14 Ingredients That Will Elevate Your Blondies
With their crispy edges and gooey center, blondies are the perfect hybrid of cookies and brownies. Although they're reminiscent of both classic sweet treats in different ways, they are their own entity and deserve to be appreciated for their unique taste and texture. Traditionally, you make the dessert bars with brown sugar and vanilla extract, which gives them their butterscotch-like undertone (yep, no chocolate involved). They're super easy to whip up because you don't need to spend time scooping them after you make the dough. Instead, you transfer it to a pan and bake it into a giant rectangle. Then, once they cool, you slice them into squares.
There's no denying that a basic blondie is flavorful, but since their base leaves room for other ingredients to perform, it makes it that much more fun for home bakers and professional chefs alike. Of course, you can toss in chocolate chips or dried fruit, but why not try something more adventurous? Even a few ingredients have a similar color to the blondies in case you don't want to sacrifice their natural color. There are endless possibilities for blondie variations, but these specific ingredients take the cake regarding delectability.
1. Pistachios
When you set out to find a fantastic addition to your blondies, you likely didn't think about adding a creamy green ingredient. However, don't let this stop you because you don't have the make the whole dessert a different color if you don't wish. One option is to add dollops of cream of pistachio to the top of the batter and use a knife to spread it and cover it with the dough; this way, you have hints of pistachio, but it isn't throughout the whole dessert. Instead, it comes as a wonderful surprise every now and then when you bite into the blondie.
When you add this ingredient to your baked good, it provides you with the cherished, classic flavor of pistachio but with a creamy consistency. Another option, if the cream of pistachio just isn't up your alley, is to chop pistachios and toss them in the dough. Gently fold the nuts with a rubber spatula so they don't all group in one area of the batter. Then, bake the dessert as usual and have a traditional blondie with earthy notes and specks of green.
2. Mashed bananas
Add mashed banana to the batter to make fruity and extra-sweet dessert bars. Banana is a perfect addition because it doesn't alter the color of the sweet treat, so you still have the classic blondie look. Of course, it does have little dark dots if you look closely, as you see in banana bread, but it gives the blondies a unique look. Not to mention, banana is known to make cakes and other baked good extra moist.
To try this ingredient, mash one or two bananas in a separate bowl until no large chunks are left. One fruit will do if you plan to make just a small pan of them. Next, add it to the mixed butter, brown sugar, and eggs. It incorporates a lot easier if you add it with the wet ingredients than at the end of the process with the flour. Finally, bake the blondies as usual and see how the saccharine aroma of the fruit fills your kitchen.
3. Brown butter
Duff Goldman stands by his belief that brown butter enhances blondies, and we absolutely agree with him. Although it takes extra effort to prepare the brown butter, the results are worth it. If you've never tried brown butter, you are losing out on a nutty, complex ingredient that's both sweet and savory. When Goldman makes his brown butter, he uses salted butter, but unsalted works, too. Since usual blondie recipes already contain butter, it is a no-brainer because you simply use the measured butter the recipe calls for. Place cubed butter in a pan on the stovetop and cook it until it smells toasty.
Aside from the smell, the color indicates when to stop cooking it because it turns darker. At this point, you should withdraw it from the heat source and relocate it to a heat-safe bowl. Otherwise, it continues to cook. Allow the brown butter to cool for a bit before you use it in the recipe because it can scramble the eggs if it's too hot (that doesn't sound too appetizing, does it?). When you munch on the baked blondies, they have layers of flavor and taste much more sophisticated than the average dessert bar.
4. Lemon
Create blondies with a tang when you add lemon in one way or another. The lemon provides a refreshing feel and makes the dessert squares taste similar to beloved lemon cookies or bars. However, they will still have the recognizable mouthfeel of a blondie. To add just a touch of citrus, use up to 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest; add it to the dough and mix to ensure it evenly disburses and doesn't clump. For folks who desire an undeniably lemony baked good, use lemon extract instead.
Find the baking extract in your local grocery store, cake supply shop, or online. Some extracts have a yellow hue, while others have more of a transparent look. It is your call if you want the confection to have a vivid yellow tint or a more natural look. Another way to include lemon is to make lemon icing to drizzle over the bars once you take them out of the oven. Any amount of citrus you add balances the sweetness and gives the bars an enjoyable tang.
