Blondies—named for their color—are the underappreciated cousin of brownies. Their butterscotch flavor is more subtle than that of an in-your-face cocoa brownie, but they are just as easy to make. We’ve also added toasty nuts and white chocolate, for a treat that’s begging for an accompanying scoop of vanilla ice cream.

What to buy: Be sure to pick up good-quality white chocolate chips, because the cheaper ones are usually waxy and filled with artificial flavors. If you don’t enjoy white chocolate, swap in your chocolate or butterscotch chip of choice.

This recipe was featured as part of our Back-to-School Bake Sale story.

  • Yields: 18 bars
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 35 mins, plus cooling time
  • Active: 10 mins

Ingredients (9)

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted
  • 1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter and flour; set aside.
  2. Combine butter and brown sugar in a large bowl and stir until evenly incorporated. Add vanilla, salt, and baking powder, and stir until thoroughly combined.
  3. Add eggs, and stir briefly until evenly incorporated. Add flour, and stir until just incorporated (no white streaks should remain). Stir in nuts and chips until just combined.
  4. Transfer batter to the prepared baking dish, and bake until golden brown and set, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting