Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe (2024)

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When it comes to dessert, it’s hard to beat this homemade Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe! Their crispy edges and chewy centers will keep you coming back for “just one more!”

Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe (1)

You guys, let’s talk blondies. They’re the unsung hero of the dessert world and they totally need more attention. Sure brownies get all the glory – because chocolate – but blondies are a canvas for all your dessert fantasies! Add nuts, bourbon, or even white chocolate chips – one bite and you’ll be hooked!

So how did we get on the blondie train, Julie?

Last week, I was shopping and spotted a bag of soft caramels at the store in one of those holiday baking hubs they have. My mouth watered at the thought of those rich, creamy, buttery, vanilla-flavored squares of happiness and it was game on!

I wanted to make something amazing with the caramels (and not just eat them straight from the bag for once). I had just made cookies over the weekend and a cake was way more than I wanted to dive into at the moment. Blondies however sounded like the perfect option!

I grabbed some pecans too, because nuts and caramel are besties, and ran home to start baking. Mike said these were just about the best blondie recipe he’s ever had. I second that emotion.

Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe (2)

What’s the difference between a brownie and a blondie?

Blondies are a vanilla dessert bar. They’re sometimes called “blonde brownies” since they lack any type of chocolate in the recipe. It’s common for there to be nuts in a blondie recipe too.

What’s the difference between a blondie and a cookie?

Blondies only use brown sugar which makes them soft and chewy with a crispy crust. While some people may classify them as a “cookie bar”, they are softer than cookies. So really, blondies belong more in the brownie family than the cookie family.

Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe (3)

Caramel Pecan Blondie Ingredients

  • Soft caramels – not the hard candies!
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter
  • Brown sugar – you can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Vanilla
  • Chopped pecans

I used pecans for my blondies, but you can swap them out for chopped walnuts or even macadamia nuts if you like.

The big thing to remember for this easy blondie recipe if that you need soft caramels. They get all melty and gooey while the blondies bake. It’s so freaking good!

If you can’t find soft caramels, you can use the caramel baking bits instead. You’ll need 7.5 ounces of the baking bits, which is about 2/3 of an 11-ounce bag.

Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe (4)

How to Make Blondies

  1. Start off by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. After that, line a 9-inch x 9-inch baking dish/pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over the edges. You could also use foil, whichever of the two you have on hand.
  2. Next, prep the caramels. Unwrap all of the caramels and then cut them in half. Then place them in a small bowl.
  3. Then you want to sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over the caramels and then toss to coat them in the flour. Then just set them aside for now.
  4. Let’s make some blondie dough! Start by beating together the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl for 2 minutes until it’s nice and fluffy.
  5. Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat all of that together until it’s smooth.
  6. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until everything is just combined. You don’t want to over mix!
  7. Go ahead and grab a rubber spatula and grease it with non-stick cooking spray. This dough is thick and a bit sticky. Take half of the dough and use your spatula to spread it into the bottom of your prepared pan. The dough should be a nice even layer.
  8. Grab the caramels and sprinkle them all over the blondie dough. You can leave any excess flour in the bowl. Then sprinkle the pecans all over the caramels.
  9. Now you want to add big dollops of the remaining blondie dough all over the caramel layer. Re-grease your spatula and press the dough out so it covers the caramels and nuts.
  10. Then all you need to do is pop the baking pan into the oven and bake for 25 to 30minutes. The blondies are done when the edges are crispy and golden and the top is set, but still soft.
  11. Take the blondies out of the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use the parchment to lift the blondies out of the pan. Peel the paper off the sides and bottom of the blondies before discarding it. Cut the blondies into 16 bars and dig in!

Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe (5)

You can serve this blondie bar recipe warm with the caramel all gooey, or at room temperature. They’re especially delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

If you’re making these craveable chewy blondies around the holidays, you can use a stencil on top and then sprinkle some powdered sugar over the bars. I usually go with snowflakes. It adds a little something-something to our cookie plates.

Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe (6)

If you’re craving dessert now, as you should be, here are some of my other favorites!

Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe (7)

Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe

Julie Kotzbach

When it comes to dessert, it's hard to beat this Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe! Their crispy edges and chewy centers will keep you coming back!

4.67 from 12 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 bars

Calories 234 kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch x 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper or foil, letting it hang over the edges.