5. Tahini
Tahini is the creamy ingredient you should add to your next batch of blondies. If you aren't super familiar with what tahini is, we'll give you the low down; it is a paste you can make from toasted ground sesame seeds. If you're not up to making it yourself, you're in luck because it's widely available to purchase pre-made. People often add it to cookies because of its earthy taste and pleasant consistency. When you allow it to be part of your blondie recipe, it makes the final product ultra-tender and buttery. Moreover, its pale appearance works perfectly in this type of dessert because it blends right in.
The best part is it adds flavor depth to dishes and pairs with a variety of common dessert ingredients, such as maple, cashews, pistachios, chocolate, honey, and more. So, you can make something like cashew tahini blondies which contain chopped nuts, white chocolate, and tahini. Or, add tahini to a basic recipe and then drizzle the top with maple frosting after it bakes and cools.
6. Rhubarb
The pleasant yet somewhat puckery taste of rhubarb is the perfect inclusion for your dessert bars. Because of how often people use it in baked goods, you might think rhubarb is a type of fruit, yet rhubarb is actually a vegetable. Don't let this fact discourage you from enjoying it in your blondies, though; it adds a striking dash of color to the confection. Sometimes its complexion is vivid pink, and other times it's green or red. Furthermore, once you cook it, the vegetable becomes much less celery-like and much more tender when you bite into it.
When you use rhubarb in blondies, you can cook it before you incorporate it into the dough. There are numerous ways to do so; you can blanch, roast, or simmer it. Though if you do opt to pre-cook it, beware that cooking the rhubarb might lead to water seepage, so be sure to drain the liquid. Excess water will impact the consistency of the batter. If you want to avoid that, chop it into small portions and add it to the batter directly before you transfer to the bakeware directly.
7. Espresso
Since you typically make blondies with brown sugar, they have a more profound sweetness than confections with regular white cane sugar. You can use this to your advantage when you add mix-ins because some ingredients, like coffee, draw attention to the sugar and vanilla notes in the dessert; this applies if you add just a small amount of espresso. Or, you can add coffee, so its bold flavor is in the limelight. Ultimately, it's your choice if you want to improve the taste of pre-existing ingredients in the blondies or make the bars entirely coffee flavored.
Many espresso baking powders are finely ground, so when you mix them into the batter, the consistency remains silky instead of grainy, like it would be if you use regular ground coffee. If you don't have a fancy espresso powder, no worries, you can add one or two shots of espresso to the batter, and it doesn't exceedingly water down the mixture. If you add more than that, you should counterbalance it by adding more flour. Otherwise, the dough is too thin and doesn't bake properly.
8. Chai tea mix
If you've never heard of Taylor Swift's chai cookies, the fact that you can toss the contents of chai tea packets into your sweet treats might be a surprise. However, it is ultra-convenient since the spices are pre-mixed, and you just need to open the tea bag and dump it into the batter. Chai tea bags typically contain cardamom, ginger, black pepper, cloves, black tea leaves, and sometimes additional spices. Therefore, this type of tea has the perfect harmony of sweet and spicy undertones, so when you add it to vanilla-based dessert bars, you end up with a warm and comforting dessert.
It is best to add the packet with the dry ingredients; use a whisk to blend it into the flour to prevent any lumps from forming. This helps ensure you have an equal amount of spice in every portion. When Taylor Swift makes her chai cookies, she decorates them with eggnog icing to add creaminess; you can take inspiration from this and make icing with powdered sugar and milk to create a similar effect for the blondies.
9. Red velvet cake batter
Use cake batter to upgrade your blondies into a layered treat. The deep color of the red velvet cake perfectly stands out against the light shade of the blondies. Not to mention, blondies have hints of vanilla, which pairs well with the mild cocoa taste in the red velvet. The easiest way to involve this ingredient is to use a boxed cake mix since it only takes a minute to whip up. But, if you are a from-scratch enthusiast, you're more than welcome to put in the extra effort and make the batter homemade.
