure, and an experiment gone absolutely right.
After googling almond butter cookies, I discovered that this kind of recipe had been floating around the interwebs unbeknownst to me. Anyway, I got Adam to make them for me again this past summer at his cottage, posted them on Instagram, and many of you asked for the recipe. I tinkered with them a lot to make sure they were just right, changing up the nut butters, using different sweeteners, various add-ins etc. (it’s a tough job, I tell ya). Then it dawned on me: what if I put the dough into a pan and made blondies?! For the win.
Now I don’t know about you, but I take my indulgences seriously. When I crave something sweet, I definitely don’t mess around with mousses, flaky pastries or light-n’-airy items. Heck no. I want to sink my teeth into something substantial, for it to announce its presence to my stomach with a fulfilling thud, and feel like I actually ate something. These blondies are just that. Aside from their incredibly rich, satisfying flavour, the texture of them is ultra chewy and have that dense brownie quality I love so much. It still baffles me that there isn’t any flour in the recipe, since it just feels like there is, from a “this-must-be-really-bad-for-me perspective. Like I said, there is some serious alchemical conjuring taking place, proving that the universe loves us, so don’t ask any questions.
Being choosey about your Chocolate
Yes, yes, we’re talking about blondies here, but don’t all blondies have chocolate in them? I’m no expert, but I do believe this is a necessary addition. How do we go about choosing our chocolate though? Is there really a difference between cocoa mass percentages? Does organic really matter? Does milk chocolate count? Here are my top four tips for making sure your chocolate isn’t total junk food.
4 Tips for Choosing the Healthiest Chocolate
Choose dark chocolate varieties. The darker the bar, the higher the cocoa mass percentage will be. When a bar says it is 70% cocoa that means it has a relatively high concentration of health-promoting compounds, like polyphenols and antioxidants. It also means that there is less room for schwaggy stuff like refined sugar, processed oils, and flavourings. Always choose a bar with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids for maximum benefits. If the chocolate bar does not list a cocoa percentage, consider skipping it.
Read the ingredients. High quality chocolate should only contain three to four ingredients: chocolate, cocoa butter/ cocoa mass, and/or cocoa liquor, plus sugar. If the bar contains any oil, milk or milk products, soya lecithin, emulsifiers, ‘natural flavour’, or preservatives, you may want to pass.
Buy Organic whenever possible. Cacao plants are some of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world. As pesticide residues can end up in the final product, choose chocolate that has been made from organically grown beans.
Learn about the process. Although it will require a little reconnaissance work, finding out how your chocolate was manufactured is important in determining how healthy it is. Drying cacao beans in the sun instead of roasting them preserves many of the chocolate’s delicate nutrients. Make sure that their processing temperature is not over 110°F. Avoid chocolate whose processing includes “Dutching”, an alkalization method that actually removes the polyphenols, as they lend characteristic bitter flavour to the finished product.
I also encourage you to purchase Fair Trade Certified chocolate whenever possible, as it makes a huge difference to the lives of cacao farmers and their families. Fair Trade is an international certification that ensures that farmers are guaranteed a minimum price for their product, decent working conditions, and that the processes they use protect the natural environment.
The blondies are not overly sweet, which I appreciate. If you like your desserts on the more saccharine side, I believe that swapping out ¼ cup of coconut sugar and replacing it with maple syrup would work very well. This would also help keep the blondies moist on the second and third day (although they won’t last that long. Trust.). You could also choose a chocolate with a lower cocoa mass, such as 70%, but don’t go lower than that, as the sugar in it will outweigh the health benefits of the chocolate itself. I chose a bar at 85%, which tends to be a little bitter, but I find it pairs well in this dessert.
As far as nut butter goes, anything goes. I used a homemade almond and hazelnut butter blend in these, which was unreasonably delicious (for a blended nut butter recipe, check out my post here). Because my nut butter was a deep caramel brown, my blondies turned out more like brunettes (tee hee), so the colour of your finished product depends on the nut butter you use. I tried a homemade sunflower butter in my experiments and it worked really well. I would also like to try tahini and pumpkin seed butter, although I know the colour in that case may be a little weird! I have a feeling cashew butter would taste out of this world, and pecan or walnut as well. And I definitely recommend roasted nut butter over raw for depth of flavour, and because you’ll be baking these anyway.
I will say that I really tried making these darn things vegan, but guys, it just didn’t work! Eggs in this case are crucial because they not only bind the ingredients, but they give the blondies air and volume. Using chia and flax works to bind, but you’ll end up with a tasty puddle. If that’s okay with you, go for it! I obviously ate all of my experiments, and quite happily indulged in many yummy, almond butter “pancakes”. I did not try vegan egg replacers though, and that may work better. If you have success in this arena, let me know.
