Do you love delicious moist and chewy brownies? This peanut butter version is the perfect sweet treat! These delicious gluten free blondies are moist and delicious...and they are even better with ice cream on top. If you are looking for the perfect cookie bar, this is the recipe you need to try!
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Have you ever eaten a gluten free blond brownie? One of my friends was gushing about Applebee's blondies, and I have not been able to get it out of my mind. My sweet tooth was screaming for these blondies, and I knew I HAD to make a gluten free version.
As I dug into creating this copycat recipe, I noticed a common theme. Flour and a ton of sugar. Substituting a gluten free flour for a regular flour was easy, and I added an almond flour option for those who would like some added protein...but this recipe is still sweet like the original.
This gluten free blondies recipe has it all. I hope you love these gluten free blonde brownies as much as my family did. By the time I was finished changing this recipe, I have to confess, my gluten free version was very different from the original. My family will be the first to say that the final result was pretty incredible.
Just one bite of these blondie bars, and you will be hooked. The chewy center almost melts in your mouth. These are by far the best blondies ever! If you love brownies as much as I do, I have quite a few delicious gluten free brownie recipes to try.
Why this recipe is great:
- Options. I made this version healthier than the original Applebee's Blondies because...well let's just say guilt is a big factor. I included almond flour to help balance out the sugar, and I even have a no-refined sugar version with coconut sugar.
- These blondies are made with simple ingredients.
- This gluten free blond brownie is moist, chewy, and has just the right amount of sweetness. They have the best gooey texture that classic blondies are known for.
Ingredient notes:
- Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Peanut butter - you can use natural peanut butter (be sure to stir it really well so it isn't oily) or regular peanut butter. To make this nut-free, substitute SunButter.
- Butter - To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- Sugar - I do not use white sugar in this recipe. Brown sugar melts in and adds a more rich flavor. If you want to avoid high glycemic sweeteners, you can substitute coconut sugar. You can use dark brown sugar or light brown sugar.
- Eggs - Use size large eggs. I prefer to use room temperature eggs, but you can use them straight out of the refrigerator if you are in a hurry.
- Pure vanilla extract - I do not recommend imitation vanilla.
How to make gluten free blondies:
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 2: Melt your butter in a microwave-safe dish for 35 seconds. Add the wet ingredients to the melted butter and mix well. I like to heat the peanut butter for 15 seconds so it blends in better.
Step 3: Pour the blondie batter into the dry ingredients, add the chips. Mix gently with a wooden spoon. In this case, I used peanut butter chips but you can also add semi-sweet chocolate chips!
*Note you can also make the blondies batter in a standing mixer.
Step 4: Scoop dough into a parchment paper-lined 8x8 baking pan. Spread the batter so it is an even layer on your pan. Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes until done.
Step 5: Remove from the oven and move the blondies to a wire rack to cool. For best results, allow them to cool completely before slicing.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
You can easily make these blondies dairy-free by using vegan non-dairy butter.
To make this recipe nut-free use SunButter instead of peanut butter. Omit the peanut butter chips and use chocolate chips.
There are gluten free peanut butter chips, in fact, many are gluten free...they just are not certified gluten free. Hershey's said there are no gluten ingredients in their Reeses peanut butter chips. Just to be on the safe side, always read the labels to make sure there is no gluten in your chips.
The best way to know if your blondies are done baking is by sticking a toothpick into the middle of them. If your toothpick comes back clean, your blondies are ready. If there are crumbs or batter on the toothpick, you will need to bake them a bit longer.
These blondies will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
You can easily freeze them in a freezer-safe ziplock-type bag. Be sure your blondies are cooled to room temperature before putting them into the freezer bag.
A blondie is a brownie without cocoa powder. It has that same moist delicious almost chewy flavor!
Fun mix-in ideas:
There are so many ways to vary this gluten free blondies recipe. Here are some of my kids' favorites:
- Chocolate, semi-sweet, or white chocolate chips
- Walnuts or pecans
- Caramel chips
- Butterscotch chips
- Heath Bar Crunch pieces
- Butterfinger pieces
Storage:
Store these blond brownies in an airtight container. Using a sealed container will prevent them from drying out. I recommend storing them in the refrigerator so they do not spoil.
More Gluten Free Cookie Bar Recipes:
- Gluten Free Coconut Matcha Cookie Bars
- Gluten Free Caramel Magic Bars
- Gluten Free Banana Bars
- Gluten Free Lime Cookie Bars
Enjoy these gluten free blond brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and hot caramel sauce for a special treat! This post was updated from an older June 2018 post with more information and recipe details.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Blond Brownies with Peanut Butter Chips
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar * see note
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup peanut butter * see note
- 12 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Spray an 8x8 baking pan with coconut oil (or oil of your choice.) You can also line your 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Blend all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend.
- Melt your butter in a microwave-safe dish for 35 seconds. Add the wet ingredients to the melted butter and mix well. I like to heat the peanut butter for 15 seconds so it blends in better.
- Pour the blondie batter into the dry ingredients, add the chips. Mix gently with a wooden spoon. In this case, I used peanut butter chips but you can also add semi-sweet chocolate chips!
- *Note you can also make the batter in a standing mixer.
- Scoop dough into a parchment paper-lined 8x8 baking pan. Spread the batter so it is an even layer on your pan. Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes until done.
- Remove from the oven and move the blondies to a wire rack to cool. For best results, allow them to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Many ask if peanut butter chips are gluten-free. Hershey's has said there are no gluten ingredients in their Reese's peanut butter chips.
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- If you would like to add some protein. You sub ¼ cup of the gluten free flour blend with almond flour. I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your blondies grainy.
- To make this recipe nut-free, omit the almond flour and substitute an additional ½ cup gluten-free flour blend.
- These blondies will keep up to 3 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer. Store them in the refrigerator.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Steph
These were so awesome! They looked slightly oily when I was baking them so I was worried they wouldn’t turn out. They were perfect! Made them for a work party and several of my friends said they loved them! I used bobs red mill 1to 1.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad everyone loved these blondies. I think the oiliness is from the peanut butter, but I am so glad you stuck with this recipe and that they turned out great.