  • Unwrap the caramels and cut each piece in half. Place the caramels in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of flour. Toss to coat the caramels. Set aside.

  • In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat until combined.

  • In a medium bowl, mix together 1 3/4 cups flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until just combined.

  • Add half of the blondie dough to your prepared baking dish. Coat a rubber spatula with non-stick cooking spray and press batter evenly around the bottom of the baking dish. The batter is thick and will be a bit sticky.

  • Top the dough with caramel pieces, leave any excess flour in the bowl. Be sure to spread the caramels evenly over the dough. Sprinkle pecan pieces over caramels.

  • Place large dollops of the remaining blondie dough over the caramels and nuts. Spray the spatula again and press the batter out into an even layer so that it covers the top as much as possible.

  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the top is set but still soft. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

  • Remove blondies from the pan using the parchment paper to lift them out. Peel the paper off the sides and bottom of the blondies and then discard it. Cut the blondies 16 equal squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. They're really good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top too!

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 122mgPotassium: 80mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 214IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Keyword blondie recipe, blondies

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Caramel Pecan Blondie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you tell if a blondie is undercooked? ›

It shouldn't jiggle but it may look a bit underdone and feel soft when you press it. That's perfect as the blondie will continue to cook in the pan after you take them out of the oven. For more cakey blondies, bake them until the center is set and feels relatively firm when you press it with a finger.

What is a blondie dessert made of? ›

Blondies are basically 'blonde brownies.' There is no cocoa or melted chocolate in the batter of a blondie. Instead, blondies are made with brown sugar for a rich butterscotch flavor and plenty of vanilla extract for a wonderful vanilla flavor. A good blondie is gooey, chewy, and a little fudgy.

What flavor is blondie? ›

What Is a Blondie? Whereas brownies depend on chocolate for their flavor, for blondies it's all about the brown sugar. This gives the blondies their distinctive molasses flavor. Since brown sugar is the critical flavor here, I suggest using dark brown sugar.

Are blondies meant to be gooey in the middle? ›

A good blondie should be chewy, gooey in the middle and firm around the edges. If you want to add an additional egg yolk to this recipe to make the blondies super gooey, you can! Just to clarify, that would be 1 whole egg plus 2 egg yolks. Try it if you like gooey blondies!

Can you eat raw blondies? ›

In the UK, eggs with the Red Lion seal of approval are safe to eat raw or undercooked. So you can slightly undercook blondies and brownies if you prefer a fudgier texture. However, if you don't cook them enough, you just have a tray of uncooked batter.

What is the difference between a brownie and a blondie? ›

Blondies use vanilla extract and brown sugar instead of cocoa powder to get their flavor, while brownies use chocolate and cocoa. Plus, brownies usually include white sugar instead of brown sugar. So, now that you know the differences between brownies and blondies, it's time to try your hand at your own brownie recipe.

What is a golden blondie? ›

A centre of mouth-watering white chocolate flavoured ice cream swirled with caramelised white chocolate syrup encased in a layer of creamy caramel flavoured ice cream, packed with blondie pieces, all coated in golden chocolate with more blondie pieces.

What did blondies used to be called? ›

History. The first recipe for blondies ever was published in 1896 by Fannie Farmer. She was a pioneer of modern American cookery. Interestingly they were called “brownies” when the recipe first came out but it contained vanilla and molasses instead of cocoa. which gave the blondies their golden color.

How to know when blondies are done baking? ›

8Bake the blondies until the edges look dry and the middle looks shiny and slightly underbaked, 20 to 30 minutes. 9Cool to room temperature before removing from the pan — this step is essential and helps the blondies set.

Why do my blondies sink in the middle? ›

Over mixing the eggs: If you over mix the eggs, that can incorporate more air into the batter and cause them to sink.

What does an underbaked cake look like? ›

A wobbly or firm middle that doesn't bounce back is a sign that the cake needs more baking time. When you insert a thin skewer in the cake, it should come out clean (or with a few dry crumbs). If you pull it out and wet cake mixture has stuck to the skewer, it means the cake has not finished baking completely.

How do you soften hard blondies? ›

Place a couple of pieces of white bread over the top of the cut-up brownies in a sealed container, such as plastic Tupperware. Leave it to sit overnight. The brownies will absorb moisture from the bread, according to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The next day, they will be tender once again.

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