And can we take a minute to talk about my favourite part of all? The corner pieces. If you actually own one of those funky all-corners brownie pans, you get where I’m coming from friend, and this is the time to use it. The edges are extra dense and chewy, slightly crisp and oooohhhhh my goodness I can’t even write about this anymore. On to the recipe.
Grain-free Chocolate Chunk Nut Butter Blondies
Makes 20 blondies
Ingredients:
2 large, organic eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted nut butter (I used almond-hazelnut)
¾ cup / 100g coconut sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. fine grain sea salt
3.5oz / 100g dark chocolate (70% or higher), roughly chopped
a pinch flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), optional
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F / 160°C.
2. In a small bowl whisk eggs and vanilla extract together. Set aside. In a measuring cup, combine coconut sugar, ¼ tsp. fine grain sea salt, and baking soda.
3. Measure out the nut butter and place in a large bowl. Add the egg mixture, stir thoroughly to combine. Add the coconut sugar mixture and fold together. The dough will be very thick. Add about half of the chopped chocolate, using your hands if necessary to incorporate.
4. Press the dough into a parchment-lined 8×8″ (20x20cm) brownie pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the top and press each piece slightly into the dough. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt and place in the oven.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the blondies are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan completely before cutting.
Seeing as it’s February and we’ve been so very behaved since the first of January (right…?) I thought it was time to pull out the big guns and celebrate with these ladies. I hope you drop everything you are doing right now and go make them. It’s true, blondies have more fun!
xo, Sarah B
Show me your Blondies on Instagram: #MNRblondies
I found these unsatisfying. I made them with cashews, since cashews are a fairly bland nut and the flavor from blondies comes from brown sugar, vanilla, and the butter, and a stronger nut flavor would mask the vanilla (and brown coconut sugar). Unsurprisingly, the bars that came out of the oven just tasted like sweet cashews with a baked-goods texture. Not what I think of as a blondie texture, though. Blondies, in my experience are dense and fudgy, like brownies, but you know, blond. Baking soda = rising = light and fluffy/cakey texture. I guess some people like cakey brownies, so this might appeal to that crowd, as long as they don’t expect a taste that in any way approximates blondies.
The result would probably be better with a more flavorful nut, and not viewed as a version of blondies, but rather a nut-butter cookie bar. (Like with peanut butter as a peanut butter cookie bar, etc.) I’m not going to make these again to find out, though. There are so many excellent recipes on this site (and the My New Roots cookbook is my favorite cookbook), so I’ll stick to those.
Hi Sara,
I thought I’d share this story with you. I’ve been making these amazing blondies (my own version)since you first posted them. I’ve been making them at least once a week since so needless to say LOTS! I have my holy trinity version with PB, Almond butter and tahini plus I add nuts. Recently I started adding hemp hearts for added nutrition and because they are so damn good. I mistakenly reached for farro instead. By the time I realized it it was too late and no way to dig out those little effers. So what should I do? Chuck or test? I decided the ingredients were too expensive to chuck and so in the oven it went. Well, after chilling them I tentatively tried them and lo and behold, it was quite fantastic. A bit more sturdy than the nuts but somehow the farro got cooked enough to bite into. Good thing they were pearled 🤣Maybe that’s how new recipes are invented? Well that’s my little story to you. I hope you had a chuckle at my expense.
Ayelet
Hi Ayelet! Ha! This is such a wonderful story and I think probably how a lot of recipes are created, too! Thanks so much for sharing and I’m so glad that the recipes bring you so much joy 🙂 Take care!
DELICIOUS! INSANELY GOOD!!
I made them with some Pistachio butter I had been looking for something to do with for ages…….unreal! A little underbaked and gooey, but after some time in the fridge I found they firmed up well. The edges are the best…will have to get an edge pan! Next time, I will increase the cooking time (I ignored my instincts and took it out with too much wobble) as we all know ovens can vary!
Thanks! I LOVE your receipes – healthy, tasty and achievable for the average human. You are amazing! Thank you so much!!
I have also been making LOTS of your life changing loaf , which really is, life changing!! So happy to have found bread I can actually eat, that tastes delicious and is easy to make. Keep up the great work!!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
All the best.
t
Thanks so much for writing, so happy you enjoy what My New Roots has to offer 🙂
We lovee your receipts und made a lot of them. My kids (and I) love your Granola Caandy Bars so much!
