These Brown Butter Brookies are a combination of brown butter chocolate chip cookies and fudge brownies in one decadent bar!

Happy March!

I cannot believe it is nearly springtime! Even though Sacramento is currently experiencing what could best be described for us as torrential rain storms and a freeze warning?!, I know the heat is coming!

Meanwhile, I am trying to brainstorm some fun spring recipes for you, along with some classic recipes to have in your arsenal. Who doesn’t want a brookie recipe?! Let’s talk about this one!

Brown Butter Brookies

Brookies are bars that consist of a chocolate chip cookie layer and a fudge brownie layer baked together into one decadent bar. They are a little bit more labor intensive than a regular recipe since you have to make both a brownie batter and a cookie dough, but boy, are they worth it. This particular recipe is for browned butter chocolate chip cookie dough which is out of this world amazing.

For the cookie portion, you’ll need the usual ingredients: butter, brown and white sugars, egg, vanilla extract, leavening, salt, flour, and chocolate chips. Super simple! Instead of using regular softened butter, we’re going to brown the butter to make it nutty, caramelized and fragrant – this deepens and elevates the flavor of the cookie dough. It is an extra step that is so delicious!

For the brownie portion, you’ll need: butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Another simple brownie recipe scaled down since we are stacking essentially two recipes together into one bar.

How to Brown Butter

If you’ve never browned butter before, it’s a simple process but requires you to keep a watchful eye on the pan, as it transforms from golden brown to burned and useless quickly! You’ll place the butter into a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until it melts, then allow it to keep cooking past the melting point. It’ll look like not much is happening, but then you’ll notice it start to bubble up and foam and you’ll see little browned bits forming on the bottom of the pan. Swirl the pan around a little bit and pull it when the butter is amber in color and fragrant. Do not step away as it can blacken quickly!

These bars are so delicious with the rich and complex addition of brown butter. I recommend using a higher quality chocolate chip, such as Guittard or Ghirardelli, to really bring out that delicious chocolate flavor.

Brown Butter Blondies are sure to become a new hit with your family and friends!

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Brown Butter Brookies

These Brown Butter Brookies combine brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars and fudge brownies into one decadent, dreamy bar!

Course Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 15 bars

Ingredients

For the COOKIE DOUGH:

• 12 Tbsp (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like Guittard)

FOR THE BROWNIES:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder (Dutch process or unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 13x9" light metal baking pan with foil or parchment, extending the sides of the foil or paper over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil or parchment with cooking spray; set aside.
• First, make your cookie dough. Place 4 Tbsp of the softened butter into a large bowl and set aside. Place the remaining 8 Tbsp softened butter into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until melted. Continue cooking until mixture foams and bubbles and the butter begins to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn! Pour the browned butter, including all of the bits in the bottom of the pan, over the softened butter in the bowl you set aside earlier. Stir together until it is all melted together.
• To the butter bowl, add the sugars and mix well, followed by the vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk, mixing well after each addition. Add in the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and salt and mix until just barely combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Press the cookie dough mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Set aside.
• For the brownies: In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, granulated sugar and vanilla and stir until combined and shiny, about 1 minute. Add in the eggs, stirring well, followed by the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt until just combined. Pour the brownie batter evenly over the cookie dough layer and try to cover the cookie dough layer as much as possible with the brownie batter.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, but not wet, crumbs. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes

I recommend using a higher quality chocolate chip and cocoa powder for this recipe since it is such a simple recipe. For this, I love Guittard or Ghirardelli chocolate chips and/or cocoa powders. They both make excellent chocolate products.

When I tell you I could NOT stop eating these! They are divine!

Want some more brownie goodness? Check out this recipe…

Copycat Cosmic Brownie Cookies

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Brown Butter Brookies first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

These Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars are seriously INCREDIBLE! Consisting of a soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookie bar base, a gooey, buttery caramel middle and a sweet white chocolate and cinnamon sugar topping, they definitely hit the spot!

So a few months ago, I started to make jewelry.

