These blueberry blondies put a fruity spin on a classic dessert, combining sweet, ripe blueberries with a golden oat crumble topping. With a soft, light texture and vibrant flavor, they’re a crowd-pleasing vegan dessert that’s anything but ordinary.
vegan • dairy free • egg free
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Move over chocolate chips (though, we still love you!); there's a new twist blondie recipes that we think is the perfect ode to summer. Besides our hibiscus lemonade recipe, of course. 😂
If you're a fan of dense blondies, this recipe isn't for you. Instead, these blueberry blondies are a cross between bar cookies and cake. The light and airy texture is a fun twist that creates a melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
💙 what you'll love about these blueberry blondies
Blueberry flavor. There's just something special about the sweet flavor you can only get with ripe berries. The blueberries offer a lovely fruit flavor with a hint of spiciness that pairs well with the rest of the ingredients.
Oat crumble topping. The crumble topping just enhances the texture of the blondies and adds subtle notes of butter and nutty oats.
Light and airy texture. I grew up on a deliciously dense blondie recipe (the Nestle toll house bar cookies recipe that's existed for decades), so have an appreciation for dense blondies. However, for this recipe, the texture of the crumb is light and cakey, while filled with bits of walnut and the juicy blueberry for a delicious combination of textures. I wanted some contrast between the rich texture of the blueberries and surrounding crumb.
All vegan ingredients. Of course, using vegan ingredients makes these a great choice for those following a vegan diet or have specific dairy restrictions. Omit the nuts for those sensitive to nuts, and you have a recipe that will appeal to a broader group!
🥣 ingredients
crumble topping
Old-fashioned rolled oats. You can use quick oats, if you have those available as well. Please avoid instant oats in baked goods.
All-purpose unbleached flour. I prefer unbleached flour, but you can substitute with bleached, if needed.
Vegan butter. This serves as the fat that helps binds ingredients for the crumble. Use cold vegan butter and keep the crumble refrigerated after creating.
Light brown sugar. Organic light brown sugar is what we consider vegan in the U.S., so select organic brands whenever possible.
Granulated sugar. Similar to the light brown sugar, choose an organic version to stick with a vegan-friendly version.
blondie dough
All-purpose unbleached flour. Similar to the crumble recipe, you can use bleached all-purpose flour, if needed. Avoid self-rising flour in this recipe. The flour should be spooned and leveled.
Fresh or frozen blueberries. Wash and dry your fresh blueberries before incorporating into the dough. If using frozen blueberries, don't allow them to thaw first...that will just add unnecessary moisture to the dough that could impact the final outcome.
Vegan butter. I use salted vegan butter in this recipe; please see the notes in the recipe card if you bake with unsalted butter. Also, be sure to allow the butter to come to room temperature before creaming with sugars.
Walnuts. Nuts are optional and customizable for these blondies. Substitute with pecans or a different nut, or omit altogether.
Light brown sugar. Choose an organic light brown sugar when possible. The sugar should be very lightly packed when measuring...avoid tightly packing it into the measuring spoon.
Granulated sugar. Again, select an organic brand if you are able.
Aquafaba (chickpea brine). If you're not familiar, aquafaba is the brine you find in a can of chickpeas, or the liquid left behind when you've cooked raw chickpeas at home (with no added seasoning). Simply empty a can of chickpeas and measure the aquafaba. Any remaining liquid can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for future use. The aquafaba contributes to a lighter final texture.
Cornstarch. A few teaspoons of cornstarch also lightens the texture of the blondies and is what helps give them a more cake-like feel. If omitting the cornstarch, simply replace with flour.
Baking powder. The baking powder will serve as the leavener in the recipe to allow the blondies to rise when baking.
Pure vanilla extract. Vanilla extract adds depth of flavor.
Kosher salt. As with almost anything, salt enhances the flavor of the blondies.
🔪 equipment
Links to my preferred equipment is included in the recipe card. Some are affiliate links.
Stand and hand mixer. A stand mixer with the dough hook attachment will create the blondie dough. The hand mixer is used to whip the aquafaba before adding to the dough.
Small skillet. Use the skillet for dry roasting the walnuts; though, that step is optional.
Knife and cutting board for coarsely chopping the walnuts.
Spoon or spatula. I prefer a spatula for scraping down the sides of the stand mixer bowl and folding the mix-ins to the dough before baking.
Mixing bowls. You need a variety of small and medium mixing bowls to: (1) create the crumble, (2) whisk together dry ingredients, and (3) whip aquafaba.
Measuring cups and spoons. Dry measuring cups are helpful for this recipe. The measuring spoons are needed for the smaller quantity ingredients.