Now, I tried to make the Blondies, but the dough ist very thin – like pancake dough. Its not possible to fold it.
Do you have an idea, what went wrong?
Hm… I’m wondering if your nut butter was too thin. I suggest trying a thicker textured nut butter to see if that helps! Happy to hear you love the granola bars as much as I do!
Sounds so delicious!! I’m so thrilled to hear it was a hit, Jana. Thanks so much for sharing your adjustments and feedback 😀
I’ve been really missing these since I turned vegan, so I gave it a go and managed to veganize them!
I switched out the eggs for a can’s worth of aqua faba (I think 6 tablespoons should be enough, but I used a bit more). Then I also added 1/2 cup of flour, just to make sure it wouldn’t be too wet. I’m not yet sure if this would work without the flour as well. But just wanted to let all the vegans know 🙂
Go Bianca! Thanks so much for using my recipe for inspiration and for sharing your success.
This is my new favorite recipe! I make half with dried blueberries for my toddler and half with chocolate for me and my husband.
It’s become our go to dessert.
Thanks!
I just have to leave a comment and say I’ve made these half a dozen times, and shared with friends who have celiac disease. Every single person has been blown away with how amazing these are, and can’t stop reaching for more. I’ve used tahini most often and it is amazing how well it works in this dessert. Thanks for creating a recipe that’s healthy, easy to make, and incredibly delicious! It’s a permanent go-to for me!
Hi Sophia!
That is wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing that <3 I hope it stays a staple recipe...
Much love,
Sarah B
hiking in isreal and the whole family- 60- 18 months are just downing these delicious brownies!
they are better than any gluten brownies i have ever tasted!!!!
thank you!
rachel
These are incredibly good, almost too good. I had to exhibit major self-control as to not consume the entire batch after giving them a taste. I can’t wait to make these for my dairy and gluten intolerant family members around the holidays. Thank you for this beautiful recipe, along with all of the others you share with us!
how do you know when these are done? I made a batch last night and pulled it out at 27 mins when the top was golden brown but they are VERY fudgy and seem undercooked… HELP!
It is sharing her amazing recipe with us to up our staple holiday treat! You will no doubt be the life of the party if you show up with these bad boys. We love that you can add whatever type of nuts that you want, or just as easily make a batch without for those who aren’t such a fan.
What would happen if I took out the coconut sugar? Chemically speaking.. would the secret special magical alchemical process still work?
I made these tonight and yum, yum, yum!!! The texture really threw me, it was almost like a chewy cakey brownie/cookie. The fact that there is no flour in these yet they look like theres flour, tastes like theres flour…its like some crazy voodoo dessert magic!
Will it work if I replace coconut sugar with muscovado sugar?
“Chocolate Chunk Nut Butter Blondies” is perfect name for this. It looks so delicious despite the fact i am dessert freak lol.
Awesome Chunk Recipe, Trying to make this at home
Hey Sarah, do you think it will work if I replace coconut sugar with muscovado sugar?
Looks fantastic! I want to substitute maple syrup instead of the coconut flour. How much should i put in? Also would tahini work as a nut butter?
Hi Susan,
You can use maple syrup instead of the coconut sugar (I think you meant…) and I would recommend 1/2 cup / 125ml. I’ve tried it and it works! I also think I extended the baking time a little since they were wetter. Just keep an eye on them 🙂
And yes, you can use tahini instead of nut butter. Try to find a dark, un-hulled tahini instead of the very thin light one. Hope that helps!
Much love,
Sarah B
My favorite way to make these is with homemade pecan butter. Best texture, dark brown (which is deceiving), and SO delicious. 🙂
Just made these last night for my birthday and I can’t believe how ‘doughy’ they tasted and how fast they were to put together! I used freshly ground cashew nut butter because I can buy it in bulk at my local grocery store. The one mistake I made was I bought dark chocolate chips also from the bulk section with an unlabeled cocoa %. Suspecting they contained less than 70% cocoa, I cut down the sugar in the recipe but the blondie still turned out too sweet for me. So don’t make my mistake and make sure to get 70% dark chocolate like the recipe suggests!
amazing one 🙂
wohooooooo….chocolate is my favorite food……i should make a chocolate blondie like that with full of nut….Love the sweeties cake 😡
Hi! Question! If I were to make the batter the night before, refrigerate, and bake them the following night would that affect the recipe at all? Want to bring these to a friend’s dinner party and bake it there!
Should I make them and they DO actually last longer than a day…how long would you say these would last (at room temperature, in the fridge…)? Thank you so much!