I was always curious about making polymer clay jewelry but finally went out and bought some supplies. And now I’m hooked and selling my creations on Etsy. It is so much fun and such a great creative outlet other than baking. For years I have been needing a hobby and I am so glad I finally have one. You know when something just clicks? That was me with jewelry making. It’s so peaceful yet challenging and boosts my creativity elsewhere as well. You wouldn’t think working with clay and metal would help in the baking department, but I often find when I’m working with jewelry, I’ll absentmindedly think of recipe ideas, too.

Anyway, this short story is brought to you by my newfound hobby. If you’ve been dreaming of starting a hobby – do it! Trust me, there have been many failed earrings, resin projects, and ugly looking clay creations so far. But it’s still fun, and the perfectionist in me isn’t as discouraged or let down as I thought I’d be by the failures.

And for a lot of you, I’m assuming baking is your hobby which is awesome! It started as mine too This recipe is a good moderate recipe for bakers since it requires a few more steps than the average cookie bar but the payoff is *chefs kiss* seriously amazing. There’s something about the combination of cinnamon and sugar, white chocolate and buttery caramel that definitely clicks!

The Cookie Base

The cookie base is based off of my chocolate chip cookie bars but made with a few tweaks. Namely, we’re omitting any kind of mix-ins like chocolate chips and adding in some cinnamon for flavor. After all, these are snickerdoodle bars! This makes for a killer, super soft and chewy bar everyone’s going to love. We’ll bake up the bars and then add on our other layers!

The Caramel Layer

The caramel layer is one we’ll make from scratch using sweetened condensed milk as a small shortcut, some corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and a little salt. We’ll cook it on the stove and bring it to a boil, then a simmer and cook until it is golden brown, thickened and perfectly caramel-y. Then, we’ll pour it over our cookie bars.

The White Chocolate Ganache

The white chocolate ganache is a two-parter layer that first consists of the white chocolate ganache made from, you guessed it, white chocolate and some heavy cream to help it melt together. We’ll melt it and then pour the luscious mixture over the caramel layer and smooth it out. Then we’ll immediately top the white chocolate mixture with some cinnamon and granulated sugar, aka “cinnamon sugar” which you can buy pre-mixed at the store or mix up at home. This gives it that signature snickerdoodle/churro-esque flavor.

These White Chocolate Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars are sweet, chewy, impossibly gooey and rich and you’re going to LOVE them!

*adapted from my Chocolate Chip Cookie Millionaire Bars recipe

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White Chocolate Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars

These White Chocolate Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars are heaven sent! A three-layer bar consisting of a soft and chewy cinnamon cookie bar, a buttery caramel layer and a sweet white chocolate and cinnamon sugar topping! You're going to LOVE these bars!

Course Bars, Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 15 bars

Ingredients

For the Cookie Bars:

• 12 Tbsp (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

For the Caramel Layer:

• 28 oz (Two 14 oz cans) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 12 Tbsp (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the White Chocolate Layer:

• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350° degrees F. Line a 9x13 light metal rectangular baking pan with foil or parchment, extending the foil or parchment paper over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
• For the cookie bars: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with the paddle attachment until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add in the egg and egg yolk, mixing well, followed by the vanilla, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Lastly, add in the baking soda, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, salt, and flour until a soft dough comes together. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake the bars for about 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, but not wet, crumbs. Cool completely.
• For the caramel layer: In a medium saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, butter, brown sugar and corn syrup together over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, so butter melts and mixture becomes well combined. As mixture comes to a boil, begin to stir it constantly. Once the mixture comes to a full boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the caramel mixture, stirring constantly, for about 10-15 minutes or until thickened and golden brown. The mixture should almost pull away from the sides of the pan. Everyone's stovetop is different, so your mixture may thicken and brown sooner than 10-15 minutes, or take longer. Just keep your eye on it. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and salt.
• Pour the caramel layer evenly over the cooled cookie bars. Spread into an even layer. Cool completely at room temperature, uncovered, about 2 hours, or you can expedite the process by cooling it in the fridge for about 1 hour.
• For the white chocolate layer: In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside for now. Meanwhile, add the white chocolate chips to a medium bowl. Pour the heavy cream into a microwaveable glass measuring cup and microwave until hot to the touch, about 30 seconds. Pour the hot heavy cream over the white chocolate chips in the bowl. Let the mixture stand for about 3-5 minutes, then slowly whisk the mixture until fully smooth and melted.
• Pour the white chocolate ganache layer evenly over the cooled caramel layer and smooth it out into an even layer. Immediately top with the cinnamon sugar mixture and lay it on thick. Allow the white chocolate layer to harden and set, about 1 hour at room temperature, before cutting into squares to serve. You can also expedite this layer by refrigerating for about 30 minutes. For the cleanest cuts, I like to run a very sharp knife under super hot water, wipe the blade dry, and cut, repeating this process after each cut. A clean, sharp and HOT knife makes for super clean cuts.

