Description
Delight in the perfect balance of sweet and salty with these Peanut Butter Pretzel Butterscotch Blondies. Featuring a chewy, rich blondie batter loaded with crunchy pretzels and melty butterscotch chips, this dessert is an irresistible treat that combines the comforting flavors of peanut butter and buttery butterscotch with a satisfying pretzel crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Blondie Batter
- Cooking spray, for greasing
- 1 3/4 cups (375 g) packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (180 g) all-natural chunky peanut butter
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
Mix-ins and Toppings
- 2 1/2 cups (3.75 oz) mini pretzels, divided
- 1 cup (6 oz) butterscotch chips, divided
Instructions
- Prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13″x9″ metal baking pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two long sides. Grease the parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix wet ingredients and sugar: In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer set to medium-high speed, beat together the light brown sugar, melted butter, chunky peanut butter, baking powder, vanilla extract, and kosher salt until the mixture is smooth and combined.
- Add eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, blending each in on low speed to maintain a smooth batter without overmixing.
- Incorporate dry ingredients and mix-ins: Gently fold the all-purpose flour into the batter until only a few streaks of flour remain to avoid overworking. Fold in 2 cups of mini pretzels, lightly crushing them into 2 to 3 large pieces, along with 2/3 cup of butterscotch chips until evenly distributed.
- Assemble blondies: Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula or back of a spoon. Press the remaining 1/2 cup of pretzels into the top of the batter, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup of butterscotch chips for an attractive and flavorful topping.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until the blondies turn a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 23 to 27 minutes.
- Cool and serve: Allow the blondies to cool in the pan. Using the parchment paper overhang, carefully lift the blondies out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Slice into 15 squares and serve.
Notes
- For chunkier texture, crush pretzels into larger pieces before folding into the batter.
- Room temperature eggs help the batter combine smoothly.
- Use parchment paper with an overhang to easily remove blondies from the pan without sticking.
- Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Feel free to substitute crunchy peanut butter with smooth if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