Hi Sarah, I absolutely love these blondies! They’re quick and easy to make and I usually have all of these ingredients in my cupboard. I have already made them a couple of times before and I’m making them right now for a Christmas party tomorrow. Can’t wait to share them! Thanks for the recipe!
xx Anne
http://www.mintandgreen.com
i love chocolate chunk nut butter blondies. <3
This looks delicious. I think it’s important to feel what makes you feel good!
Nice post ! thank you for your share!
Awesome recipe. I find it easier for sharing plus it gives you crispy edges all around.
Thanks for your post.
your recipes are a gift! Thank you.
I didn’t here about nut butter before, I am crazy for nuts and I will try to make it myself.
Aquafaba might be the answer to replacing the eggs for a vegan version! I haven’t tried it yet, but how fabulous would it be if it works!
Have you tried it yet? I’d love to make a vegan version for a friend!
I do not prefer chocolate then I often make my apple butter peanut blondies. The recipe looks nearly the same with the difference in ingredient preparation only. I bake my blondies for 35 minutes, some minutes longer than yours but I still find no problem with my time setting as usual. I will try this next time as I have just given some dark chocolate from my colleagues.
Could you share your apple butter peanut blondie recipe? I’d love to make these for a colleague who is trying to avoid chocolate and requested something with apples. Thanks!
I’m getting used to making ordinary butter blondies, still sometimes they seem chewy upon being taken out of the oven. Even when I leave it for cool, there is no change in its taste. Not really sure how come? Once I found I set the wrong temperature, others are perfect instructions. I haven’t made a try for chocolate blondies.
I’m getting used to making ordinary cake batter blondies, still sometimes they seem chewy upon being taken out of the oven. Even when I leave it for cool, there is no change in its taste. Not really sure how come? Once I found I set the wrong oven temperature, others are perfect instruction. I haven’t made a try with chocolate blondies before this post.
Best brownie ever!
I have done this recipe with the 2 eggs the first time and it came out beautifully.
Today I replaced the eggs by flax eggs and it is absolutely delicious too! You might need to cook for 5 or 10 more minutes with the flax eggs.
I am also using only 11/2 tsp of bicarbonate soda.
Thanks so much for this amazing recipe!
mhh uhgh! so yummy! I made a batch today and already swallowed 4 of them! I love these blondies! Espescially because I can’t do grain flour so well that I can’t really have sweets so often but this is like an answer to my occassional sweet tooth, thank you so much!
I used peanuts with my batch (because that’s all I had at home) and a erithol+stevia sugar substitute and chopped some strawberries in it (can’t handle chocolate) as well as sesame seeds and a friend of mine (who didn’t knew about the sugar substitute an that this was healthy) swallowed 3 pieces as well and told me it is absolutely delish!
For everyone, who knows how costly store bought nut butters can be: I experimented a bit and realized, you can also use ground nuts/seeds instead of the butter. In my batch, I ground 250gr of peanuts (1 cup of peanut butter weights 250gramms) and proceeded with the recipe as said and the result was a bit crumbly but after cooling you could sink your teeth into it and it tasted lovely!
LOVE THESE!!! Wow they are the best . I have made them 4 times now , and mostly ate them all….whoops hehe. So good , thank you beautiful Sarah!
Has anyone tried making these with coconut? Maybe tossing them in a blender with some coconut oil? With the chocolate I would think something like a mounds bar or almond joy if some almond butter was also used.
When I realized this is basically a nut butter souffle my creative juices started racing.
Thanks so much.
PT
These are great! I make them all the time. I like to add toasted coconut into the batter, AND most importantly, to balance out the baking soda I add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar. That neutralized the flavor, and makes it rise even more! Then I like to freeze them, and they get really chewy. FANTASTIC RECIPE! THANKS SARAH!
Wow, thanks for posting this solution! I didn’t notice the baking soda flavor straight away (when I helped myself to one or five squares), but it was disappointingly present the next day. I wanted to make these again tonight but the only thing holding me back was that next-day aftertaste- glad I checked the comments! :n)
I made these tonight and used 1/4 cup coconut sugar and 1/4 cup xylitol and a couple of droppers of vanilla creme stevia. They were great. Not too sweet. I made them with almond butter and bitter chocolate. Thanks for a recipe I can eat!
The chocolate looks SO wonderful. Thanks for this recipe. I am going to try it now.
Help me out here! These are amazing. I just made a batch with peanut butter, used one regular egg & one flax egg, and the darkest chocolate I had in the house. I’ve eaten four in a row. These are amazing. Thanks for another great recipe! (and the baking soda challenges referenced by others seem to have been resolved with the reduction to one teaspoon. no issues at all with the batch I made.)
