Classic Gluten Free Blondies

5 from 19 votes

Prep Time : 20

Cook Time : 55

This recipe for classic gluten free blondies are rich, chewy, and satisfying. Plus, they're made easily in one pan so there's no waiting!

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These extra thick and chewy, buttery gluten free blondies with white chocolate and butterscotch chips even have that crackly top everyone loves. Add some maple butter sauce like in that famous restaurant, or keep them simple!

Closeup image of square gluten free blondies on white paper with more blondies in background

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What makes this gluten free blondies recipe special

These gluten free blondies are the rich, chewy, buttery bar dessert with the subtle butterscotch or caramel flavor that I know and love from my childhood. I like mine best with a mix of white chocolate chips and/or butterscotch chips, since I think they go best with all that molasses-rich brown sugar.

These maple blondies are so rich and satisfying. They're soft but also chewy, and they're sweet and buttery but not overly so.

To get that crackly top, like in the best gluten free brownies, you'll need to cook down the butter with the white sugar, and then add the brown sugar and melt everything together. Other than that, everything takes place in just one single mixing bowl, so it's easy to throw together any time.

What makes brownies different from blondies?

Blondies are also sometimes called blonde brownies. The main difference is that, in brownies, the main flavor is chocolate. In blondies, the flavor of brown sugar, which tastes faintly like butterscotch, steals the show.

Blondies aren't made just by eliminating the cocoa powder from our chewy brownies recipe. They're completely rebalanced with more butter, and lots and lots of light brown sugar.

Gluten free blondies: key ingredients

Here are the main ingredients for this gf blondies recipe:

Gluten free flour blend and cornstarch – I like to add a bit of cornstarch to an all purpose gluten free flour blend like Better Batter, for a bit of a chewier, softer touch; you can replace them both with Cup4Cup gf flour, which is a high starch blend, and then use all Cup4Cup.
Butter – In addition to giving the blondies a buttery flavor, this ingredient contributes to its chewy texture
Granulated sugar – There's not too much white sugar in this recipe; just enough to add tenderness without adding more moisture.
Brown sugar – But there's definitely a healthy dose of brown sugar as the molasses in brown sugar is what gives blondies their signature taste and color
Eggs – The eggs are what give this gf blonde brownie recipe its lift, and to bind the other ingredients together
Vanilla extract – Vanilla rounds out the lovely taste of these blondies
Baking chips – I find that a mix of white chocolate and butterscotch chips is perfect, but be careful with milk or dark chocolate as they might overpower the overall taste. Select your chips carefully, too, because some white and butterscotch chips contain gluten!

Maple Butter gluten free Blondies with ice cream and Carmel drizzle on a white plate

Bonus recipe: How to make Applebee's maple butter sauce

When I first published this recipe way back in 2014, I was focused mainly on the maple butter sauce. I was dying to replicate the maple butter blondies from Applebee's, as requested by a reader at the time.

To make the maple butter sauce, we take a basic butterscotch sauce, which is made with brown sugar, butter, salt, and cream, and then add maple syrup. All you do is cook the sugar, butter, and maple syrup low and slow, then add cream and reduce it slightly.

Make the butterscotch sauce ahead

The sauce can be made ahead of time, and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will solidify, so you’ll just have to reheat it gently until it’s smooth.

When you’re ready to serve the sauce, just uncover it and warm it in the microwave on reduced power, stirring frequently. You can also place a heat-safe container in a water bath in a small saucepan on the stovetop and stir, stir, stir.

And don't tell anyone, but when I make the maple butter sauce, I tend to do a double or triple batch. That gives me plenty to drizzle over other sweets, like cookies and cupcakes, as well as biscuits, pancakes, and anything else that could use a hint of decadence.

How to make gluten free blondies

Similar to gluten free chocolate chip cookies, these blondies have two types of sugar: granulated sugar and light brown sugar. To make them, first melt the granulated sugar with the butter in a saucepan. Then, remove the pan from the heat, and add the brown sugar. The residual heat will melt the brown sugar, but we don't want it to burn or seize up, so we don't expose the brown sugar to direct heat.

Then, in a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until they're foamy. You can use an electric mixer, or just a large balloon whisk and beat vigorously by hand.

While still beating, add the melted butter and sugars mixture and beat until combined. Everything will be super sticky.