I just adore the irresistible combination of sweet white chocolate, buttery caramel, sparkling cinnamon sugar and chewy cookie bars!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post White Chocolate Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

These Fruity Pebbles Blondies are seriously DELICIOUS and so easy, too! Soft and chewy blondies flavored with Fruity Pebbles cereal throughout for a fun burst of both color and flavor!

You guys, I did it again – I created another insanely amazing cereal dessert.

I cannot help it! Cereal is one of my favorite things ever! I am always inspired by my childhood and the nostalgic treats I ate: snack cakes, sprinkle-laden things, fast-food, convenience treats, and of course, sugary breakfast cereals. We didn’t eat very many home-cooked meals and certainly no healthy meals growing up, so I have a soft spot for all of those things I had as a child.

Fruity Pebbles are one of my top 3 favorite cereals – they’re SO delicious! Fruity, sweet, crunchy, and so addictive – what’s not to love? I knew I wanted to create something with them and I figured blondies would be perfect! Thus, these blondies were born. And oh my goodness, it was SO hard not to eat them all! I was practically throwing them at neighbors so I could get them out of the house. I try everything I make, but there are few things I actually *eat*, but I could not stop eating these!

These blondies are made with a white chocolate base which sounds like it would be overly sweet but actually is a great neutral basis for these. I added in some finely crushed Fruity Pebbles cereal crumbs as well as whole Fruity Pebbles cereal pieces for a variety of textures and to really ramp up the cereal flavor. Note that for the photos, I sprinkled some cereal on top which added a delightful little crunch and looked adorable. The cereal does soften and get more chewy in the blondies as the blondies bake, but I didn’t mind the texture. In fact, it was super delicious IMO!

I am OBSESSED with these Fruity Pebbles Blondies and so were all of my lucky neighbors who swooned over them! In fact, I kind of regretted handing them out to my neighbors afterwards because they were easily one of my favorite things I’ve made thus far – and that’s saying a lot! They’re soft, chewy, sweet, fruity, and have these fun, rainbow pops of color and that nostalgic cereal flavor. I know you’re going to love them!

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Best Ever Fruity Pebbles Blondies

These Fruity Pebbles Blondies are the BEST and easily one of my fave recipes I've made to date! Soft and chewy with rainbow fruity pops of nostalgic cereal flavor!

Course Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter cubed
• 8 ounces (Two 4-ounce bars) white chocolate bars roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups Fruity Pebbles cereal divided

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Line an 8x8 light metal baking pan with foil or parchment, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine the cubed butter and chopped white chocolate bars in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH power for 20 seconds. Stir, and microwave for an additional 20 seconds, stopping to stir. Continue microwaving in 20 second increments, stopping to stir after each 20 second burst, until melted and smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• To the slightly cooled off white chocolate mixture, whisk in the sugars, then add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla. Add in the salt and flour and mix well. In a food processor, add in 1 cup of the Fruity Pebbles cereal and pulse until it becomes a fine crumb consistency. Add in the finely crushed crumbs to the blondie batter, as well as the remaining 1/2 cup whole Fruity Pebbles cereal; mix well.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, but not wet, crumbs. Cool completely before cutting into bars to serve. If desired, sprinkle with fresh Fruity Pebbles cereal before serving.

I am head-over-heels for these blondies and I know you will be, too!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Best Ever Fruity Pebbles Blondies first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

These Cookies & Cream Cake Batter Blondies are amazing! Soft and chewy buttery blondies that taste just like sprinkly cake batter and stuffed with Oreo cookies!

Hope you guys all had a great Memorial Day Weekend!

I didn’t do much – napped, cleaned, ate my first Popeye’s chicken sandwich. As one does.