I have made these 3 times in the last week – they’re that good. Each time I’ve adjusted the quantities slightly. My ‘nailed on’ version is now 180g of almond butter and 57g raw chunky peanut butter (for the crunch), 50g coconut sugar and 50g honey. My BF – who has consistently told me he hates nuts and chocolate together – loves these and asks for more. Last night I went to the shop in my pyjamas to get the ingredients for this – I had a mega craving. Happily wolfed it straight out the tin with a cup of tea! Fantastic receipe and great for someone like me who is constantly ‘dieting’. Thank you!
I decided to take a chance and used banana instead of eggs! It worked great, and I didn’t add any sugar either! They were a little cakey, so maybe using 2/3 of a banana and then adding 1/3 of the sugar the recipe calls for would make a better texture, but they were still really good and so easy!
your brownies really look delicious
I love a dense texture, but mine turned out too cakey, so maybe I left them in the oven too long or maybe whipped the eggs and nut butter too long? I did leave the chocolate out of 1/2 the pan (because I don’t like chocolate… yes, that is correct) and noticed the chocolate side’s (aka my husband’s side) texture was better and more moist/dense. I really need to add white chocolate to my side but haven’t found any natural organic soy-free sort, so a recipe on that would be fantastic!
can I just ask if it’s baking soda uk or us? meaning is baking soda bicarbonate of soda or baking powder? thanks, would love to try making these!
baking soda in the US is the same as bicarbonate of soda in the UK.
I made it today, although I substituted sugar with xylitol and soda with baking powder. I didn’t have any chocolate at home so I quickly made a mixture of coconut oil, cocoa butter and cocoa powder and just added little thing to the dough. Came out awesome!
Oh and I didn’t use nut butter, I had only tahini and taste is amazing! 😀
Can you substitute the eggs with flax eggs in this recipe without changing the outcome too much? I really want to try them but am allergic to eggs. Thank you, Sarah! I’m the biggest fan of all things you! Just tried your mac ‘n tease last night and WOW. Even won over my cheese-loving boyfriend. 🙂
Can you substitute the eggs with flax eggs in this recipe? I’m allergic but these look so good! Thank you for everything I’m the biggest fan of all things you!
Just made these with very small variations : very bitter chocolate 99% cocoa content, one teaspoon of baking soda instead of two and the result is just perfect (for me – I don’t like anything too sweet).
Thank you for your wonderfull blog, I am looking forward receiving your recipe book (I have ordered three for sharing with close ones the inspiring and mostly easy recipes, with relatively (few!) easy ingredients to assemble and to find.
One suggestion : I know you want to address all people, also those who only dispose of basic kitchen appliances only but it would save a lot of time for some of us if you could indicate the possibility to use more specialized kitchen tools for certain taxing jobs. I am 63 and whisking things (especially the mix above) by hand for some time is hard.
Thank you
Hey guys!
Sorry to hear about the baking soda flavour – I didn’t notice it at all in any of my experiments, but nevertheless I’ve reduced the amount to 1 teaspoon hoping that it will still rise the same way. Good luck!
Best,
Sarah B
These were so disappointing!! And expensive to make! I’ve loved everything I’ve made from your site, but these were terrible. Waaaaayyyyy too much baking soda. Bitter and inedible, I threw the whole mess out. I would suggest you alter the recipe, as they would likely be lovely with less baking soda.
Mind you, be aware of the baking soda uk and us difference. Personally I’m terrible at remembering which is what. This could be a reason (although if you’ve made things from this site before using baking soda, it might not).
Thank you Sarah for this recipe, I just made these and they are delicious and decadent, with all those healthy fats from nuts, it can be as a second breakfast as well as a treat! Thanks to reading the comments I used just one tsp of soda with success and raw honey mixed with 1 tbsp of muscovado. I think I might stick with this recipe forever! It is a keeper..
Hey Sarah!
I’ll take advantage of this awsome recipe to ask you something I’ve been wondering about for a while about sugar. Reading here and there through MNR about “regular” sugar replacements, a few exceptions aside, you don’t seem to suggest using whole cane brown sugar (muscovado sugar). I know it’s as high as its white counterpart on the glycemic scale, but shouldn’t it at least retain all of its good properties, since it’s not processed? It’s all I use for sugar (for now), so I’d be interested in learning more.
Thanks for your work and all the love that shines through!
Lucia
Hey Sarah!