Whisk. A balloon whisk helps the dry ingredients incorporate evenly before adding to the wet ingredients.
8 x 8 baking dish. I use a metal baking dish. If you plan to use glass, note that hasn't been tested with this recipe.
Parchment paper. While the parchment paper is optional, it can be helpful when removing the blondies from the baking dish.
👩🏽🍳 step-by-step instructions
Create the crumble topping and refrigerate. Use the back of a fork to mix together the cold, cubed vegan butter with oats, flour, and both types of sugar. Continue to mix for several minutes, or until you reach the size crumbles you desire and place in the refrigerator.
Dry roast and chop walnuts. This is an optional step, but a great addition to the cookies if you like nuts! Lightly roast in the skillet to unlock their flavor before chopping.
Whisk together dry ingredients. Evenly incorporate the dry ingredients so they blend better when added to the wet ingredients.
Whip aquafaba. Use a hand mixer to whip aquafaba until soft peaks form.
Cream wet ingredients in stand mixer with dough hook attachment. If the butter is at room temperature, the wet ingredients should come together quickly. You're looking for a uniform texture and should only need to cream for 2-3 minutes. The creaming method also makes the final crumb lighter, as opposed to using melted butter.
Add whipped aquafaba. Mix until evenly incorporated, which should take about 30 seconds.
Add dry ingredients. Slowly stir into the mixture on low speed until evenly incorporated. Scrape down the sides if needed and be cautious not to overmix.
Fold in blueberries and walnuts. To help us prevent overmixing, I use the spatula to fold the blueberries and walnuts into the dough. Fold over several times to ensure each bit gets some of the goodies.
Add dough to parchment-lined 8x8 baking dish. In my baking dish, I don't need to grease it, but if yours has a tendency to stick, you can use a little grease (I use coconut oil for baked goods) and include the parchment paper.
Sprinkle and gently press crumble topping into the top of the blondies. After you divide the crumb topping, gently press the topping into the top of the dough.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes. The top should be a light golden brown and you can check for doneness by inserting a skewer into the center (it should be clean upon removal).
Allow to cool, stopping halfway through to gently cut and remove from parchment paper to finish cooling. Given the light texture of the cookies, I suggest transferring to a wire cooling rack. If you leave them on the parchment paper to cool completely, you risk condensation causing the bottoms to be too moist.
Recipe
Blueberry Blondies
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer for dough; hand mixer will work as well
- 1 hand mixer for whipping aquafaba
- 3 Mixing bowls to mix crumble topping, whisk dry ingredients, and whip aquafaba
- 1 spatula
- parchment paper optional
- 1 small skillet optional, for roasting walnuts
- 1 knife and cutting board for chopping walnuts
Ingredients
Blondie Crumble Topping
- ¼ cup old fashioned oats 27g
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour 33g, spooned and leveled
- 3 tablespoon vegan butter 39g, cold and cubed
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar 22g
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar 26g
Blueberry Blondie Dough
- 1⅛ cup all-purpose flour 158g, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup blueberries 148g, washed and dried
- ½ cup walnuts 51g, lightly roasted and chopped
- ½ cup vegan butter 114g, room temperature
- 6 tbsp aquafaba 72g (chickpea brine)
- 6 tablespoon light brown sugar 64g
- 6 tbsp granulated sugar 79g
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch 6g
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2g
- ½ teaspoon baking powder 2g
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt 3g
Instructions
Crumble Topping
- In a small bowl, combine the crumb topping ingredients (flour, oats, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vegan butter) and use the back of a fork to mix ingredients together. Stop once you reach your desired consistency and place in the refrigerator while you prepare the remaining ingredients.¼ cup old fashioned oats, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoon vegan butter, 2 tablespoon light brown sugar, 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
Blondie Dough
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- In a small skillet, dry roast walnuts over medium heat until exterior is starting to blister and you smell a toasty aroma. Transfer to cutting board and once cooled enough to handle, coarsely chop walnuts.½ cup walnuts
- In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients until evenly combined.1⅛ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a separate medium bowl, use your hand mixer to whip aquafaba until you reach soft peaks, about 1 minute.6 tablespoon aquafaba
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the room temperature vegan butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pure vanilla extract until evenly incorporated (2-3 minutes on low speed). Stop to scrape the sides with a spatula about halfway through.½ cup vegan butter, 6 tablespoon light brown sugar, 6 tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add whipped aquafaba to creamed ingredients and stir on low speed until evenly incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop and scrape the sides, if needed.
- Slowly add dry ingredients, stirring on low just until combined and ingredients reach a uniform consistency.
