White Chocolate Vanilla Blondies (Gluten Free)

These White Chocolate Vanilla Blondies are a nice departure from heavy chocolate desserts. They are vanilla and cardamom flavored bars that are similar in texture to cakey brownies and are perfect for hot summer days or any time of the year. Consider them for your upcoming celebrations too!

These blondies are the time to break out the best vanilla you can find. Because there are so few ingredients, each one carries more weight and vanilla is the primary flavoring. Don’t use imitation vanilla if you can avoid it, you want all the strength and beauty of the real thing here when possible. I like Nielsen-Massey vanillas.

The only place you might want to use a different kind of vanilla is in the frosting. To keep it creamy white, you may want to buy a bottle of clear vanilla. It is specifically designed to be used in frostings like this one.

The white chocolate boosts the vanilla flavor in the batter and it also adds a nice textural contrast. By sprinkling the reserved chips over the top of the batter they will remain toward the top of the blondies instead of winding up on the bottom.

Using mini white chocolate chips helps you because you don’t need to do any chopping. They are tiny enough on their own! I found mine at Whole Foods, but you should be able to find them at other grocery stores or online.

Don’t be alarmed that there isn’t any baking soda or baking powder in this recipe. The leavening and heavy lifting is done by the eggs in the batter. These blondies are designed to be a little on the denser side but still lovely!

Because you have a pale dessert, adding bold and festive sprinkles brings each piece to life, making every bite extra fun. Use whatever you have on hand, the brighter the better!

You can customize the decorations you use to fit any specific holiday you want … green and red for Christmas, green, white, and orange for St. Patrick’s Day, red and pink for Valentine’s Day, etc. This is a year-round dessert that is always welcome.

I hope you make these White Chocolate Vanilla Blondies soon and enjoy every bite just like The Artist and I have. Happy Chocolate Monday!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!

Ingredients needed for White Chocolate Vanilla Blondies:

• Blondies: white chocolate chips, GF flour blend, xanthan gum
• Butter, sugar, cardamom, vanilla, eggs
• Frosting: butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, milk or cream
• Topping: sprinkles or other decorations

PRO Tip:

Don’t be alarmed that there isn’t baking soda or baking powder in this recipe. The leavening is done by the eggs in the batter. These blondies are designed to be a little on the denser side but still lovely!

PRO Tip:

This recipe as written makes a thin block of blondies. If you want a thicker blondie, bake it in a 9×9-inch square pan and adjust the baking time to about 30 to 40 minutes. Also, for the frosting, cut the butter in half. You will have a smaller amount of frosting which should be perfect for the smaller pan size.

How to make White Chocolate Vanilla Blondies:

1. Prepare the Blondies: Whisk together the flour, xanthan gum (if using), and salt and set aside; melt the butter with all but 1/2 cup of the white chocolate
2. Pour the melted white chocolate into the flour mixture and stir together, then add the sugar, cardamom, vanilla, and beaten eggs, mixing until well blended; pour batter into a buttered and parchment-lined 9×13-inch baking pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes in a 350°F oven until a toothpick comes out clean
3. Cool 30 minutes in the pan then use the parchment sling to lift the blondies and place them on a cutting board; cool completely before frosting
4. Make the Frosting: Cream the butter and vanilla together then add the powdered sugar in small amounts, mixing after each addition; beat in 1 tablespoon of milk and mix until smooth, light, and fluffy, adding more milk as needed to get a good spreading consistency
5. To Serve: Spread the frosting over the cooled blondies and sprinkle with your choice of decorations like sprinkles, jimmies, confetti, etc. then cut into squares and serve

PRO Tip:

Vanilla paste is vanilla seeds (from the center of the beans) and vanilla extract encased in a gel-like material. It is lightly sweetened and one of my secret weapons in baking. If you see tiny specs in the photographs of my baked goods, that is from using vanilla paste.

PRO Tip:

This recipe is one where you might want to consider using clear vanilla for the frosting. It is vanilla-flavored liquid that doesn’t turn your baked goods tan. Use the best you have for the blondies and then the clear vanilla for the frosting for a whiter final product.

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• 9×13-inch baking pan
• Parchment paper sheets
• Kitchen scale
• Measuring spoons
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Saucepan
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Offset spatula
• Cutting board
• Sharp, long knife

Gluten-Free Tips:

You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free 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 left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

Be sure the sprinkles or decorations you use are gluten-free. It should be marked on the label.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

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Yield: 8 to 10 servings

White Chocolate Vanilla Blondies (Gluten Free)

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These White Chocolate Vanilla Blondies are a nice departure from heavy chocolate desserts. They are vanilla and cardamom flavored bars that are similar in texture to brownies and are perfect for hot summer days or any time of the year. The sprinkles make them festive and fun!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Blondies

• 12 oz (340g) good quality white chocolate chips, divided
• 1-1/4 cups (150g) gluten-free flour blend (or regular all-purpose flour)
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (only if your GF blend doesn't already contain it)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick; 113 g) butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cardamom, optional
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
• 3 large eggs (150g), beaten

Frosting

• 1 cup (226g) butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract, vanilla paste, or clear vanilla
• 3 cups (340g) powdered sugar
• 1 to 3 tbsp milk or cream

Topping

• Sprinkles, jimmies, or other decorations, optional but fun

Instructions

1. Prepare the Blondies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch pan and line with parchment paper leaving the longer ends at either edge to create a sling. This will help you lift the blondies out of the pan. (Or you can use a 9-inch square pan for a thicker blondie.)
2. Set 1/2 cup (85g) of the white chocolate chips aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum (if using), and salt; set aside.
4. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the remaining white chocolate chips, whisking often until mostly melted. Remove from the heat and stir until fully melted and smooth.
5. Pour the white chocolate/butter into the flour mixture and beat together. Then beat in the sugar, cardamom, vanilla, and beaten eggs until smooth. Increase speed to medium and beat for a minute until creamy.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, ease it into the corners with an offset spatula, and sprinkle with the reserved white chocolate chips.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If using a 9-inch square pan, bake about 30 to 40 minutes.) Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and cool for 30 minutes in the pan. Using the parchment sling, lift the blondies from the pan and place on the wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
8. Make the Frosting: In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, beat the butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar in small amounts and mix after each addition. Beat in 1 tablespoon of the milk/cream and mix on medium speed until smooth, light, and fluffy. Add more milk as needed to get the spreading consistency you like. If it gets too thin, just add more powdered sugar.
9. To Serve: Transfer the blondies to a cutting board and spread the frosting over them and scatter sprinkles over the top if desired. Cut with a long, sharp knife into squares and serve.

Recipe Source: The Heritage Cook

Notes

Blondies slightly adapted from a recipe by Burnt Apple

Frosting adapted from Sugar Spun Run

You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with a straight
edge, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 509Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 102mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 2gSugar: 33gProtein: 10g

The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.

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