Maple walnut blondies are an easy way to put a bottle of real maple syrup to work beyond the breakfast table. Brown sugar and melted butter make the base rich and warmly flavored, while chopped walnuts add crunch to each square. The maple is gentle rather than overpowering, and the plain golden top needs no frosting.
This is a small-pan dessert that you can stir together by hand. Let the baked slab cool, lift it onto a cutting board and slice it into sixteen bars. They travel well in a covered container and fit neatly beside a cup of coffee, a mug of tea or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Why Make Maple Walnut Blondies?
Blondies have the convenience of brownies without a cocoa-based batter. Here, a measured amount of maple syrup brings flavor without flooding the mixture with liquid. One whole egg binds the batter, and an extra yolk adds richness without the additional white of a second whole egg.
Expect a close, moist crumb with a little chew, browned edges and walnut pieces throughout. The surface may form fine cracks as it bakes and cools. These are simple bar cookies, so there is no separate crust, filling or topping to prepare.
What You Will Need
For the wet ingredients: 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm; 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup; 1 large egg; 1 additional large egg yolk; and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
For the dry ingredients: 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. You will also need 3/4 cup (85 g) chopped walnuts, with 1/2 cup folded into the batter and 1/4 cup reserved for the top.
Choose pure maple syrup, preferably one labeled dark color and robust taste. Maple-flavored pancake syrup is a different product and is not the intended substitute. Light brown sugar keeps the molasses flavor fairly mild. Chop the walnuts into small, uneven pieces rather than grinding them into meal.
Gather an 8-inch square metal pan, parchment, two mixing bowls, a whisk and a flexible spatula. A kitchen scale is helpful for the flour. If measuring by volume, spoon the flour into the cup and level it without pressing it down.
How to Make Maple Walnut Blondies
Prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack in the middle. Line the pan with crossed strips of parchment, leaving enough paper above the sides to lift out the cooled blondies.
Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar until blended. The butter should be warm, not hot enough to cook the egg. Add the maple syrup, whole egg, extra yolk and vanilla. Whisk for about 30 seconds, until smooth and cohesive, without beating the mixture fluffy.
Fold gently. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in the second bowl. Add them to the wet mixture and fold until just a few flour streaks remain. Fold in 1/2 cup of the walnuts, stopping when the dry flour disappears.
Spread and bake. Smooth the thick batter into the pan, including the corners. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts over the surface and press them in very lightly. Bake for 25–30 minutes, checking at 25 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and the middle set, with moist crumbs but no wet batter on a toothpick.
Cool before cutting. Leave the pan on a rack for about 1 hour, or longer if the center is still warm. Lift the cooled slab by its parchment handles and cut into a four-by-four grid. Wipe the blade between cuts to keep the edges tidy.
Tips for Chewy Bars and Clean Slices
Measure the syrup rather than pouring in an extra splash. More syrup changes the moisture balance and can leave the center too soft. For a clearer maple flavor, choose a more robust syrup instead of increasing the amount.
Keep the mixing brief after adding flour. There is no need for an electric mixer or prolonged beating. Check the center as well as the edges when judging doneness, and do not mistake liquid batter for the moist crumbs expected in a finished blondie.
Use the specified pan size. A larger pan makes thinner bars that bake differently. Cooling matters, too: a warm slab is fragile and can compress or break when sliced. Parchment makes removal easier, but it cannot replace that resting time.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Once completely cool, keep the blondies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days. Put parchment between stacked layers. Avoid sealing them while warm, since trapped steam softens the surface.
For longer storage, wrap individual bars or small portions well and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw them while wrapped at room temperature. The recipe contains wheat, milk, eggs and walnuts, and the raw batter should not be tasted.
A Few Common Questions
Can I use two whole eggs? Stick with one whole egg and one extra yolk. The additional white would change the moisture and texture.
Do these need icing? No. Brown sugar and maple syrup provide plenty of sweetness, and the walnut-studded top is the finish.
What other blondies could I make? For a fruit-filled variation on a bar-cookie dessert, try our Brown Butter Apple Blondies.
Recipe background: King Arthur Baking’s maple nut blondies and Publix’s maple walnut blondies.
Printable Recipe
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Maple Walnut Blondies
Buttery blondies made with real maple syrup, brown sugar and chopped walnuts. An extra egg yolk helps give these simple, unfrosted bars a rich, chewy texture.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm, not hot
- 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup, preferably dark color, robust taste
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup (85 g) chopped walnuts, divided
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), with a rack in the middle. Line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with two crossed strips of parchment, leaving overhang to lift out the cooled slab.
- Whisk the melted, cooled butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until evenly blended. Whisk in the maple syrup, whole egg, extra yolk and vanilla until smooth and cohesive, about 30 seconds. Do not whip until fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture with a spatula until only a few flour streaks remain. Add 1/2 cup (57 g) of the walnuts and fold just until the flour disappears.
- Spread the thick batter evenly in the prepared pan, reaching into the corners. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup (28 g) walnuts over the top and press them very lightly into the batter.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes. The edges should be golden brown, the center should be set rather than liquid or jiggly, and a toothpick inserted near the middle should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Start checking at 25 minutes; ovens vary, so allow a few more minutes if needed.
- Set the pan on a wire rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. Lift out using the parchment and cut into 16 squares, wiping the knife between cuts. If the center is still warm, let it cool longer before slicing.
- Store completely cooled blondies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap the bars well and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw wrapped at room temperature before serving.
Notes
Use an 8-inch square metal pan for the intended thickness and baking time. Pure maple syrup gives a gentle maple flavor; pancake syrup and extra liquid sweetener are not direct substitutions. The recipe uses 1 whole egg plus 1 extra yolk, not 2 whole eggs. Do not taste raw batter. Prep and bake times are estimates; allow about 1 hour for cooling, longer if the slab remains warm. Contains wheat, milk, eggs and walnuts (tree nuts).
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