Whisk together the gluten free flour blend, salt, and baking soda and add these dry ingredient to the wet ingredients. Again, the mixture will be very sticky and pretty thick.

Mix in some chips, transfer the mixture to a lined square baking pan, and bake. I prefer to use at least some butterscotch chips to enhance the butterscotch flavor of the blondies. Chocolate chips are just not the right flavor profile for me but if that's what you like best, by all means use them!

Hands holding metal mixing bowl and stirring gluten free blondies batter with white spatula

Tips for making this gluten free blondies recipe

Spring for the good maple syrup

Let's be honest: It's the maple butter sauce that makes these maple blondies what they are. And because the sauce plays such a big role in the overall taste, you should aim to use the best ingredients you can, namely the maple syrup.

I'm not saying that you have to pay big bucks for a tiny bottle of some imported stuff, but definitely look for pure syrup. But whatever you do, don't buy the fake stuff — the sauce is much too important to be watered down with corn syrup.

Use parchment paper for easier cutting and cleanup

For some recipes, greasing a pan is just fine. But for this maple blondies recipe, I highly suggest that you also use parchment paper. There are two primary reasons: more even baking and easier cleanup.

When you pour the blondie batter into the lined baking pan, the parchment will keep it from sticking to the walls of the pan. Instead, it will stick to the paper, which is easily peeled off after baking.

Once the blondies have had time to cool off, you don't have to figure out how to get them out of the pan in one piece — just lift the side of the paper, and your blondies will slide right out.

Don't cut those blondies until they're cool

These buttery treats still need time to firm up before you dig into them. If you rush to cut and eat them right out of the oven, you're going to find yourself with blondies that crumble and fall apart.

At the very least, let the gf blondies sit in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes. I recommend that you allow them more time to cool after removing from the pan, but I really wouldn't fault you if you couldn't resist just a little bite.

How to store gluten free blondies

After a couple of days at room temperature, I recommend storing these gf maple butter blondies in the fridge. Make sure you keep them tightly covered, so they don't dry out. Properly wrapped, they'll last about a week.

If you've made too many of these Applebee's style blondies, you can freeze them, so they'll last longer. I suggest portioning them into single-size servings and wrapping tightly in plastic wrap before putting them inside a freezer bag.

Your frozen blondies will stay good for up to three months, and when you're ready to eat one, just pop it into the microwave for 15 seconds to defrost.

Square metal pan with baked uncut gluten free blondies

Gluten free blondies: substitutions and variations

Gluten free dairy free blondies

There's a lot of dairy in this recipe, both in the blondies and in the maple butter sauce. I think you can replace it in the blondies, but the sauce is much harder.

For the butter, in all cases, I recommend vegan butter. Miyoko's Kitchen and Melt are my favorite brands.

Instead of white chocolate chips, I recommend replacing them with dairy free chips of another kind.

Can you make these gluten free blondies egg free?

I'm afraid there are just too many eggs in this recipe for me to suggest trying to replace them. They provide nearly all the rise in them, since there's only a bit of baking soda.

Mix-in variations

If you're not a fan of white chocolate or butterscotch chips, just make up the difference with the one you do like.

Likewise, if you like nuts, replace half of the baking chips with a tender variety like pecans or walnuts.

While you're free to use other stable mix-ins, I caution you to think about how strong their flavors are. These gluten free blondies have such a distinct taste, and I'd hate for you to mask it by adding something that's overpowering.

Cut square gluten free blondies on white paper with one broken in half in the center

FAQs

Are blondies gluten free?

Typically, blondies are not gluten free because they're made with wheat flour — and Applebee's blondies with the maple butter sauce definitely weren't.
However, you can enjoy that same great flavor without risk of gluten contamination when you follow my gluten free blondie recipe.

Are blondies just brownies without chocolate?

No! Blondies have their own distinct flavor that has a lot of notes of butterscotch because of an abundance of brown sugar.

Is maple syrup gluten free?

Pure, unadulterated maple syrup is naturally gluten free. Still, you'll want to carefully check product labels before using any product as there's always a risk for cross contamination.
For what it's worth, artificial “syrup” (as in, not-really-maple-syrup) can often be gluten free, but I really advise against using it in this recipe.