I don’t really get the hype. I mean, they were good but not amazing. But I do understand the hype about these blondies! They’re everything you could want in a blondie and more.

I made these Cake Batter Blondies a few months ago to rave 5-star reviews! So many of you are making them and obsessed with them and I am so giddy that you enjoy them! I was inspired from an old recipe post to make this cookies & cream version and boy, I am so glad I did!

Cookies & Cream Cake Batter Blondies are buttery, soft and chewy blondies that taste like Funfetti cake batter with swirls of Oreo pieces in every bite! I don’t know what prompted me to put Oreos with cake batter, but I am so glad I did because it is such a winning combination! Who doesn’t love cookies & cream, or cake batter flavors? Put them together and you’ve created pure magic!

The main component of the cake batter flavor is white chocolate, which sounds weird but totally works and makes these taste exactly like gooey cake batter! These are basically like a white chocolate brownie and they have that same signature brownie fudge-like texture we all love.

You’ll whip up the batter and stir in some rainbow sprinkles and chopped Oreo pieces. Bake it up, let them cool, and enjoy! They are so festive, fun, easy and SO amazing!

Here are some tips to making the best Cake Batter Blondies

1. Use high quality white chocolate. Since white chocolate is the main component of the cake batter flavor, it pays to use a better brand like Ghirardelli or Guittard.
2. For best results, use white chocolate baking bars. I like using baking bars over chocolate chips for a few reasons. Usually the baking bars are a higher quality chocolate product, and they melt a lot easier than chocolate chips. It sounds weird that chocolate chips don’t melt as well since they’re already so small, but they are quite temperamental and prone to scorching if you’re not careful – especially white chocolate chips!
3. When it comes to sprinkles, not all are alike! I like using rainbow jimmies for these, which are the tube-shaped sprinkles in the photos. Non-pareils (aka those teeny tiny ball sprinkles) are so small that they’ll bleed their color into your blondies, creating a muddied look, and disintegrate during baking. Jimmies hold their shape the best!

Now who wants one?!

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Cookies & Cream Cake Batter Blondies

These Cookies & Cream Cake Batter Blondies are amazing! Soft, chewy, buttery and fudgy, they taste just like Funfetti cake batter and are studded with gooey pieces of Oreo cookies swirled throughout!

Course Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter cubed
• 8 ounces (or two 4-ounce bars) white chocolate bars roughly chopped
• ½ cup granulated white sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup rainbow jimmie sprinkles
• 1/2 cup Oreo cookies roughly chopped in bite-size pieces

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Line an 8x8 light metal square baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil liberally with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, add in the cubed butter and chopped white chocolate bars. Microwave on HIGH power for 20 seconds. Stir, then microwave for another 20 seconds, stirring between interval bursts of 20 seconds or until mixture is smooth and melted cohesively. It is very important to melt the white chocolate slowly on smaller intervals since it is prone to scorching. Once mixture is melted and smooth, let cool for about 5 minutes.
• Add in the sugars, eggs, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Lastly, stir in the salt and flour until just combined. Fold in the rainbow jimmie sprinkles and the chopped Oreo cookie pieces.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Notes

I recommend using a light metal baking pan for this recipe for most consistent results. If you only have a glass pan, please note that the bars may take longer to cook in the center. If you're using a dark metal pan, please note that the bars may cook faster and to check on the bars sooner.

Buttery, fudgy, gooey and sweet, you’re going to love these blondies!

Love cake batter? Check out these other recipes!

No-Bake Cake Batter Pie

Cake Batter Blondies

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Cookies & Cream Cake Batter Blondies first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

Remember when cake batter took the world by storm about 7 years ago? Those were good times.

Somewhere our cake batter obsession morphed into sad kale. I don’t know why we all thought kale was an adequate substitute for sprinkle-laden, buttery cake batter, but it is a sign our society is probably crumbling into ruins.

I love a good cake batter treat now and again (cookie dough is my number 1 always and forever) but it is mostly because I have an addiction to rainbow sprinkles. When I worked at a frozen yogurt shop as a teenager, I would joke that I probably kept the sprinkle demand coming because every shift I would load up my frogurt with about a half pound of those irresistible rainbow jimmies.

