Made with plenty of brown sugar and a touch of honey, these soft and chewy Strawberry & Cardamom Blondies come together with just one bowl, no mixer and a single baking dish. The way summer bakes should be – no stress and no fuss!
Enjoying strawberry season is a key element of summer! Like with these strawberry ice cream sandwiches and strawberry pop tarts, strawberries play the star of the show.
Because these blondies come together so quickly (you don’t even need a mixer!) and don’t require chilling, they are great for summer picnics, pool parties and warm summer evenings.
What is a Blondie?
Blondies are somewhere between a soft batch cookie bar and a brownie. Typically, they are not a chocolate base or we tap dance back into brownie territory.
They are usually soft and chewy thanks to a large amount of brown sugar and melted butter.
Ingredients
When i was testing this recipe, I started with baking soda and baking powder, and way too much honey. You can see below it’s basically a bad, overly-sweet, cake.
So I removed the baking soda, cut back on the honey and a bit of the cinnamon. Closer! But it was still a bit airy and cakey.
Finally, additional butter and flour made for these perfect chewy and soft strawberry blondies.
So what exactly goes into these strawberry blondies? I won’t go through every detail below, but some of the stand-out ingredients are below:
- Light brown sugar. I used all brown sugar in this recipe to get a really chewy texture. I would avoid a dark brown sugar as the molasses can overpower the cardamom and honey.
- Honey. Just a touch of honey is a great combination with strawberries and cardamom. They really sing together.
- Ground cardamom and cinnamon. A little spice adds a great depth of flavor to the blondies, plus cardamom goes amazing with strawberries.
- Strawberry jam. Keeping this recipe simple, I used a great store-bought jam.
- Sliced strawberries. Use fresh berries, not frozen, to avoid too much liquid sinking into the blondies.
Making Blondies
Blondies are delightfully easy to make. You need one large bowl, a whisk and a spatula! Here are some key elements for making great blondies!
Melted and cooled butter. Make sure the butter is cooled before adding the sugar and eggs.
Stir in order. Because we want to keep it to just one bowl, instead of whisking the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, I mixed in the “small” dry ingredients into the melted butter mixture first to ensure everything is thoroughly mixed in.
Spread batter. The blondie batter will be pretty thick. Spread it into a smooth layer before adding the strawberry toppings.
Prepare sliced strawberries. Washed strawberries should have the stems removed and sliced. Slice larger strawberries into quarters and smaller into halves.
Dry strawberries. In order to prevent soggy blondies, give the sliced strawberries a good pat dry between paper towels before placing on top.
Baking Blondies
Blondies are best when a bit under baked! Much like brownies, if you leave the center of the pan just a bit soft, you will have a great, ooey-gooey blondie.
I use a metal baking pan because I find it bakes more evenly, but if you are using a glass dish you may find the baking times will increase.
Allow the blondies to fully cool before trying to remove from the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, swap out the jam and fresh berries or something that is at peak of the season – raspberries, blackberries or blueberries are all great.
Sure, mix together 3 cups (460g) of berries, 1 cup (250g) granulated sugar and the zest and juice of 1 lemon in a pot. Simmer on medium until thickened and the jam sets. Chill before using.
These keep well for at least 3 days in an airtight container!
Strawberry & Cardamom Blondies
Equipment
- 9×12 baking pan
Ingredients
- 170 g unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 320 g light brown sugar
- 40 g honey
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 270 g all-purpose flour
- 75 g strawberry jam
- 5-7 sliced strawberries* stems removed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray 9×12 pan with non-stick spray. If desired, line with parchment paper overhanging edges for easier removal.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar, honey, eggs and vanilla.170 g unsalted butter, 320 g light brown sugar, 40 g honey, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Whisk in baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon and salt.1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Slowly add in flour, stirring with rubber spatula. Transfer to prepared baking pan, spread into even layer.270 g all-purpose flour
- Drop dollops of jam on top of blondie batter. Create a swirl pattern by dragging a butter knife through the dollops of jam.75 g strawberry jam, 5-7 sliced strawberries*
- Remove extra moisture off strawberry slices by patting between two paper towels, then place evenly across the top of the blondie batter.
- Bake until the edges are set and the center is still slightly soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into 12 pieces.
Notes
- *Slice larger strawberries into quarters, smaller into halves.
- Glass pans may take longer to bake than metal.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Disclaimer: We test all recipes using the metric weights shown, we cannot guarantee outcomes when switching to US measurements.
