Ultimate butterscotch blondies made their first appearance in my life when I went away to college. I had never had such a buttery, savory, dense, chewy (almost fudgy) bar treat with a crisp crunchy bottom in my life, and from that moment on, I needed to recreate the recipe I had once eaten and I have. Now I make this bar cookie with butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips just about monthly and everyone that eats the butterscotch chip bars asks for the simple recipe!
Bite after bite, the butterscotch chip bars will delight!
You’ll Want the Recipe for Ultimate Butterscotch Blondies too!
Just to be sure it was not my sweet tooth or the fabulous Freshman 15 calling on a challenge when a parent would pick me up or a weekend at home, I’d also grab an extra butterscotch chip bars to share with one of them.
A unanimous, bonafide response from the parent judging panel who also had the same response as I did to the ultimate butterscotch blondies, “More Please! We needed the recipe!
Well, that was easier said than done because ‘BABE’ the one assistant in the kitchen said their recipe was a time-honored traditional school recipe that they had tweaked. So, it was off to the early version of the ‘In the Kitchen with Dana’ test kitchens to get this recipe prepped.
When Do You Serve Ultimate Butterscotch Blondies?
You NEVER need a reason to make a batch of the ultimate butterscotch blondies because they are a treat to enjoy any day of the week.
However, I will say that these are so pretty when they are cut into small bite-size pieces and sprinkled with confectionary sugar that they really lend themselves well to bridal showers, baby showers, and weddings (if you do those cookie tables!)
Since I’ve made this recipe, I’ve changed it up, tested it about 100x (yep we LOVE this recipe) and I take it with me to parties.
Here’s the best part of the ultimate butterscotch blondies recipe I am sharing with you today: you can double it. Doubling gives you twice as much (I know you know) but, you can really yield a huge ‘party tray’ of treats fast.
In fact, while it’s baking you can clean up, and get ready for your party as you will have about 40 minutes to yourself.
Butterscotch Baby! 1 Bowl Not 2
Ok, so here’s where I am so VERY different from all those bakers out there. I am using 1 bowl, not 2.
A large measuring cup is perfect to mix your dry ingredients in and it’s also great for melting the butter.
So, I am a 1 bowl kind of girl, it’s more efficient and it YIELDS great results.
Why create more dishes when you are just dumping what you measure into a bowl? I have no idea, but I don’t do that.
Are you with me? If not now is a great time to jump to a different recipe, like my fabulous cinnamon bread!
Of course, you can divide the ingredients into separate bowls and I’ll see you doing more dishes and spending more time in the kitchen!
What Kitchen Utensils Will You Need To Make the Ultimate Butterscotch Blondies?
There are 3 kitchen items I always use with the prep of this recipe:
large 1/2 sheet pan rimmed cookie tray (13 x 18 x1 )
nonstick spray
Beyond that, I use a hand mixer, bowl, and measuring cup.
Nothing fancy nor hard to find!
The large rimmed cookie tray is the to the success of this recipe and I learned that from my college days.
Yes, the bakers in the kitchen were preparing food for mass amounts of us, and the trays were great at making bulk amounts to feed the troops, lol.
So, I am not a ‘thick’ kind of bar girl and these are an inch thick and that is plenty.
The sweetness of ultimate butterscotch blondies is plenty in a square or rectangular bite and they can be cut as small or as large as you prefer.
Since these are rimmed trays, just drop the batter in, and spread it evenly and they bake to perfection.
In fact, the edges of the bars will crisp up, while anything from the edges forward is chewy yet, cut and maintain its texture and structure.
Really, when you cut a square or a rectangle or whatever shape you prefer, the ultimate butterscotch blondies recipe I am sharing HOLDS together.
No crumbling.
Optional Add-Ins Which Change the Taste
You can add in walnuts, I don’t as I have a child with severe food allergies.
Additionally, you could choose to add in chocolate chips, but this alters the taste as well as the principle of ‘blondies’ because once the chocolate is mixed in they become less blond.
However, I would be remiss if I didn’t share all of that. So, I’ve done my civic food writer duty. HA!
Most Important Tips For Butterscotch Chip Bars – It’s all about the butter baby!
