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Super moist and chewy Cranberry Maple Blondies with homemade walnut butter, toasted walnut pieces, maple syrup, brown sugar and dried cranberries. An easy holiday dessert bar.

I’ve been enjoying baking lately. Maybe it’s the holidays, where desserts are more common. It’s a perfect way to share something personal with others. While fancy decorating isn’t quite my skill set, I enjoy the less delicate approach to muffins, Chocolate Shortbread Cookies and dessert bars.

This Cranberry Maple Blondies recipe is a wonderful fall and holiday treat. Seasonal flavors like cranberries and maple syrup, plus a good amount of walnuts all packed into a flavorful little square.

They’re simple and require less than 10 common staple ingredients; an ideal recipe to make with family and children. Some of my favorite moments from childhood were baking in the kitchen with my mother. She’d let me do all the fun stuff like mixing the dough and final touches like sprinklings or toppings.

Ingredients for Making Cranberry Maple Blondies

Maple syrup & brown sugar
Butter
Walnuts & Cranberries
Vanilla
Eggs
Baking powder
Flour

What’s the difference between a blondie and a brownie?

Blondies and brownies are very similar both in texture and in the way they’re made. The main difference is that blondies don’t contain any cocoa powder, so they don’t have that traditional chocolate flavor that a brownie does. Want to know more about brownies? Check this Espresso Brownies recipe, to know its ingredients and how it differs to blondies!

Blondies are also commonly made with brown sugar and/or browned butter, so they have a wonderful butterscotch flavor. You can add any extra ingredients you like such as nuts and dried fruit to make them your own.

How to Make Chewy Blondies

Use less eggs: The more eggs you add to blondies and brownies the more cake-like the texture will become. In this recipe, I used just the right amount of eggs for the blondies to rise perfectly but still have a delicious chewy texture.

The brown sugar also helps add a chewy texture and adds a delicious caramel/butterscotch flavor.

Other additions or variations for blondie bars

Blondies are very versatile and although I love the combination of walnuts and cranberries you can use whatever you have in your kitchen. They’re perfect for last minute baking on a rainy day. Here are some ideas of things you can add:

Spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg
Citrus zest from oranges, limes, lemons
Chocolate chips or chunks, any flavor will work well
Dried fruits
Fresh berries such as blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
Nuts

Top Tips for Making Blondies

These blondies will store well in a sealed container just make sure they are cooled completely before storing.
You can substitute the walnuts for cashews, hazelnuts or pecans, they’d all work well.
To make these blondies nut free omit the walnuts and replace it with soy butter.
Make sure the grease and line your baking pan so the blondies will be easy to remove after baking.
Let the blondies cool completely before cutting into squares.

Craving for more fruit-blondies? This Frosted Maple Pear Blondies is a must try!

Chewy Cranberry Maple Blondies recipe at-a-glance:

Flavor profiles: Nutty flavor with roasted walnut and browned sugar. Sweet and tart dried cranberries.
Texture: Moist, chewy and fluffy. Just like a perfect brownie, but as a blondie.
Dietary Options/Substitutions: Omit walnuts and replace with soy butter if allergic to nuts.

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