What I adore about these blondies in particular is that they are made with things you probably have on hand in your pantry right now, yet they taste incredibly like a fudgy piece of cake batter. They’re soft and chewy but thick and fudgy at the same time and are fully loaded with tons of sprinkles, as is required by cake batter law.

The secret to making these ultra rich and fudgy but also giving them that cake batter flavor is white chocolate. I know you wouldn’t normally think of white chocolate being super cake-like in flavor, but somehow it comes together to make a birthday cake flavor that’s out of this world.

In a way, these are exactly like a white chocolate brownie, made similarly with melted white chocolate instead of say, milk or dark chocolate. The result is sweet but not cloyingly so. I think you’re going to love them!

Of course, when it comes to sprinkles, I like making my own blend of whatever random bits and bobs I have on hand. For these I used some leftover star sprinkles, traditional rainbow jimmies and some heart quinns. Any sprinkle except for non-pareils will work.  The reason why non-pareils (those teeny tiny little ball sprinkles) won’t work is because they’ll basically turn your blondies a muddy color when added to the batter and baked and virtually disintegrate during the baking process. You want something sturdier, like a traditional jimmie sprinkle.

This is making ALL of my cake batter dreams come true, and I know these Cake Batter Blondies will make your dreams come true, too!

GLUTEN FREE TIP: I have had several readers make these successfully with King Arthur Flour cup-for-cup GF flour. I have not personally tested this but received testimony. If you’re looking to make these GF, give this a try! 

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The Best Cake Batter Blondies

These Cake Batter Blondies are absolutely amazing! Super rich and fudgy blondies made with white chocolate and tons of rainbow sprinkles for a cake batter twist on a classic.

Course Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12 -15

Author Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter cubed
• 8 ounces or two 4-ounce baking bars white chocolate baking bars, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles anything but non-pareils work best

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 metal square baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil liberally with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large microwave-safe bowl, add in the cubed butter and chopped white chocolate bars. Microwave on HIGH power for 20 seconds. Stir, then microwave for another 20 seconds, stirring in between interval bursts of 20 seconds until mixture is smooth and melted cohesively. It's important to melt the white chocolate very slowly in small bursts because it is prone to seizing very easily. Once mixture has melted and is smooth, let set for 5 minutes to cool off some.
• Add in the sugars, eggs, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Lastly, stir in the salt and flour until a soft batter comes together. Gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles.
• Spread the batter evenly into the baking pan and smooth out the top. Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes or until the top is light golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

I mean, it doesn’t get better (or more sprinkly!) than these!

Craving more cake batter?

No-Bake Birthday Cake Parfaits

No-Bake Funfetti Oreo Icebox Cake

Funfetti Edible Cookie Dough

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post The Best Cake Batter Blondies first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

I am a HUGE caramel fan. Can you believe there was once a time where I declared that I preferred hot fudge over caramel sauce?

I know. It’s a disgrace I hope we can all forget about, like turquoise eye shadow up to my eyebrows and low-rise jeans. It’s just better if we, as a society, move on from those travesties and leave them in history where they belong.

Anyhow, once I realized salted caramel pretty much trumps ANY other sauce/condiment, I was officially right in the head again and I began embracing this fantastic sauce. Between butter, sugar, and vanilla, how can you go wrong!?

In fact, there have been times where I have been known to purchase jarred caramel sauce and eat it straight from the jar. Ice cream who??? Salted caramel is perfectly suitable on its own, thankyouverymuch!

So when I tried this recipe, I was officially dead and in heaven because it is THAT good. Pure caramelly perfection in a single bite. Except the problem is, you would have to be insane to only take a single bite. It was hard enough trying not to polish off the entire pan.

These Salted Caramel Blondies have a blondie base with caramels mixed into the batter for maximum caramel flavor. Then they have the most decadent and otherworldly caramel FILLING that just sends these bad boys over the TOP with flavor and goodness. And of course, to really send these over the edge, I sprinkled on some flaky sea salt to really drive home that addictive sweet and salty flavor bomb.

The result is an amazingly soft, moist and chewy bar PACKED with buttery brown sugar & caramel flavors and an irresistible salty crunch. You do NOT want to miss this recipe!