In my particular method, what I have found is that I tend to make this recipe at the last minute. So the butter is always refrigerated and it needs to be so soft.
Well, my compromise is to heat one stick, at 50% power (for about a minute) that usually creates the butter to melt, without a spatter.
Then, when the butter comes out, I pop in the other stick and it melts down into the warm butter liquid. This way, the balance of temperature turns the butter into softened butter rather than just runny. I find that works well!
Pack that Brown Sugar In for Ultimate Butterscotch Blondies.
Now, always and I mean Always pack your brown sugar before you put it in the mixing bowl. It’s a must.
The brown sugar with the butter caramelizes creating the ultimate taste and it’s really what makes the Ultimate butterscotch blondies, Ultimate.
There’s no chocolate in these butterscotch blondies, the spotlight is on the vanilla, butter, and brown sugar matched up with the butterscotch chips, and the flavor just POPS!
Bake. Cool. Cut. Serve.
Ultimate butterscotch blondies will bake for between 35-40 minutes depending on your oven as they all vary.
When a toothpick comes out of the DIRECT CENTER, without any ingredient on them, they are done (in case you need a way to know!)
Allow the blondie to cool at least 1 hour before cutting, you can speed this process up by refrigerating (but remember the tray is hot so set it on a cooling rack in the refrigerator.
Once they are cooled, cut the blondies into small cubes, squares, and triangles. etc. whatever you prefer.
If you love confectioners sugar, sprinkle the cut ultimate butterscotch blondies with confectioners sugar, or just enjoy them as is!
The Recipe for Ultimate butterscotch blondies. ~ Dana XO
Ultimate Butterscotch Blondies
Please remember I use a large rimmed baking pan (Half Sheet 13x18) You can cut this recipe in 1/2 and use a smaller baking tray. (13"x 9")
I bake for a family of 5, so I go big! Adjust by cutting the recipe ingredients below in 1/2.
Ingredients
- Nonstick Spray
- Rimmed Baking
- Parchment Paper
- DRY INGREDIENTS
- 5 C of Flour (all purpose)
- 2 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp salt
- WET INGREDIENTS
- 4 Eggs
- 3 Tsp Vanilla
- 2 C Butter
- 3 1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar
- 22 oz (2-11 oz packs of butterscotch chips)
- ****Optional - 2 cups of pecans, almonds or walnuts, My images do not share nuts due to allergy issues**
Instructions
Make certain to preheat your oven to 350°F.
Next prepare your baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to come over the edges of the pan and spray it lightly with nonstick spray as well. (this makes clean-up so much easier!)
In a large mixing bowl, place the softened butter*, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Mix.
Then add in salt + baking powder + flour. Mix again.
It's time to spread this mixture in the prepared baking tray.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, check on it at about 25 minutes.
It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes to clean!
*Read my post for how to get the butter to room temperature fast without spatter or mess!
Notes
Remember this is a doubled batch.
Ultimate Butterscotch Blondies
Please remember I use a large rimmed baking pan (Half Sheet 13x18) You can cut this recipe in 1/2 and use a smaller baking tray. (13"x 9")
I bake for a family of 5, so I go big! Adjust by cutting the recipe ingredients below in 1/2.
Ingredients
- Nonstick Spray
- Rimmed Baking
- Parchment Paper
- DRY INGREDIENTS
- 5 C of Flour (all purpose)
- 2 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp salt
- WET INGREDIENTS
- 4 Eggs
- 3 Tsp Vanilla
- 2 C Butter
- 3 1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar
- 22 oz (2-11 oz packs of butterscotch chips)
- ****Optional - 2 cups of pecans, almonds or walnuts, My images do not share nuts due to allergy issues**
Instructions
Make certain to preheat your oven to 350°F.
Next prepare your baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to come over the edges of the pan and spray it lightly with nonstick spray as well. (this makes clean-up so much easier!)
In a large mixing bowl, place the softened butter*, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Mix.
Then add in salt + baking powder + flour. Mix again.
It's time to spread this mixture in the prepared baking tray.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, check on it at about 25 minutes.
It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes to clean!
*Read my post for how to get the butter to room temperature fast without spatter or mess!
Notes
Remember this is a doubled batch.