The aromas are delectable as these Chocolate Swirl Caramel Blondies are baking and they fill your whole house with the unmistakable scent of chocolate and caramel. Watch out, you won’t be able to stop with just one!
Blondies are similar to brownies, but don’t contain the chocolate giving you a lighter, golden brown bar cookie. They tend to be a little more on the cakey side than fudgy. A delightful sweet treat any time of the year.
Double boiler and butter ready to be melted
The swirls may sound complicated but they are really simple. Just spoon two parallel lines of the melted chocolate on top of the blondie batter, then use a small knife or mini offset spatula to gently drag the chocolate into the surrounding batter. You will be making a bunch of connected S’s, all along the parallel lines, blending the two together.
The Artist was in the kitchen as I was making these and while they were baking kept commenting on how good they smelled. When they came out of the oven he said, “those look delicious” and I have to agree.
They are a beautiful golden brown with a luscious chocolate swirl down the middle. Stunning and just as tasty as they look. Present these at a dinner party and I guarantee there will be plenty of oooh’s and ahhh’s around the table!
The edges are cakier and the center pieces are slightly softer – the best of both worlds. The photos are of the gluten-free version I baked. A regular wheat-based batter may stand up to the weight of the chocolate better and give you thicker center slices. If you make these with regular flour (in the same amount), I’d love to hear your results!
Before & after baking
These Chocolate Swirl Caramel Blondies were a hit with The Artist and me and I hope they are in your home too.
Have a wonderful Chocolate Monday and week ahead.
Key Ingredients for Chocolate Swirl Caramel Blondies:
- Gluten free flour blend, baking powder,
- Baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, chocolate chips
- Coconut oil, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs
PRO Tip:
Swirling the chocolate into the batter works best when you don’t over work it. Keep it simple and you’ll have the best marbling!
How to make Chocolate Swirl Caramel Blondies:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients
- Melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil; set aside
- Melt the butter in the bowl of your stand mixer over simmering water; beat in the sugar and vanilla until smooth and you can hold the bottom of the bowl comfortably in your hand
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until smooth; add half the dry ingredients at a time, mixing until blended before adding the rest of the ingredients and pour into a buttered and parchment-lined baking pan
- Pour the chocolate onto the top of the batter in two parallel lines, use a knife and swirl the chocolate into the batter
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and the bars are pulling away from the sides of the pan; cool thoroughly before lifting out of the pan and cutting
PRO Tip:
Waiting until the bars are completely cooled will help you tremendously when you are ready to lift them out of the pan using the parchment sling. They will be stiff enough that they won’t bend or break in the middle.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- 7×11-inch baking pan (2 quart)
- Parchment paper sheets
- Mixing bowls
- Saucepan
- Stand mixer
- Offset spatula
- Long, sharp knife
Gluten-Free Tips:
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams of my favorite gluten-free flour blend per cup. This recipe was written using this flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a straight edge, and weigh the flour. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
Chocolate Swirl Caramel Blondies (Gluten Free)
The aromas are delectable as these Chocolate Swirl Caramel Blondies are baking and they fill your whole house with the unmistakable scent of chocolate and caramel. Watch out, you won't be able to stop with just one!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) gluten-free flour blend (see Note)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- 6 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp coconut oil, optional
- 1-3/4 sticks (198 g; 14 tbsp) butter, melted
- 1-1/2 cups (300 g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or pure extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Butter a 7x11-inch (2 qt) rectangular baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving to ends hanging over the edges to create a sling. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan, and salt. Set aside.
- Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl with the coconut oil and heat in 20-second increments, stirring after each heating, until mostly melted. Remove from the microwave and whisk until completely melted and smooth. Keep warm.
- Place a saucepan with 1-inch of water in it over medium heat. Bring the water to a simmer, set the bowl of your stand mixer over the saucepan, and melt the butter. Transfer the bowl to your mixer and add the brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth and cool enough that you can comfortably hold the bottom of the bowl in your hand.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until incorporated before adding the next egg. Mix until creamy. Add half the dry ingredients, mixing until incorporated, and add remaining dry ingredients, again mixing just until blended and smooth. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
- Reheat the melted chocolate to soften it again if needed and scoop it on top of the batter in two parallel lines. Using a small knife or mini offset spatula, swirl the chocolate into the batter - don't over swirl or you'll wind up with brownies!
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool thoroughly before lifting the blondies out of the pan, setting them on a cutting board and slicing into squares or rectangles.
Notes
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams of my favorite gluten-free flour blend per cup. This recipe was written using this flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a straight edge, and weigh the flour. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 320mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 3gSugar: 18gProtein: 5g
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Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in Sept 2018. The article was updated in 2021.
