These sultry Cardamom Coffee Blondies with smokey undertones of espresso and the aromatic cardamom aren’t your mom’s chocolate chip blondie!
Don’t worry, cardamom coffee blondies still have the familiar brown sugar and butter crumb of a thick, slightly under baked cookie, the melted pockets of chocolate chips, and a crackled crust with that classic golden sheen. I’m just saying these aren’t your basic bake sale blondies…they’re definitely a little more worldly, which I think you’ll agree that isn’t a bad thing.
Cardamom coffee blondie ingredient notes
You already know I love the coffee plus cardamom combination. You’ve seen it in my Turkish coffee, truffles, and I use the combo in Turkish Coffee Shortbread, but there are so many other ways to enjoy these flavors that I’m always experimenting. (If you’re not familiar you can learn about Turkish coffee here.)
- THE SUGARS: Why use both? Brown sugar keeps blondies moist and chewy with deep caramel notes, while white sugar adds structure and gives them a lightly crisp edge.
- INSTANT ESPRESSO POWDER: Instant espresso powder is finely brewed espresso that’s been dried into concentrated granules. Instant coffee is weaker and won’t deliver enough flavor in these cardamom coffee blondies.
- CARDAMOM: The flavor is complex ~ bright and slightly floral at first, then mellowing into a cozy warmth with hints of eucalyptus and ginger. It’s decidedly less sharp than cinnamon.
- CHOCOLATE: I recommend dark or semi sweet in these chocolate chip blondies.
There’s just something about a blondie
My cardamom coffee blondies may be humble, but they deliver big ~ a paper-thin crackly top, chewy edges, and a rich, buttery center that’s pure brown-sugar comfort. I love those little Shar Pei–like wrinkles around the edges, and the way chocolate chips peek through the surface. Cardamom coffee blondies are simple dessert perfection.
tips and faqs for baking cardamom coffee blondies
Yes, if you don’t do coffee you can leave it out, cardamom chocolate chip blondies are delish!
Great question. Just like with brownies, our standard methods aren’t very useful. If you stick a toothpick into a perfectly done blondie, chances are you’ll come out covered with melted chocolate or brown sugary goo. With blondies there’s a little guesswork involved, but better to under-bake than to over-bake (and remember they really firm up as they cool.) My advice is to stick with the recipe directions, but check on the early side, and definitely make sure your oven temp is accurate with an inexpensive oven thermometer. It’s worth its weight in gold.
You might get different answers from different folks, but I want my blondies to be rich and dense, not at all cakey. My recipe includes a little bit of baking soda to give the batter a subtle lift, but the overall texture is moist and chewy.
Blondies freeze beautifully. Be sure to let them cool completely, then wrap in plastic, then in foil. They’ll keep for 3 months in the freezer.
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Cardamom Coffee Dirty Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder, heaped
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or paste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, measure by spooning flour into your cup and leveling off with the side of a knife
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 oz semi-sweet, dark, or bittersweet chocolate chips, save a few to pop into the top of the blondies before baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease and flour your pan.
- Cream the 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder and 2 tsp ground cardamom together until fluffy. About 2 to 3 minutes.
- Beat the 2 large eggs in, one at a time. Then the 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or paste.
- Whisk the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt together and then add to the eggs and butter, mixing just until combined.
- Mix in the 10 oz semi-sweet, dark, or bittersweet chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter (it will be thick) into your prepared 9×13 pan. Pop a few extra chips into the top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. Don’t over bake. They’ll be wrinkled a bit around the edges, and a little bit of squooshyness inside is a good thing.
- Cool before cutting. (or don't.)
Nutrition
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When you posted this, I knew I was in trouble. I dearly love blondies and when I saw the addition of cardamom, which I love, and espresso, I was ready to bake it immediately. I waited until last night and now my husband and I cut off a piece every time we walk by them. I need to quickly give a good bunch away, since we can’t keep our hands off of them.
I love this, Cathy! I truly love these blondies, too. The flavors are so smokey and complex, you’ve made me want to bake up a batch again today đŸ™‚
Can someone please explain to me what instant espresso powder is? I’m aware of instant coffee and ground espresso beans, but instant espresso is new to me. Thanks!
Instant espresso is just like instant coffee, but it’s espresso. I like it because it dissolves smoothly into recipes, where ground espresso beans will be grittier. You should find instant espresso right in your regular coffee section.
Your blog just came to me when i was searching for a really delicious coffee cake and you just saved my relationship.
Those look and sound amazing. I am going to try these this weekend. Can’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Oh my God, what a delicious looking cardamom coffee blondies! I could die for having a single bite of it.
Yummy! I love your post… I want to make this soon… Thanks for sharing.
I seriously can not recall the last time I ran into the kitchen to make something after pinning it not 2 minutes. I ran like heck though after reading this recipe. I am a giant cardamom fan and was super nervous about using a full tablespoon but WoooooooW are these amazing..uh-ma-zing! the blondie is perfectly chewy around the edges with an awesome gooey soft center. These are awesome warm from the oven and are just as good cooled..but I love them warm đŸ™‚ thank you so much for this recipe. My husband and two sons couldn’t get enough..We literally cleaned the pan in no time..lol
So glad you tried them and liked them, Sonya. I love cardamom too, and I think most Western recipes really skimp on spices!
I’ve been thinking about these ever since I saw them on FB the other morning. I need them to happen in my kitchen soon. Cardamom and coffee are already amazing together, so these sound fantastic!
You know, this may be surprising, but i have had not so much luck finding a blondie i really can get behind. So many of them end up so cloyingly sweet and i have a difficult time with that. But all that espresso powder, and cardamom, and the chocolate chips to balance it all out? I think i could do this one; i think this may be the blondie recipe that makes me like blondies.
Oh my, you certainly have me drooling this morning. I’ve never baked much with cardamon, I have it in my head that I don’t like it but you have me convinced to definitely give it another try! That melting chocolate is enough to make me cry that we live thousands of miles apart!