Chocolate chunk and macadamia nut are the perfect pairing for these blondies. Chewy on the outside and gooey on the inside, these blondies are the best sweet treat and are incredibly easy to make. They can also be adapted to make nut-free blondies or dairy-free too! Take a look at the recipe below for some coeliac-friendly blondies that you won’t believe are glute-free!
Blondies are the lesser known companion of brownies, but essentially the same fudgey bars, just made with white chocolate rather than milk chocolate. My take on blondies are without the white chocolate but laced with vanilla, chocolate chunks and macadamia nuts, making them sweet and nutty bites of heaven. And, they are incredibly easy to make!
So, how are easy are these blondies to whip up. Well, even the less confident of bakers will feel comfortable with this recipe. After melting and cooling the butter, the eggs, vanilla extract, light brown sugar and white caster sugar is whisked in until completely combined. In a separate bowl, the flour, ground almonds, Xanthan Gum, salt and baking powder is whisked together before being combined with the wet ingredients to form a thick gloopy mixture. Fold in the chopped nuts and chocolate chunks before transfering the mixture to a square baking tin, and baking for around 30 minutes at 160C. Once the blondies have that classic shiny and crackled golden top, they’re done and ready for a drizzling of extra chocolate before being devoured! The key is not to overbake the blondies so that they retain that gooey texture rather than a cakey one.
What substitutions are possible?
Nuts– If you don’t fancy the macadamia nuts in your blondies you can substitute them for pretty much any of your favourite chopped nuts. I find chopped almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts work well too. If you need to make these blondies nut-free you can substitute the 30g ground almonds for 30g extra gluten-free plain flour.
Butter – Butter can be substituted for a vegan/dairy-free block if necessary. Try not to use a soft spread such as margarine as this may not work as well.
Chocolate chunks – Milk, dark or white chocolate chunks/chips can be used depending on your preferences.
What equipment do I need for these blondies?
- Square baking tin sized 8 inch/20cm
- 2 bowls
- Baking paper
What ingredients do I need?
Sugar – A mixture of light brown sugar and white caster sugar provides the perfect balance of sweetness in this recipe
Eggs– Eggs provide structure to the blondies and are best used straight out of the fridge in this recipe
Butter – Use unsalted butter for this recipe so that you can control the amount of salt being added. The butter needs to be cooled to room temperature after melting to avoid cooking the eggs when whisking up together. Melting the butter makes the blondies extra gooey so don’t skip this step!
Gluten free flour – A gluten free flour blend such as Doves Farm Plain Flour or Schär Mix C for Cakes is perfect for these biscuits. Self-raising flours tend to contain baking powder which means you can’t fully control the amount going in and therefore the spread of the blondies. Try to go for a plain flour so you can anticipate and control the spread with the baking powder that you add in
Xanthan gum – Xanthan gum is essential for most gluten free recipes and there’s no exceptions here. Doves Farm is my preferred choice but you can use any brand. Xanthan Gum is a gluten replacement for gluten-free baking and helps to replace the lost elasticity that gluten provides, keeping your blondies together and stopping them from crumbling into dry pieces later
Baking powder – Baking powder acts as a leavening agent, helping the blondies to rise. Any baking powder will work, just again, check that it is definitely gluten-free as not all brands are.
Salt – A pinch of salt in a recipe enhances the flavours of the other ingredients and offsets the sweetness of the blondies. I like to sprinkle a tiny amount of sea-salt on top of the blondies after baking too!
Chocolate chunks – Semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips are folded into the blondies in the final stage before baking. Any gluten-free chocolate can be used
Chopped macadamia nuts – Macadamia nuts are my all-time favourite nuts but any nuts can be used instead such as almonds or hazelnuts. Substitute 1-1
Vanilla essence – A few drops of vanilla extract enhances the flavour of the blondies. Vanilla paste can be used too or vanilla from a vanilla pod
Milk chocolate – Milk chocolate is melted and drizzled over the blondies at the end to finish them off perfectly
