White Chocolate Macadamia Blondies are deliciously moist blondies with an intense vanilla flavor and a nutty crunch!
white chocolate macadamia blondies are for vanilla lovers!
With chunks of white chocolate and a good dose of vanilla, these might be the ultimate blondies for vanilla fans… that lovely flavor really lingers. But along with all that vanilla, there are notes of toffee and butterscotch as well. And let’s not forget the unique buttery crunch of macadamia nuts! It’s a monochromatic but complex layering of flavors that pack a big punch in these white chocolate macadamia blondies.
what you’ll need to make them
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder and salt
- unsalted butter
- brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- white chocolate chips
- macadamia nuts
what type of white chocolate for these blondies?
All by itself white chocolate doesn’t do that much for me, it’s one of those ingredients that blossoms when you combine it with certain other ingredients, like macadamias and vanilla and brown sugar. I used convenient white baking chips for these blondies, but if you’re a white chocolate aficionado, use good quality white chocolate and chop it into small chunks. If you find real white chocolate chips, go for it, the flavor will be lovely.
how to make brown sugar
What is it about brown sugar? Of all the boxes, bags and packets in my baking arsenal, it’s the one thing I’m most likely to be out of at any given moment. Or, if I’m not completely out, the remaining bit has gone rock solid. And when that moment comes right in the middle of making my favorite white chocolate macadamia blondies, it becomes a crisis.
So I decided to try an old trick—make it myself. Brown sugar is really just white sugar before the molasses has been refined out of it. So put a bit of molasses back in and—voila—you have brown sugar. And I have to say, from the feel and scent of it, it’s better brown sugar than you can buy. I couldn’t stop sniffing it!
- Just put a cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of molasses together and mix well.
- You can do it in the mini processor or you can have at it with a spoon. Either way it’s very satisfying.
- The sugar will fluff up in the processor, but it will still be equivalent to 1 cup, be sure to pack it down as you measure it.
why we love these white chocolate macadamia blondies
The combination of white chocolate and macadamia nuts is a classic that never gets old. The vanilla-on-vanilla flavor with the luxe macadamias makes them hard to resist.
more bars and brownies to love
- Brownie Recipe from a Chatbot!
- Meyer Lemon Macadamia Crumble Squares
- White Chocolate Pecan Cookie Bars
- Toffee Bars
- Strawberry Lemon Blondies
- Triple Lemon Brownies
- Blackberry Pecan Bars
- Moist Apple Brownies
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- the seeds of 1 vanilla bean
- 1/2 cup (heaping) cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (heaping) cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Line an 8×8 pan with parchment, this will make the blondies easy to remove and to cut cleanly. If you don’t use parchment, lightly grease the pan.
- Measure out your flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Then add the eggs, one at a time, the vanilla, and vanilla bean seeds, and mix well.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the nuts and white chocolate.
- Spread evenly in your pan and bake for 35 minutes— a toothpick inserted near the center should come out moist with a few crumbs and the blondies will be light golden.
- Cool before cutting.
Nutrition
I haven’t baked these yet but I intend to. One question though… I was always taught to slightly roast any nuts that I bake with prior to using them in a recipe. Do I have to roast these macadamia nuts?
I adore roasted nuts, but macadamias have such a buttery flavor I don’t feel they need it in these blondies. You can certainly roast them first if you like, they’d be delicious.
I’d love to try this recipe but I’m confused about the butter – is it 1/2 cup plus 1 stick of butter or just 1/2 cup? It’s unclear to me the way it’s listed. Thanks so much!
Just 1 stick, which is 1/2 cup. My recipe plugin makes that confusing, I’ll fix that!
Forgot to rate. Giving 5 stars!
Very good recipe! Took these Blondies to a Christmas Luau for teenagers. The flavor is Excellent! I like the ratio of white chocolate to macadamia nuts. I didn’t have a vanilla bean so I used about 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste in addition to the vanilla extract in the recipe. I baked in a 9 inch square pan for 30 minutes. I would recommend this recipe to friends and I’ll definitely make again.
Do you use raw or dry roasted macadamia nuts?
I like to use raw, but sometimes you can only find dry roasted, and that’s fine too.
Where do I buy vanilla bean seeds? What do they look like?
You’ll buy vanilla beans, Holly, they’ll be in your spice aisle, and then you need to split the bean with the tip of a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds. They’re super-duper tiny and black, it’s like a black paste, but really just thousands of tiny seeds.