I’ll take advantage of this awesome recipe to ask you something about sugar I’ve been wondering about for a while. I’ve read here and there on MNR about your suggestions for “regular” sugar replacements, and a couple exceptions aside you don’t seem to mention cane whole brown sugar (muscovado sugar) as a valid aternative. I know it’s just as high as it’s white counterpart on the glycemic scale, but it’s supposed to retain all of its good properties at least, no? That’s all I use for sugar (for now), so I’d be interested in learning about that.
Thanks for your work and all the love that shines through!
Lucia
I really like this, it looks so delicious. can’t wait to try it mayself.
I’m jealous, seems like many of you had success with the recipe except for me. I think I need to try this recipe again, but it’s hard to convince myself to do so when you’re using high quality ingredients (ie expensive). 2tsp is way too much baking soda. I can taste it and the top is all baked bubbly from it. Plus how much are we beating the eggs? Until combined or until a bit fluffy? I’d do 1 less egg, found the taste to come out strong.
Mine also tasted way to strongly of baking soda. The blondies came out beautifully and I thought the texture was really fantastic. But the baking soda taste sort of put me off, however my husband couldn’t taste it and thought they were delicious. I wonder if the taste of baking soda can be more pronounced for some people than others?
Mine also came out tasting so strongly of baking soda that I had to throw them out! Such a shame. It wasn’t just me– three houseguests also tried and agreed that they were too bitter to bother eating. They rose in the pan more than I’d expected anyway– maybe I’d try halving the baking soda?
Sarah! I love your blog and recipes’s. I’ve turned many, many foodie friends onto your blog. Your recipes usually blow my tastebuds away, as well as the many people I share my cooking with. However, this recipe left a bit to be desired. I followed the recipe exactly, however, once done, my dish tasted of baking soda. Meh 🙁 I noticed another reader made this exact comment, and I also consulted with a dear friend who is a chef, she told me her dish tasted similarly. Would love to know how to correct this, particularly because the simplicity and deliciousness of this grain free dessert should be enjoyed throughly! Many thanks for your endless investment in creating outstanding recipes. <3
these look so good i need to try these out as soon as possible
Oh my, that chocolate blondie looks so decadent! Now I want to befriend that Adam friend of your’s!! lol
Juju
http://www.jujusprinkles.com
These are AMAZING! They didn’t even last 24 hours. My husband is a huge sweets fan and usually doesn’t love the healthy alternatives I come up with but these sold him! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!!
My dear Sarah. You are the reason I’m gonna get really, gloriously fat, seeing as I’ve made these babies three (!) times (!!) since you posted the recipe (!!!). These are INSANE. My first batch kinda failed, though. I used sunflower butter and the “blondies” turned out a dark greenish color. Umm…okay. I’m not ashamed to admit I munched them down anyway, haha. I’m glad I kept on experimenting after the “greenies”, because I’m happy to announce I may have just found the best combination of flavors EVER: cashew butter, 1/4 cup honey (I replaced some of the coconut sugar) and a 92% (!) chocolate bar. I’m actually on a major chocolate chunk nut butter blondie high as we speak, so I’m off. I’m gonna lie on the couch and just gaze and sigh a little bit. Thank you, as always. And I will send you the bill for some new clothing in bigger sizes 😉 xo
Sarah B., your recipes are a gift! My blondies are baking right now, and the smell alone is killing me! Thanks for the opportunity to make a decadent treat in a little more healthful way 🙂
Really digging the simple ingredients in this recipe. May just have to whip these up (for ourselves!) for Valentine’s Day!
Made these this morning, I used organic roasted hazelnut butter and dark chocolate w sea salt, waiting patiently for them to cool… thanks for the recipe! looking forward to enjoying a piece with a cup of black earl grey tea 🙂 xx
I just made these as is. Well, with the addition of some chopped up crystallized ginger cause it seemed to scream for some 😉 and they came out with the after taste of baking soda. Not sure what I did wrong as I followed your recipe to the tee. Next time I’m gonna adding only 1 tsp of the baking soda and see if that helps. Thoughts?