You can use the two batters in the same pan in different ways. First, you can simply spread the blondie mixture in the pan as usual and then use a small amount of red velvet mix to add gorgeous red lines atop the dessert. Another way is to create distinct layers by placing the red velvet batter on the bottom, then layering the blondie mixture on top. Either way, you will have chewy blondies and fluffy cake in every bite.
10. Pumpkin
Pumpkin tastes phenomenal in blondies, but of course, the one thing to consider is how it changes the color of the sweet treat. It is easiest to use canned pumpkin puree since it is already prepared and lump free. If you use pumpkin inside the dessert base, one advantage is how fluffy and moist it makes the bars.
However, if you don't want the entirety of the blondies to have an orange hue, make a pumpkin swirl on top (similar to the red velvet design we mentioned). This way, you still have the classic look of the blondies in the base, and the surface stands out for its bight and creative display. You can also make pumpkin cheesecake blondies if you mix pumpkin puree into cheesecake batter and create a design on top. The taste of tangy cream cheese, distinct pumpkin, and hints of brown sugar is autumnal and satisfying.
11. Ginger
There are multiple forms of ginger that you can use when you bake desserts. For example, dried ginger powder, candied, or fresh ginger all add a slight kick of spice to your sweet treat. It's incredibly wonderful in blondies because they have a simple yet honeyed taste that complements the ginger. Additionally, ginger doesn't drastically change the appearance of the blondies like darker ingredients do.
To use the powdered version in your baked good, you only need 1 teaspoon of ginger per batch. Or, add 1 extra teaspoon and include other spices to make it taste like gingerbread cookies. Meanwhile, if you want to use fresh ginger, grate it into tiny shreds and use about 1 tablespoon in the batter. Candied ginger is tasty, too, since it has a unique crystalized texture on the outside and a gummy consistency on the inside. Chop it into small bits and sprinkle it on at the last minute before you bake the dessert.
12. Cinnamon
Cinnamon knows its way around the dessert world, so it's no wonder it works so well in blondies; after all, cinnamon and vanilla are a much-appreciated pair, no matter the context. While you can add a dash of cinnamon to the blondies and call it a day, there are other ways to improve it further. For instance, if you add cream of tartar, the dessert squares become reminiscent of snickerdoodle cookies.
Another way to make the most of cinnamon is to make cinnamon roll-inspired blondies. Add the cinnamon to the batter and then make a cinnamon icing to drizzle across the bars after you bake them. You can also try recipes like white chocolate cinnamon blondies, where the sugary white chocolate chips balance the taste of the baking spice. Whichever path you choose, make sure not to use more than 2 teaspoons of the spice because you only need a small amount for its flavor to be recognized.
13. Nutella
Nutella is the perfect contender for blondie additions because it is ready to go, meaning it is an effortless way to add flavor to the dish. The chocolate hazelnut spread is loved by many and is widely available in grocery stores. However, some may not know there's an Italian version of the product with a deeper, nuttier taste; it also has a more natural essence, but you might have to order it online or buy it from an Italian market. If you find a way to obtain the Italian product, it is undoubtedly worth a try, but of course, the American kind works just as well in blondies.
To use the chocolaty condiment, first have your pan filled with the blondie batter. Then, take a spoon and set small dollops in various places atop the mixture. If the Nutella is too thick, use the microwave to soften it and make it easier to manipulate. Next, use a toothpick or knife to swirl the Nutella around and create a charming design. Don't use too much, though; you don't want so much Nutella that it affects the baking process or overpowers the taste of the blondies.
14. Golden Oreos
One way to add spunk to your blondies while maintaining their color is to use Golden Oreos. Many folks use regular Oreos as mix-ins for brownies, so it only makes sense to make a pale version with the golden type. Add crushed Golden Oreos to the blondie batter before you pop it into the baking dish. Since these cookies are vanilla-flavored and contain the classic crème filling, they accentuate the vanilla extract in the dessert bars.
Another option is to spread the blondie mixture into the baking dish and press whole Golden Oreos in rows across the unbaked bars; press them down slightly so they stay put. The only downside when you add Golden Oreos before baking is that they soften, and some folks prefer their crunchy texture. If that is the case with you, sprinkle more on top of the blondies just before you eat them, and you'll have the crisp consistency you enjoy.