These gluten-free blondies are rich and buttery instead of overly sweet, thanks to deep golden brown butter and plenty of salt to balance every bite. They have the chewy texture of a classic blondie, but the butterscotch chips melt into little caramel-like pockets that make them taste somewhere between a blondie and a butterscotch brownie.
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Skill Level: Beginner
Flavor Remix: Swap the butterscotch chips for white chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or dark chocolate chunks.
Allergy Watch: Gluten Free, Nut-Free
My favorite gluten-free treats are bars and brownies. They are quick and easy, typically only require one bowl, and they are great for parties and potlucks. I think my version of a gluten-free butterscotch blondie 100% fits this bill.
Regular blondies are good, but brown butter blondies have that deep toasted flavor that makes them taste bakery worthy without much extra effort. The dark brown sugar keeps them chewy and rich while the butterscotch chips make them playful enough for kids and nostalgic enough for adults.
One of the biggest testing lessons came down to the browned butter itself. Browning butter feels slow right up until the very end when suddenly it is perfectly golden or burnt in about ten seconds flat. Scraping the milk solids off the sides of the pan while stirring helps everything brown evenly instead of scorching. And after several test batches, every single taster agreed on one thing. The flaky sea salt on top is not optional.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Use unsalted butter or reduce the salt added by ¼ teaspoon.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar gives these blondies a deeper caramel flavor and chewier texture than light brown sugar.
- Gluten-Free Flour: Use any 1:1 gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum, like Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure.
- Vanilla Extract: Or use an equal amount of vanilla paste.
- Baking Powder: Don't skimp or use baking powder.
Tips for Making Gluten-Free Blondies
A step-by-step visual guide for making gluten-free butterscotch bars. You can skip to the recipe for the full written instructions.
Brown the Butter
Start by melting the butter over medium heat. At first it will just look bubbly and yellow, but eventually the milk solids will begin sticking to the sides and bottom of the pan. Stir and scrape constantly near the end because the butter goes from golden and nutty to burnt surprisingly fast.
Whisk In the Sugar
Let the browned butter cool slightly before whisking in the sugar. If the butter is too hot, it can scramble the eggs later. The warm butter helps dissolve some of the sugar which gives the blondies their glossy top and chewy texture.
Add the Dry Ingredients
Once the flour is added, mix only until no dry streaks remain. The short resting time before baking helps hydrate the gluten free flour so the blondies bake up with a softer texture instead of gritty edges.
Bake
Bake just until the center looks set and slightly puffy. Slightly underbaking the blondies gives you a gooier center.
Cool
Add a litly sea salt at the end for a more adult flavor. Fully cool the blondies before cutting so that they fully set.
Make Ahead and Storing
Make Ahead: Brown the butter up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Storing: Store the bars in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week.
Freezing: Layer the bars with parchment paper between slices, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for 2-3 months.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Blondies with Butterscotch
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 ½ cups (330 g) dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 2 (2) large eggs
- 1 ¾ cups (217 g) 1:1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking powder
- ¾ cup (127.5 g) butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8x8-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a rubber spatula, until the butter turns deep golden brown and smells nutty. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Transfer the browned butter and all the browned bits to a large heat-safe bowl and let it cool slightly.1 cup unsalted butter
- While the butter is still melted but no longer hot, whisk in the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Add the eggs and whisk until fully combined.1 ½ cups dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 large eggs
- Fold in the flour and baking powder until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the butterscotch chips. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and smooth the top. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before baking.1 ¾ cups 1:1 gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ cup butterscotch chips
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the blondies are set and slightly puffy. For gooier blondies, bake for less time. Cool completely before slicing.
Equipment
Notes
- It is better to slightly under bake than to over bake these bars.
- An 8 inch pan (vs 9 inch square) will give you a thicker cookie bar (this is what I used)
Nutrition
Recipe Questions
No, you can use melted butter but increase the flour by 1 Tablespoon to offset the increased moisture.
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