Maple Walnut Blondies ~ if I could only have one blondie recipe for the rest of my life (egads) it would have to be this one. The warm butterscotch-y flavors of maple and brown sugar along with all those crunchy walnuts are impossibly good. In fact it’s one of the best desserts I’ve ever made.
Maple walnut has been a longtime favorite flavor combo of mine, so many of my favorite recipes feature the duo, like my maple walnut ice cream, and my maple walnut layer cake. I love how it spans the seasons, too. You might think of this as a fall skewing dessert, but actually I always crave maple when the sap starts to flow every spring. March and April will always be maple season in my book.
This maple blondie recipe is made in one bowl
A huge plus, right? No hauling out mixers or plugging in anything, for that matter, all you need is a silicone spatula and a big bowl. Nice.
Ingredient list:
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walnuts ~ lots!
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brown sugar
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flour, all purpose
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butter, unsalted
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maple syrup (or, believe it or not, maple flavored syrup like Log Cabin etc.)
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egg, large
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baking soda
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salt
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maple extract ~ my grocery store carries this wonderful flavoring, if yours doesn’t, find it on Amazon.
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vanilla extract
I’ve made this recipe several times and I’m a huge fan. It’s easy, it’s reliable, and the flavors are so good. Did you see that I said it’s one of the best desserts I’ve ever made? Truth.
Fair warning ~ these maple blondies are impossible to resist, and since I made multiple batches for this post, my husband and I did some serious damage to our diets. I don’t recommend making multiple batches, at least in rapid succession 🙂
Tips for making maple walnut blondies
- The walnuts are a big part of this recipe, and I always buy halves and chop them. They’re fresher than the pre-chopped nuts.
- Make sure your oven is at the correct temperature, check with an oven thermometer. It’s the most used tool in my kitchen.
- Don’t over bake these. 30-35 minutes is a good guideline, but your pan and your oven may behave differently. The surface will be golden, and the edges will look cooked. If the center is jiggly, it needs a little more time, but watch carefully! Remember glass pans tend to cook more quickly, I always use ceramic or light metal pans for blondies and brownies.
- I prefer my blondies slightly under cooked, so when in doubt, I under bake rather than over bake.
Honestly?
I made this recipe once with maple syrup, and once with the fake stuff, aka Log Cabin etc. And to be honest I liked it both ways, so whatever you happen to have, use that. I felt that the fake syrup resulted in a stronger maple flavor and aroma, which was probably due to the artificial flavor. But I have to say in this particular recipe it was pretty good, and I hardly ever touch the fake stuff.
Blondies are the best!
- Toasted Pecan and Dark Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Strawberry Lemon Blondies
- Outrageous Chocolate Hazelnut Blondies
- Banana Blondies
Maple Walnut Blondies
Equipment
- 9x9 baking pan
Ingredients
- 11 Tbsp unsalted butter, partially melted (in other words, half the quantity should be melted or almost melted)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp maple extract, optional find it online here.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F Lightly grease and line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper sling for easy removal after baking. Note: you can do without the parchment if you want to serve your blondies right from the pan.
- Blend the butter and sugar together well in a mixing bowl. Beat in the egg and maple syrup, then blend in the extracts.
- Sift in the flour, soda, and salt and then gently stir to combine. When almost fully blended, add 1 1/4 cups of the walnuts (save the last 1/4 cup for sprinkling on the top) and continue to fold until everything is incorporated, but don't over mix.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out. Sprinkle the reserved walnuts over the top and press down just lightly.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges look done and the center is not jiggling. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before gently lifting out the blondies with the parchment sling to cool completely on a rack.
notes and variations
15 Comments
Laurel Kuhr
November 13, 2020 at 8:02 amHi Sue! Thank you for being alive! I LOVE your recipes. I was gifted an adorable acorn/fall leaf cakelet pan and have been searching for a recipe that will do it justice. Do you think I can bake these gorgeous blondies in the cakelet pan instead of the 9×9 pan without major issue? Happy Holidays and thank you again!
Sue
November 13, 2020 at 8:35 amHaha, best comment ever! I wish I could say yes, but I don’t think blondies will work in that type of pan. You need something that will pop out and have a smooth cake-like texture, which blondies don’t. You should probably stick to a pumpkin or maple flavored cake for your pan. My pumpkin chocolate chip bread might work well.
Carmen
August 25, 2020 at 4:09 pmWould I double the recipe for a 9×13 pan?
Sue
August 25, 2020 at 5:56 pmThat should work.
Sally
August 21, 2020 at 4:37 pmNever made a blondie before. I dont know why this one drew me in but….epic. Lovely. Im officially ready for fall, even though it’s 98 degrees here in Texas!
Emily
July 19, 2020 at 11:40 amThese are great! At first I was a bit disappointed. They were not as chewy as I has hoped and the maple flavor wasn’t as pronounced as I was expecting. Fast forward a day and they were perfect! This gave the blondies time to settle and the flavors to deepen. I toasted my walnuts first, to deepen the flavor of those as well, so I didn’t sprinkle any on top for fear they would burn. I am on day 4 and they are still great, just as chewy and not dry or tough like some can get after a few days of sitting on the counter. One tip I have for that is only cutting one at a time and leaving the rest in tact. Less air gets to the rest of the batch keeping them fresher longer.
Lucy Varin
July 12, 2020 at 9:04 amThese are so delicious that I had to put in freezer so we wouldn’t devour them up. As you can probably imagine, they are equally as good directly from the freezer. ? Will definitely be making them again & again.
Your recipes are winners! Thank you Sue.
Sue
July 12, 2020 at 9:43 amHaha, thanks Lucy ~ I’ve tried the freezer trick too, it never works…I always just devour them frozen 😉
Maggie
March 31, 2020 at 8:17 amI’d like to try these blondies- I love maple! Your link to your maple extract takes to an Amazon page with lots of different extracts – would you please specify which one you recommend/use?
Sue
March 31, 2020 at 1:25 pmI use McCormicks right now, and like it, but I have used others, it just depends on what I can find.
Hope Powers
March 16, 2020 at 12:53 pmI eat gluten free and usually try to avoid desserts. However, this looks amazing. Do you think I could make it with almond flour instead? I am sure I could make gluten free baking flour work, but it just sounds as if it calls for almond flour. Your thoughts? And, would I have to add anything else to make it work? Thank you.
Deb
March 16, 2020 at 10:09 amDid you toast the walnuts before adding?
Sue
March 16, 2020 at 10:16 amNo, I don’t in this case. You certainly could, though, for a stronger flavor.
Noelle
March 16, 2020 at 9:29 amI’m embarrassed to ask because I don’t think I’ve used anything but pure maple syrup in baking, but Log Cabin… is that like Aunt Jemima’s pancake syrup? I have a bottle in my pantry…. please don’t ask… and I’m wondering if this might be a use for it.
Sue
March 16, 2020 at 9:59 amYes, exactly, Aunt Jemima will work! ~ I’m embarrassed to say it! 😉