Martha Stewart Blondies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

Martha Stewart blondies with chocolate chips and walnuts are a chewy dessert bar made with brown sugar, semisweet chocolate chips and walnuts, ready in 3 hours with cooling. It's an easy dessert bar recipe for potlucks, holiday cookie trays or bake sales, and it's a one-bowl bake.

Mix the flour in just until it's moistened and stop there, because overmixing makes the blondies tough instead of soft and chewy. Beat it too long and you lose the brownie-like texture that makes these special.

Martha folds only half the chocolate chips and walnuts into the batter, then scatters the rest over the top before baking. That gives you a crunchy, toasty crown of nuts and chocolate on every square, and a parchment sling lets you lift the whole pan out in one piece.

Martha Stewart Blondies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

230

kcal

A buttery, brown sugar batter bakes into a chewy, dense bar loaded with melty chocolate and toasted walnuts. Once it cools completely, it slices into 16 clean squares with a golden top.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
  

• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  

• 1 large egg
  

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  

• 1 teaspoon salt
  

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
  

Directions

• Prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F and brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter. Then line it with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides, and butter the paper too.
• Whisk the base: Whisk 8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Then whisk in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
• Add the flour: Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon salt, then mix just until the batter is moistened. Stop there, since overmixing makes the blondies tough.
• Fold in the add-ins: Fold in 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Then transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Top the batter: Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup walnuts over the smoothed batter. That way the top bakes up crunchy and chocolatey.
• Bake the blondies: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Then set the pan on a wire rack and let it cool completely.
• Slice and serve: Use the parchment overhang to lift the cake out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Then cut it into 16 squares.

Tools for this recipe

• USA Pan 8x8 square cake pan, Reynolds unbleached parchment paper, Checkered Chef cooling racks, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

How do I get neat, clean squares?

Let the blondie cake cool completely before you cut it, since warm bars smear and crumble. Then use a serrated knife and saw back and forth gently instead of pressing straight down.

Can I make these without walnuts?

Yes, you can leave the walnuts out or swap in pecans if you want a similar toasty crunch. If you skip them, add an extra 1/2 cup of chocolate chips so the bars don't feel plain.

How should I store leftover blondies?

Keep the squares in an airtight container at room temperature, where they stay chewy for about 3 days. For longer storage, wrap them well and freeze them, then thaw at room temperature.

Can I make these ahead for a party?

Bake them a day ahead, since the bars need to cool completely before slicing anyway. Leave the cake uncut in the pan, covered, and cut it into squares right before serving.

What's the most common mistake with blondies?

Overmixing the batter is the usual problem, because working the flour too much makes the bars dense and tough. Fold until just combined, and check for doneness at 40 minutes so they don't dry out.