Is there gluten in white chocolate chips?

There does not have to be gluten in white chocolate chips. But since white chocolate chips are frequently made with a bunch of different ingredients, and often not made with any cacao butter, they do sometimes have gluten.
The same is often true of butterscotch chips. They may contain gluten.
That doesn't mean that you can't have white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips if you're gluten free. It just means that you have to be mindful of your sourcing.
Hershey's brand, at least in the U.S., is usually gluten free. Just be sure to read labels and check websites to make sure.
In fact, if you want white chocolate with real cacao butter, you often have to make your own. If you're feeling adventuresome, you can try our recipe for homemade vegan white chocolate.

Why are my blondies fluffy instead of chewy?

Did you use baking powder instead of baking soda in the recipe? The baking soda in these blondies is to help them brown in the oven and to neutralize some of the acidity in the brown sugar. Baking powder would definitely add lift that we don't want here.

Overhead image of cut blondies on a wire rack with one broken in half

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Classic Gluten Free Blondies

This recipe for classic gluten free blondies are rich, chewy, and satisfying. Plus, they're made easily in one pan so there's no waiting!

Course: Bars, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 55

Total Time: 1 15

Yield: 9 blondies

Author: Nicole Hunn

Ingredients

For the blondies

1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend I used Better Batter; please click thru for appropriate blends
½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (218 g) packed light brown sugar
3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces chips I like a mixture of butterscotch and white chocolate chips (See Recipe Notes)

For the maple butter (optional) (See Recipe Notes)

¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter chopped
½ cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
½ cup (168 g) pure maple syrup
¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream
Pure vanilla extract to taste
Coarse salt to taste

For serving (optional)

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease and line an 8-inch x 8-inch (for thicker bars) or 9-inch x 9-inch (for thinner bars) baking pan, and set it aside.

Make the blondies.

In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda, and whisk to combine well. Set the mixture aside.
In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the butter and granulated sugar. Melt over low heat, whisking frequently, until smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat, and add the brown sugar. Whisk to combine and to melt the brown sugar until smooth. Set the saucepan aside to cool briefly.
In a large mixing bowl, place the eggs and vanilla and beat with a handheld mixer or whisk with a large balloon whisk until foamy.
While whisking or beating constantly, add the butter and sugars mixture. Continue whisking or beating until very smooth.
Add the dry ingredients, and mix by hand until well-combined. The batter will be very sticky, and very soft and pourable.
Add most of the chips, and mix until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and shake it into an even layer. Bang the pan flat on the countertop to break any large air bubbles in the batter.
Sprinkle the remaining chips evenly on top of the batter. Bang the pan again a few times to help the chips adhere.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean, with just a few moist crumbs attached (about 40 minutes for the 9-inch x 9-inch pan, and about 50 minutes for the 8-inch x 8-inch pan).
Remove the pan from the oven, place the pan on a wire rack and allow the bars to cool in the pan until stable enough to move without cracking (at least 20 minutes).
Remove the bars from the pan, place on the wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing into 9 equal pieces.

Make the optional maple butter

In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the chopped butter. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the brown sugar, and stir until the mixture is wet and grainy.
Add the maple syrup and continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to look smooth (about 3 minutes).
Add the heavy whipping cream and switch to a whisk. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth (about 1 minute).
Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, for about another 5 minutes, or until it is slightly reduced and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat, and taste the maple butter with a clean spoon. Add pure vanilla extract and coarse salt to taste.

To serve

Place each blondie on a separate plate, drizzle with some warm maple butter sauce, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and drizzle with more sauce. Moderation is not really the point here.

Notes

For the chips

You can use any sort of stable mix-ins that you like. If you’re using white chocolate and butterscotch chips, like I do mostly, read labels carefully to ensure that everything you’re using is safly gluten free.

If you like nuts in your blondies, I recommend replacing half of the chips with chopped raw pecans. You can also use walnuts, or any other nut that is tender when raw.

For the maple butter sauce

The maple butter can be made a few days ahead of time. Store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will solidify.

When you’re ready to serve the sauce, uncover it and warm it in the microwave or in a water bath in a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth.

Nutrition information is an estimate, per blondie without the maple butter or ice cream toppings, made using an online nutritional calculator. It should not be relied upon.