Espresso Blondies with Dark Chocolate and Pecans. Chocolate chip blondies with a shot of espresso, a healthy dose of brown sugar, and a splash of vanilla bean paste. Semisweet chocolate chips and toasted pecans on the inside and outside. Finished with a drizzling of espresso vanilla glaze.
Whenever I make blondies, I know they won’t be around long.
The brown sugar and butter combination adds a rich caramel flavor that pairs beautifully with the big splash of vanilla bean paste. It is a dessert bar that bakes up with crispy edges and a tender, moist center. Each bar is a little bit different than its neighbor.
These blondies do not need any add-ins or garnishes to be delicious, but today were adding a hint of espresso with chocolate chips and pecans to the cookie bar batter. The bars get additional chocolate and pecans sprinkled over the top and a drizzle of espresso vanilla bean glaze as a finish. The base recipe is perfect for adding in your favorite chocolate, nuts, dried fruits, or swirling a jam or Nutella into the top. A chance to be creative and inventive.
Why You Should Make These Dessert Bars
- the soft, chewy vanilla bean rich dessert bars are delicious.
- the hint of espresso adds rich flavor.
- in and out of the oven in 45 minutes.
- the recipe base is perfect for your favorite add-ins.
- these dessert bars store well in an airtight container.
How To Make These Espresso Blondies
Espresso Blondies:
This recipe starts with lining a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with a parchment paper sling. The parchment paper is measured to fit the bottom and up the two long sides. The extra parchment creates handles to remove the dessert bars easily after baking. It’s an optional step.
The oven is preheated to 350 degrees F.
All-purpose flour and baking powder are added to a small mixing bowl, whisked to combine, and set aside.
Unsalted butter, light brown sugar and fine sea salt are added to a small saucepan and heated over medium heat. AS the butter and sugar melts, the mixture is stirred until the two have combined and are smooth. The sugar mixture is removed from the heat and the espresso or cold coffee is stirred in.
Once the sugar mixture is cool, an egg and vanilla bean paste are added to the saucepan, and stirred until combined and the mixture is smooth. The sugar mixture is transferred to a large mixing bowl.
The flour mixture is folded into the sugar mixture. The chocolate chips and pecan halves are folded into the blondie batter.
The batter is transferred to the prepared baking pan and smoothed into the corners with an offset spatula. The blondies are baked for about 20 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and the bars are set in the center of the pan.
The baking pan is removed from the oven and the bars are immediately garnished with a few more chocolate chips and pecan pieces.
Espresso Vanilla Bean Glaze:
Powdered sugar, espresso, and heavy cream are added to a small bowl. And stirred or whisked until smooth. The glaze is drizzled over the cooled dessert bars.
Other Dessert Bars You Might Enjoy
Some of our most popular dessert bars include blondies, blueberry crumble bars, toasted oatmeal pecan bars with chocolate and caramel, no-bake chocolate and peanut butter oatmeal bars, apple pie bars, and chocolate pecan pie bars.
Find Tartistry on: Pinterest Instagram and Facebook. Please feel free to leave comments and questions below. I would love to hear from you.
Espresso Blondies
Ingredients
Espresso Blondies:
- 220 grams all-purpose flour (1-2/3 cups)
- 8 grams baking powder (1-1/2 teaspoons)
- 140 grams unsalted butter (10 tablespoons), cold
- 300 grams light brown sugar (1-1/2 cups)
- 3 grams fine sea salt (1/2 teaspoon)
- 30 grams espresso or strong coffee (2 tablespoons), room temperature
- 50 grams egg (1 large)
- 17 grams vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (1-1/2 tablespoons)
- 90 grams pecan halves (3/4 cup), toasted and roughly chopped
- 130 grams semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (3/4 cup)
Espresso Vanilla Bean Glaze:
- 60 grams powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
- 10 grams espresso or strong coffee (2 teaspoons), room temperature
- 5 grams vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- 15 grams heavy cream (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
Espresso Blondies:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with enough parchment paper to create handles on the long sides, to accommodate lifting the dessert bars out of the pan after baking.
- Add all-purpose flour and baking powder to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and fine sea salt to small saucepan. Melt the butter and sugar over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the coffee. Stir the mixture until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
- Add the egg and vanilla bean paste to the cooled sugar mixture. Stir until fully incorporated and mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Fold the reserved flour mixture into the sugar mixture using a large spatula. Fold in the toasted pecan halves and semisweet chocolate chips.
- Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan using an offset spatula to smooth top and reach corners.
- Bake espresso blondies in preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the blondies are set and beginning to form cracks on the surface.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When cool, use the parchment handles to lift the blondies from the baking pan.
Espresso Vanilla Bean Glaze:
- Add powdered sugar, espresso, and heavy cream to small bowl. Stir with table fork or spoon until smooth and consistent. Drizzle over cooled espresso blondies.
- Allow time for glaze to set. Cut blondies into small squares to serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Freeze blondies in individual servings in a ziplock freezer bag.