*adapted from Family Circle magazine

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Salted Caramel Blondies

These heavenly Salted Caramel Blondies are a must-make recipe for the ultimate sweet and salty flavor bomb! Soft and chewy with a buttery brown sugar & caramel flavor, they're finished off with an addictive flaky sea salt crunch!

Course Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 15 -18

Author Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• 1½ sticks unsalted butter cubed
• 2 cups Kraft caramel squares unwrapped and divided (about 1.5 bags' worth or approximately 48-50 caramel squares total)
• 1¾ cups light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9x13" rectangular metal baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil liberally with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and 14 caramels (about 1/2 cup). Heat over medium-low, stirring constantly until caramels soften and melt. Remove from heat and let set for about 3-5 minutes.
• Whisk in the brown sugar, followed by the eggs, one at a time, whisking very well after each addition so as not to scramble the eggs, followed by the vanilla extract. Add in the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well until a soft batter comes together.
• Pour about half of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until just about set. Remove from oven but keep oven on.
• While bars partially bake, make the filling. Combine remaining 1 & 1/2 cups caramels (about 34 caramels total) with heavy cream and microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds - 1 minute, stirring until melted and smooth.
• Once base layer is partially baked, pour the caramel mixture on top evenly, followed by the remaining blondie batter. Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until set and center is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

These are SO gooey, buttery, caramelly and fantastic! I know you’re going to adore them!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Salted Caramel Blondies first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

If you’re craving something sweet and salty, these Salted Butterscotch Blondies will hit the spot! Chewy, soft and buttery blondies studded with butterscotch chips and sprinkled with fleur de sel on top for that irresistible bite.

Sometimes it is hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I’ve almost been blogging for TEN years.

Like, I don’t feel old enough to have an 8 year old blog… or a 12 year old dog, for that matter, and yet I have both!

Blogging has really changed a lot since I began. It used to be such a strong community of women. We all had our tribes so to speak but we’d congregate together in a larger community at blogging conferences. Smaller groups would vacation together in sponsored retreats. There were about 10 conferences to go to each year, one of which was the place to go. I remember booking my ticket the second they dropped so I wouldn’t miss out, and then I’d reach out to all of my friends to see if they were coming to some cool new city across America.

There was a lot of sponsored opportunities back then, too. I couldn’t open my email without no less than 10 brands or PR companies trying to work with me. Now it’s more like a barren wasteland – I’m lucky if I get a hit once a month.

It’s always bittersweet when the landscape changes. I felt such a camaraderie back then that’s definitely not as present now. Nowadays, the blogging world feels more like every woman for herself than a community, to be honest. Not to say bloggers aren’t supportive of one another – we still are for sure – but it used to be waking up to tons of comments from blog friends. Now it’s down to nothing.

And I pity those who are starting a blog now! The market is so saturated with bloggers from every niche that it would be so difficult to carve out a space for yourself and succeed. Whenever someone finds out I have a blog, they say, “oh man, I should start a blog! Sounds easy!” I always chuckle at their density and obliviousness… when I’m not feeling steam come out of my ears and nose from anger, ha!

Anyway, a long time ago, during my first year of blogging I made these Salted Butterscotch Blondies and I’ve been making them semi-regularly since then. They are my sister Chloe’s favorite dessert I make, and that’s saying something! I remember them because they were one of the first recipes I branched out and made on my own and I remember being so proud of them. Thankfully, that hasn’t changed: I’m still so proud of them because they’re DELICIOUS!

If you love that sweet and salty balance in your desserts, these are the blondies for you. They’re buttery, soft and chewy with pockets of melty butterscotch chips and a sprinkling of fleur de sel on top for a little salty edge. It’s crazy how simple and easy they are, but how CRAZY amazing they taste!

Definitely think about making these soon, and comment if you did! I’d love to hear from you

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Salted Butterscotch Blondies

These Salted Butterscotch Blondies are one of my family's favorite recipes I've made and I'm bringing the recipe back from the archives! Sweet and salty with a chewy crumb, these buttery blondies will soon be your favorite, too!

