Description
A warm, chewy, and deeply comforting dessert bar bursting with rich caramel-like molasses flavor! Featuring a buttery brown sugar base studded with chocolate chips and nuts, “Brown Sugar Babe” blondie bars are simple to make and endlessly customizable for any occasion.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar), packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Optional Toppings: Powdered sugar for dusting or caramel sauce for drizzling
Instructions
Prep Equipment: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer or whisk for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients: Crack in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix & Fold: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined (do not overmix). Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
Bake: Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool & Serve: Allow to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar, drizzling with caramel sauce, slicing, and serving warm.
Notes
Dark Brown Sugar Swap: Swap light brown sugar for dark brown sugar for a deeper, richer molasses flavor.
Vegan Option: Substitute butter with coconut oil or plant-based butter, and replace eggs with flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, rested for 5 mins).
Gluten-Free Swap: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend containing xanthan gum.
Storage: Store cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature with a slice of bread or marshmallow to keep them soft for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert / Blondies / Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (1/12th of recipe)
- Calories: 270 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 115 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
Keywords: brown sugar babe recipe, brown sugar blondies, brown sugar bars, chewy dessert bars, brown sugar chocolate chip bars