Made these yesterday and they are so delicious! I can’t believe there is no flour in them! Yummm
I made ’em- ya they’re great! I used fresh ground peanut butter (and as you suggest to make sweeter)- lessened the amount of coco sugar then added 2 tblsp dark molasses + 2 tblsp organic dark brown sugar- and they came out great- had to cook longer b/c humidity very high in Pacific Northwest… Yum! thank you
Oh my goodness. I just made these with modtly Mayvers peanut butter and about a third Mayvers Dark Chocolate SuperSpread which has chia, sesame, chocolate and nuts in it. Devine! I’m having a small dinner party this Saturday for Valentine’s and these will definitely be on the menu maybe with a small dollop of fresh cream and berries. I will never make brownies with grains again 🙂
Hi Sarah, would love to hear your thoughts on dangers of cacao:
http://stirringchange.com/raw-cacao-hype-vs-science/
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/toxiccacao.html
Thanks 🙂
Oh, I take my cravings seriously too… usually by reaching for one of the chocolate bars we keep stashed way up on the top shelf of our cabinet (good thing I’m tall). The blondies would certainly take care of it. Just saw a pie with cashew cream and now this! I need to start using nuts more in my desserts.
Good sourdough, now that’s something I can relate to (given I bake pathologically, and only with wild yeast!).
These really look splendid, and you’re right to go into depth on chocolate selection. There’s a huge abyss between good (and certified) chocolate vs. the typical bottom-of-the-shelf store bought stuff. It’s worth a few extra pennies.
Thanks for the weekend baking inspiration! I think a little sprinkle of sea salt on top would set it off, too 🙂
Looks delicious!
These do look nice, but I am so surprised to see sugar in one of your recipes. From what I’ve read sugar in any form coconut, maple, ghost honey etc. are all processed the same in our bodies. Is that correct? I appreciate the knowledge you add to your posts and your recipes. I’ll stick with the amazing nut and date raw brownies!
Gah! These blondies look amazing. I want one right now. 🙂
These blondes are so delicious. I have a terrible sweet tooth and these hit the spot, AND they’re packed full of goodness. Thank you Sarah
Finally blondies (brunetties?) I can get behind! I am not able to eat blondies when I go to someone’s house, because even if they are gluten free (which doesn’t happen often), they are usually so terribly sweetened with white sugar. these look divine!
these sound fantastic! my favourite treat to make for a while was a brownie made almost entirely from nut butter and chickpeas. i know what you mean, when i want a sweet thang i want to be able to take a big hefty bite! no airy flakey cakes here.
Awesome recipe Sarah thank you so much I am definitely making it
Oh my God Sarah what an awesome recipe. Thank you so much I am definitely making it
Oh. My. God. I made these last night (with a pecan, almond & hazelnut butter) and they are simply AMAZING. Thank you Sarah!
These are absolutely my new favorite gluten free dessert! I made them with the suggestion of replacing 1/4 cup of sugar with maple syrup, which resulted in a more runny batter and needed extra baking time as a result. But they were delicious! And yes definitely didn’t last past 24 hours, I couldn’t keep my paws off them (:
Thanks for this rockstar of a recipe!
these look fabulously good – just in time for Valentines – perfect, thank you!
Mary
thank you very much for sharing this delicious recipe. i will surely have to try and check these out when i get these home. i may have to grab some ingrediedents but its surely gonna hit the right spot. thanks so much for sharing…..Thanks!!
Hey Sarah,
Nice recipe
I always use a muffin tray for my brownies. I find it easier for sharing plus it gives you crispy edges all around 😀
Dieuwke
Hi Sarah!
These look divine! Do you have any recommendation on chocolate brands? I’m having a really tough time finding anything without soy lechitin! I was going to give buying something online a shot. Any advice on where to start looking? Thank you!
I use Vivani Dark with 75 % or 92% Cocoa . They don’t use soy lecithin (they explicitly say so on their website) and sweeten their chocolate with coconut blossom sugar!
Your recipes are simply simple and wonderful! Ever since I found your website a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been cooking and baking non-stop. I can honestly say that your ideas beside their beautiful presentations inspire me to be good to myself (and others).
Can’t wait to hold your book in my hands and support all the wonderful work you’re sharing with us. Thank you!
in-cre-di-ble. i’ll make these right away. i’m always saying that.
Hi Sarah,
Wow – thank you so much!!! These look amazing and I can’t wait to test them out. Google tells me that bicarbonate soda and baking soda are the same thing…I just wanted to check if that’s correct. Sorry if this is a silly question!! xxx
These look absolutely divine! Since these blondies are “healthy”, I think these will be the perfect treat for the week! Great post!
Ditto that! Loved your tips about picking out chocolate. I love the 70% Dark Chocolate kind. Fun that your friend teaching sprouting classes ~ I would love to attend. Sprouting has been seriously taken over my brain these days. It’s sprouting this and sprouting that, but seriously, the smallest bunch of sprouts is 5 bucks and I can eat them in about 2 seconds and feel not so full. Need to sprout. Nuff said.