- Using your spatula, fold in the walnuts and blueberries, folding the dough in on itself until the nuts and berries are evenly dispersed.1 cup blueberries
- Scoop the dough into a parchment-lined 8x8 baking dish (greased, if your pan tends to stick).
- Add the crumble topping and gently press into the top of the dough.
- Bake on the center rack in your oven at 375℉ for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from pan, sliding off the parchment paper, and set on cooling rack before enjoying. (Removing the parchment paper before cooling completely helps allow the bottom of the cookies to become more firm.)
Notes
Nutrition
🧊 storage
If you plan to keep the blondies at room temperature, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. These will get more moist as they rest, so are at their best within just a few days.
To keep longer, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to a week.
For longer term storage, wrap and place in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
✅ acceptable substitutions and variations
Fruit and nuts. Experiment with the fruit of your choice. Most berries will work well with the recipe, as well as nuts. Omit the nuts entirely, or try pecans, macadamia nuts, or a nut combo!
Spices. Feel free to have some fun with seasonings. Try mixing in some cinnamon or allspice for some warmer flavors. Or, enhance the flavor even more with a little extra splash of vanilla extract.
Salted vs unsalted butter. As noted in the recipe card, if you're using unsalted butter, add a little more salt to the dry ingredients before incorporating.
Replace cornstarch with flour. Not everyone is a fan of cornstarch. The texture will likely be a little less light, but you should be able to successfully replace the cornstarch with two more teaspoons of all-purpose flour without issue.
Flax eggs instead of aquafaba. If you don't have a can of chickpeas or pre-saved aquafaba ready, you can make a vegan egg replacement using flax meal. To substitute, you will need two tablespoons of flax meal combined with six tablespoons of water. I haven't tested with flax eggs, so expect a darker and more dense texture.
🥰 tips for the best blueberry blondies
Roast walnuts. Giving nuts a little toast before baking unlocks their flavor. Just keep an eye on them - it can be easy to walk away and forget about them!
Make sure blueberries are dry before adding to the dough. Pat them dry if you washed fresh berries, and if using frozen, don't allow them to thaw first.
Refrigerate dough before baking. If you allow the flour to hydrate and flavors to condense a bit, you tend to get a slightly more dense result that has a slightly deeper flavor profile. This is an optional step, and I've had delicious blueberry blondies from both refrigerating and NOT refrigerating the dough. If you do take this step, refrigerate for 30 minutes and then allow to come to room temperature before adding to the oven.
Remove from parchment paper while cooling. Allowing them to cool completely on the parchment paper will result in condensation forming and making their bottoms too wet.
♻️ sustainability profile
Blueberry blondies can be a sustainable recipe with some simple choices outlined below.
Organic ingredients.
- As we discussed in previous posts, sugarcane production is hard on the environment (World Wildlife Fund article). Choosing brands that support regenerative farming and organic farming methods is a great choice for promoting sustainability in the kitchen. Two brands to consider are Florida Crystals (affiliate link) and Wholesome.
- Blueberries are listed on the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen list, which means you should seriously consider buying organic blueberries. Of course, if you have the space and environment to grow at home, that's even better!
No dairy. Without butter and eggs, you're already supporting sustainability! Vegan butter and aquafaba are helpful alternatives for recipes that call for dairy butter and eggs.
Parchment paper. I prefer unbleached parchment paper, and the If You Care brand (affiliate link) is also compostable. Wipe clean and break down into small bits before adding to compost.
❓frequently asked questions
Are blondies like brownies?
Blondies and brownies are both served in square pieces, so many ask what is really the difference between a blondie and its brownie counterpart? The primary distinction is in the foundation; brownies are based on cocoa powder and chocolate to create a chocolate baked good that embraces either a cake or fudgy texture. Blondies, however, get their flavor profile from vanilla extract, butter, and any additional mix-ins for a result that is lighter in color and flavor.
How long should you bake a blondie for?
Blondies traditionally bake anywhere from 20-30 minutes. You're looking for a light, golden brown texture on the top crust with slightly darker edges and a center that has just started to set. You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer into the center, which should be clean when removed from the dough.
Should you refrigerate blondies after baking?
You are not required to refrigerate blondies after baking, but you can place in an airtight container in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life by a few days (compared to storing at room temperature). Blondies can also be wrapped and placed in a freezer-safe container to be frozen for up to three months. Note that each storage method may affect the texture. Refrigeration and freezing can make them more dense upon removal, but still delicious!
🫐 more popular blueberry recipes
Blueberry season may just be the BEST season. Here are some additional recipes that feature this delightful berry:
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