Course Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American, Dessert

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 15 -18

Author Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 2 or so Tablespoons fleur de sel or coarse sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 9x13 inch rectangular baking dish with cooking spray or line the pan with foil and then grease. Set aside.
• In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from heat once melted and stir in the brown sugar. Let set for 5 minutes to cool slightly, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Lastly, whisk in the baking soda and flour until a soft batter comes together. Fold in the butterscotch chips.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Sweet, salty and oh so satisfying, these buttery blondies will cure any craving!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Salted Butterscotch Blondies first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

I am actually low-key surprised that no one has revolted my blog for doing healthy-ish recipes for 2 weeks now. I guess you guys really wanted some healthier options after all!

Good to know. But don’t expect me to fully change. I am stuck in my ways and love butter, sugar, and doughnuts too much.

However, I’m fine bending the rules a little bit here and there. Like for these Whole Wheat Almond Butter Blondies. No one has to know they have healthier ingredients to make them satisfying both taste-wise and health-wise!

These are very similar to a classic blondie but are made with three better-for-you ingredients: whole-wheat flour to keep you fuller longer; dark chocolate chips, which are loaded with antioxidants and lower in sugar; and almond butter, which has great protein and fiber. I highly suggest making them as-is to try them in their delicious glory this way first, but once you’ve conquered this recipe, try these switch-ups:

• Peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower butter for a different flavor
• Adding in chopped nuts: almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or even seeds like sunflower seeds or pepitas
• Add in dried fruits like raisins and/or cranberries
• Switch up the chips by adding in white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or even butterscotch!

Tender, moist and chewy with gooey pockets of deep, dark chocolate, these blondies are SO good, you’ll forget they are healthier for you than other dessert options!

Now get to baking!

*adapted slightly from Sally

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Whole Wheat Almond Butter Blondies

These Whole Wheat Almond Butter Blondies are made with better-for-you ingredients, but taste totally sinful and delicious! No one will know these are packed with protein and fiber!

Course Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Author Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup almond butter if using natural, stir it first
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour such as Bob's Red Mill
• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8" square baking pan with foil or parchment, extending the foil or parchment over the sides of the pan. Spray the foil or parchment lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, oil, and brown sugar until smooth. I like using a whisk for this. Whisk in the milk and vanilla slowly, followed by the dry ingredients until a smooth, thick batter comes together. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks.
• Spread the batter (it'll be thick) into the baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle the top with more dark chocolate chunks, if desired. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and appears set. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares, as the blondies may crumble if cut too early or while too warm.

Buttery, chewy, gooey goodness stuffed with deep, dark chocolate pockets. No one will know these are healthier!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Whole Wheat Almond Butter Blondies first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

I am SO weird with ginger. I’m usually not a picky eater, but I am SO picky about this darned spice.

For starters, I loathe fresh ginger. It gives me the heebie-jeebies and it tastes like soap to me. It’s unbearable, and I simply cannot order anything with fresh ginger or candied ginger or crystallized ginger in it. NOPE.

But: I love ginger ale. It’s my go-to when my tummy’s upset, and it makes a great mixer! Maybe because the ginger flavor is far more subtle? Probably.

And during the holiday season, my fave drink at Starbucks is a gingerbread iced chai. Basically, an iced chai tea with one pump of gingerbread syrup. The combination between the aromatic chai spices + gingerbread syrup makes the drink taste like a liquefied cookie! It’s amazing.

I thought since my track record with ginger is spotty at best that I wouldn’t care too much for these Gingerbread Blondies, but I was seriously wrong! They have just the right amount of ginger that it reads as gingerbread without being overwhelming or too spicy (or soapy to me!). Of course, you can always add in more ground ginger if you prefer things super gingery spiced, but I’m a more tame ginger lover and thus, these were perfect.

The best part about these blondies, though, HAS to be the cream cheese icing! It’s so light and fluffy and is the perfect tangy complement to the spicy, chewy bars. To make them extra festive and sweet, I topped the blondies with holiday non-pareils sprinkles and the cutest little sugary gingerbread men! (I found the men on the seasonal baking aisle at Walmart!). Not only do the gingerbread men help identify what the bars are, they’re just a sweet touch.

I totally plan on making a big batch of these and cutting them into tinier squares to gift to my neighbors this holiday season, and you should too!

I mean…

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Gingerbread Blondies with Cream Cheese Icing

These Gingerbread Blondies are perfectly spiced, soft and chewy bars with a light and fluffy cream cheese icing on top. So perfect for the holidays!

