Honey, I baked!
BTW, if you ever hear me complaining about my job please remind me of the time I made and ate so many Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies that my face broke out. I mean the side effects stink, but baking batch after batch of ooey gooey gluten free blondies this past past week has been a total dream.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies are like under-baked cookies in bar form which, if you’re into cookies for the dough and not the tedious scooping (hi, me), this recipe will totally work for you!
What are Blondies?
If you’ve never heard of a blondie, they’re basically brownies without the cocoa, flavored with fragrant vanilla extract instead. Plus blondies are sweetened using brown sugar versus white sugar so they’re fantastically chewy with a tacky, dense center. They are such a treat!
This version of blondies adds peanut butter and dark chocolate chips because WHY THE HECK NOT. Ahem. That is to say, like Ross and Rachel, pizza and Joey, and Rachel and her ever-changing hair (god bless Friends re-runs) the duo of chocolate and peanut butter is iconic and absolutely delicious.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies are also made in one bowl with everyday ingredients that I guarantee you have in your kitchen right now. They’re incredibly easy to whip up, and a joy to eat. And eat. And EAT. (Pass the night cream.)
Let’s bake!
How to Make this Recipe
Start by adding melted >> cooled butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl then whisk to combine.
Next add peanut butter then whisk to combine. I haven’t tested this recipe using “natural-style” peanut butter, aka the drippy/runny kind, so I can’t say for sure how it would affect baking time/texture.
Rounding out the dry ingredients is a couple eggs plus vanilla extract.
Switch to a spatula then stir in gluten free 1:1 or “measure for measure” flour plus baking soda and salt.
I tested this recipe using King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour blend. Whatever blend you use, make sure it’s a 1:1 or cup for cup blend that includes a binder like xanthan gum, vs a single gluten free flour like almond flour.
Then add dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips. Since these bars are super rich, I like going the dark chocolate route since they’re less sweet than semi-sweet or milk chocolate. Enjoy Life is my go-to for gluten free chocolate chips!
Scoop the batter into a nonstick sprayed 9×13″ baking dish then press into an even layer and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees or until the center is just barely set. Much better to under-bake these blondies a tad than over-bake, or else they can turn crumbly.
Also, I found that I couldn’t rely on a toothpick to check for doneness in this recipe (the first time I made them a toothpick stuck into the center came out clean but the dough was still completely molten,) so gently press with your fingertips in the center. If it feels jiggly, keep baking.
As with many gluten free baked goodies, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies taste better and better the longer they sit. Translation: as yummy as they are on day 1 after cooling, be sure to save some for days 2 and 3. YUM!! Hope you love these chewy, gooey, gluten free treats! Enjoy!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies
Description
Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies are the ultimate gluten free treat! Dense, chewy, and chocolaty, this 1 bowl dessert recipe is unforgettable.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (see notes)
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups gluten free 1:1 baking flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then spray a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Add cooled melted butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl then whisk to combine. Add peanut butter then whisk to combine. Add eggs and vanilla then whisk until smooth. Add gluten free flour, baking soda, and salt then switch to a spatula and stir to combine. Lastly, add chocolate chips and stir to combine.
- Scoop mixture into prepared baking dish then use the spatula to press dough into an even layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until center is just barely set, placing a piece of foil gently on top of the baking dish at the 20 minute mark. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Better to underbake vs overbake these blondies or they can get crumbly. In my experience, a toothpick inserted into the center does not indicate doneness. Feel the top of the center of the blondies with your fingertips. If it's jiggly, keep baking (just not for too long!)
- Let blondies cool completely before slicing into bars and serving. Blondies taste best at least one day after baking.
Notes
Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.
- I have not tested this recipe with "natural-style" (aka runny/drippy) peanut butter.
- I use King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour for this recipe.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Hi Kristin! This is a HUGE hit in our house. Our daughter was just told to omit peanuts from her diet to see if that might be what is causing stomach aches. Do you know how these might be with say almond butter? I have no experience with it so I don’t know if they will hold up or even taste good. Thanks!!
Hi Erika! Shoot – so sorry to hear about your daughter. :( Almond butter is a lot more runny than standard peanut butter so I want to say the bars might be softer/more dense – but I actually don’t think that sounds like a bad thing at all! You could try a half batch and see how it goes so you don’t waste a ton of ingredients if they don’t setup or something!
Hi Kristin! Thanks so much for sharing this Blondies recipe—-huge success! I don’t need GF so used regular all purpose flour. I sent 1.5 batches through the mail from Oregon to Colorado, where they arrived in Denver in two days but then sat in the mail distribution center for 9 days! Finally arrived in the town I was sending it to (an hour from Denver—go figure) My lifelong friend was just getting over the flu when these yummies arrived at 6:30 pm—-he msgd me with his mouth full and said they were so tasty, so good and only a touch crumbly from the long wait in Denver. I also sent a batch to my friend of 30 years and she loved them too! Both said the amount of peanut butter is perfect, so thank you so much—this one is a keeper!
Hi Kristin! I made this recipe and sent two packages in the mail to two of my Soul Mates. Very well received! These are delicious and I especially love the easy steps using just one bowl. I made different batches with semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips and caramel chips—-all are yummy! Thanks for putting this one out there…..I don’t have to look any further!
Love it, Ellen!! So thoughtful of you. :)
Hi Kristin! My question ti you is…..can this recipe be substituted with plain or self-rising flour and if so, which would you suggest? I’m not gluten-free but I do live so many of your recipes! I’m looking to send two of my soul mates out of state a sweet treat and these sound perfect—–but they don’t need GF. Thanks in advance for your advice and take care!
Hi Ellen! You should be able to use regular, all-purpose flour in place of the GF baking flour! :)
These blondies are true to everything you want in a chewy dessert bar! The flavour combo is classic, but I never realized that they get better the next day…which these blondies definitely did!
I like Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies dish. This dish was very tasty. This information which you give me on this post how to make this dish was very helpful for me. Your all dishes was very tasty.
I happen to have peanut butter, chocolate chips, and the King Arthur Measure for Measure (best GF flour ever!) in my pantry right now so obviously I HAVE to make these – thanks for the inspiration!
Woo! Hope you love them, Rosie!!
So do I! Can’t wait to make them!
Work from home life means that as soon as i read this post on Friday and had a break between Zoom meetings i whipped these up. SO GOOD. Also pro tip, warmed up for 20 seconds in the microwave with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top they are next level. :)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies a la mode – love it!
This was sooo good! I was out of butter so subbed vegetable oil, I also used the natural runny PB. It still worked great with those subs in case that info helps anyone!
Love it!! Thanks so much for letting us know about your substitutions – so glad you liked the bars, Karen!!
OMG, easy and DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Wohoo!! So glad you enjoyed, Deborah!
Looks great. Going to try to make them DF as well. Has anyone found a DF “butter” that doesn’t have an aftertaste? We have only used Earth’s Best and I don’t love it for baking.
Hi Rebecca! I have used Miyoko’s vegan butter in cooking/baking with great results: https://miyokos.com/collections/vegan-butter
I have used the Olive Oil based Becel with great results. I do use the avocado oil for cooking but I find it too soft for decent baking.
This looks so good! I love blondies and don’t see recipes for them too often. Definitely going to try this
I hope you love them, Lila!
I love your recipes and this looks delicious! Am I able to substitute for regular flour without any issues?
Yes that should be totally fine for this recipe! :)