Sarah, I’m interested to know whether the temperatures that you state are for fan forced or regular ovens?
I just found this recipe amidst the chaos of my inbox and have sent out a call to my two girls.. It’s time to cook dinner but we have donned aprons and are busy measuring, stirring and tasting. Our house is filled, not with the smells of the dinner we should have been making, but glorious chocolatey goodness….
Oh Sarah you are fabulous. You write such truly lovely posts and your coming is fantastic.These Blondies look wonderful. Will be trying them this week. Would your friend Adam share his recipe for the Cottage Cookies, they look good too? Does he have a website?
Thank you for your time and energy you spend educating us all xx
oh i take my indulgences very seriously as well 🙂 do you have brand or two of chocolate that you recommend? Thanks.
I just made these and they`re spectacular! I used honey instead of coconut sugar (not available in my country) and a mixture of almond, cashew and sunflower seeds butter. Definitely on my hit list from now on: easy to made, hard to mess up and make a very good impression with guests. Thank you for the recipe and for your wonderful story, both made my day better 🙂
Nice going Oana! So happy they turned out well using honey. I think my nut butter is very runny, so using a solid sugar for me worked the best!
Much love,
Sarah B
WOW. Great post! I learned a few things I didn’t know about chocolate PLUS… I get brownies!
Sarah, this looks absolutely divine as usual. Which brand of chocolate did you use or would you recommend?
Whoa total amazingness lady!! I can’t wait to try these out! I too have been testing and tasting my fair share of sweet treats lately, developing a new desserts class, but I can still find room for these! I’ve made a blondie with tahini before and it was ace, but nut butter sounds incredible. Thank you as always! Xx
Sarah B – you are the bomb. This post is all kinds of good. Lovely and inspirational as always. From one corner piece girl to another, thanking you x
I think the chocolate makes these brownies… not blondies. Whatever you call them though, they look amazing!!
Oh man, these look so freaking good. Almond butter instead of flour?!?! This recipe is pure genius. Definitely making these soon.
These beauties look out of this world!!! Thank you for another amazing post! It’s only breakfast time here in Toronto and I’m craving these already. Can’t wait to make them!
These look wonderful! Can they be frozen for eating a few days later? I’m prepping for a Valentine’s Day party.
Hi Arlene,
I haven’t tried that yet, and I feel like the texture of them may get a little weird. I guess all you can do is give them a try!
Good luck and happy baking 🙂
xo, Sarah B
I froze them and they were absolutely fine and unchanged 🙂
I froze them too and they were delicious! Probably doe to the high fat content they ended up even more chewy and caramel-ly in the middle and didn’t even need much time to thaw. 😀
This looks SO yummy Sarah! Going to make it next week as a dessert for the retreaters 🙂 Looking forward to your book, big hug!
What an awesome post, Sarah. I absolutely LOVE your writing, definitely had a few laughs reading this one. And thank you for empowering us with knowledge on how to appropriately choose chocolate. Will definitely be saving this guide to share with my clients. And yes, I need these chocolate blondies in my house soon.
Hi Sarah, when swapping the coconut sugar for maple syrup, how much should I use?
I want to make these for my birthday, but how much is 1 cup of nut butter? X
1 cup of nut butter – how much would that approximately be in grams?
do you think I could substitute date sugar in place of the coconut sugar?
Yes, I think that would work just fine.
I’ve never seen either coconut sugar or date sugar available here. Would a more typical sugar (from regular old sugar cane or sugar beets) do?
Hi Janice,
You CAN of course use regular brown sugar in these, but if you have honey or another natural sweetener, that would be best 🙂
xo, Sarah B
How about xylitol (pure birch one, of course, not derived from corn) instead of coconut sugar?
can i substitute flax or chia for the eggs as I do in other baked good?
am at work now, but as soon as I’m free, will get these going!
Hi Emily,
You can but they won’t turn out very well. I mention this in the post in fact, so have a read and decide if you want to give them a go anyway 🙂
Best of luck!
Sarah B
hey Sarah, what is nut butter? I know nut mouse? Is it the same?
tanks..
Anna – nut butter is blended nuts. Check out my post here on how to make it yourself: http://mynewroots.wpenginepowered.com/2013/10/birthdays-layer-cakes-and-the-truth/
xo, Sarah B
You are like some sort of saviour for the sweet-toothed healthy eater! I love casting my eyes across your ingredients without ever having to back away. Keep it up, please, for goodness’ sake!
I have NO intention of stopping, Joanna 😉 So glad you’re enjoying the blog!
xo, Sarah B