Course Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 27 minutes minutes

Total Time 57 minutes minutes

Servings 15 -18

Author Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• FOR THE BLONDIES:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• FOR THE FROSTING:
• 4 Tbsp butter softened
• 8 ounces (One 8-ounce package) cream cheese softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2½-3 cups confectioners' sugar
• Holiday sprinkles optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 9x13" rectangular baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar; let cool 5 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition, followed by the vanilla, molasses, baking soda, spices, and flour until a soft batter comes together.
• Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan and bake for approximately 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Cool completely.
• To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar one cup at a time until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread the frosting evenly over the blondies and top with sprinkles, if using. To make a clean-cut square, cover and refrigerate the blondies about 1 hour.

Perfectly spiced, soft and chewy blondies topped with a luxuriously creamy cream cheese icing. What’s not to love?!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

The post Gingerbread Blondies with Cream Cheese Icing first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.

I knoooooow. Christmas recipes already?! I must be mad!

Well, yeah. We already know that. Moving on…

I am totally in the holiday spirit already and am just counting down the days until Christmas. I know some of you are rolling your eyes – maybe even clicking out of this post (#bye) because you can’t deal with Christmas stuff yet. And I hear you, okay? But I am going to go ahead and post anyway.

Maybe I’m a little ticked off that I missed Starbucks’ pumpkin scones this year (seriously, I blinked and they were sold out and done for the season. WHAT!), but I am ready to unleash my amazing recipe for their Cranberry Bliss Bars so it’s out in the universe and ready to be consumed any time of year.

This recipe comes from my first book, Out of the Box Desserts, but I figured it deserved some internet fame, too, so here we are with a revamped recipe.

Now: by ‘revamped’ I mean I added some more brown sugar to my book’s recipe, but if you don’t want it as brown sugar-y but still VERY delicious, go by the book’s measurements. The difference is a cup of extra brown sugar, but everything else is the same.

But when I bite my blondies, I like them to have an almost fudgy texture, like a favorite brownie but with lots of caramel-y brown sugar. By increasing that additional cup of brown sugar, it lends that lovely texture. Again: you can totally follow the book’s measurements! It’s up to you. The world’s your oyster.

However, if you’re looking and scouring Pinterest for the latest and greatest Cranberry Bliss Bar recipe, you’ve come to the right place. Fudge-like, gooey chewy brown sugar blondies studded with cranberries and white chocolate, then topped with a homemade creamy white chocolate cream cheese frosting, extra sweet-tart cranberries, and a drizzling of pure white chocolate.

I recommend using a higher quality white chocolate for this recipe since it’s such a huge component. These Callebaut chips are AMAZING. It’s a 2lb bag so you’ll get your money’s worth this baking season, and the milky white chocolate flavor is incredible.

AKA, HEAVEN.

Make them, eat them, love them any time of year!

*adapted from my book, Out of the Box Desserts

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The Best Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars

These Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars taste JUST like Starbucks' version but BETTER. Ultra chewy and almost fudgy in texture with a heavenly white chocolate cream cheese frosting, sweet and tart dried cranberries, and white chocolate drizzle!

Course Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American, Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 15 -18

Author Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• FOR THE BLONDIES:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• FOR THE FROSTING & TOPPING:
• 1 cup white chocolate chips divided
• 6 oz of cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9" rectangular baking pan with foil, extending the edges of the foil over the sides of the pan. Spray the foil liberally with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar. Let cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Lastly, add in the baking soda, salt, and flour until a thick batter forms. Fold in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
• Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
• To make the frosting: Melt 1/2 cup of the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, about 15-20 seconds. Stir, then melt some more on low increments until melted. Add in the cream cheese and vanilla and use an electric mixer to combine on medium speed until creamy and combined. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting is fluffy and light. Spread the frosting evenly over the bars and top with the dried cranberries.
• Melt the remaining 1/2 cup white chocolate chips low and slow in the microwave. Drizzle evenly over the bars. Let set in the fridge for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

Chewy, brown sugary, cranberry-packed goodness! These will be a winter staple!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

*This post contains some affiliate links.

The post The Best Copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars first appeared on The Domestic Rebel.