These easy Gluten-Free Blondies made with almond flour and coconut flour are a one-bowl recipe! They are soft, chewy, and a great dessert recipe to serve a crowd. Dairy-free and egg-free.
With a gooey, chewy center in a vanilla-kissed bar, your sweet tooth will be satisfied with these gluten-free blondies.
Not only are they gluten-free, but they are an easy vegan blondies recipe thanks to plant-based ingredients you'll find in your pantry.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Easy gluten-free baking
- Soft and chewy
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the key ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
Applesauce - Use unsweetened applesauce in this recipe. Otherwise, it will be even sweeter!
Almond butter - All-natural almond butter is best for this recipe as its simple ingredients don't have any added sugar or oils. This will act as an egg replacer. It will help bind our batter and create a chewy texture in our bars.
Coconut sugar - Instead of brown sugar or light brown sugar, this unrefined sweetener adds depth of flavor.
Organic cane sugar - This vegan-friendly less refined sugar helps sweeten in combination with coconut sugar.
Almond flour - Gives our gluten-free blondies a perfect crumb and provides a good source of protein.
Avoid using almond meal as it will give the muffin more of a gummy texture.
Coconut flour - Coconut flour also adds a nice natural sweetness like in these chewy pumpkin cookies. It also is a great source of fiber and protein.
Arrowroot starch or Corn starch - Just a little bit of starch is needed. This is a great gluten-free baking pantry staple.
Coconut oil - Instead of regular butter or vegan butter, coconut oil keeps things dairy-free and creates a chewy blondie.
To avoid a "hint of coconut," use refined coconut oil.
Maple syrup - Just a little bit of this syrup goes a long way in giving our gluten free blondies a delicious sweetness.
Vanilla extract - A little goes a long way to round out the sweetness in these almond flour blondies.
Walnuts and white chocolate chips - Both of these ingredients are optional. You can use both, just one, or neither.
For vegan white chocolate chips I use EnjoyLife brand.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you start: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add applesauce and almond butter. Beat with an electric mixer. Add cane sugar, coconut sugar, and maple syrup and beat again for one minute.
Step 2: Add remaining wet and dry ingredients except walnuts and white chocolate chips and beat on medium speed until mixture is completely combined.
Step 3: Fold in walnuts and white chocolate chips into the blondie batter and transfer to prepared pan. Smooth top with a rubber spatula.
Step 4: Bake for 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Tops will be a golden brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into 16 squares.
Helpful tips
- Line the square pan with parchment paper. This is essential in getting the blondies out cleanly.
- Press extra white chocolate chips into the top of the uncooked blondies for a pretty presentation.
- For best results, it's important to allow these maple blondies to cool completely before slicing. This allows them to set completely.
- I like using Bob's Red Mill brand for the flours used in this gluten-free blondies recipe. You can find them in the baking aisle or gluten-free section of your local grocery store or from an online retailer.
Storage
Store the blondies in a an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To freeze, wrap individual squares in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Yes! Some may prefer blondies to not be so gooey, but I think a good blondie like this blondie recipe should be chewy and gooey in the middle.
The main difference is the use of chocolate. Brownies are made with cocoa powder or melted chocolate. Blondies do not use cocoa powder or melted chocolate.
More dessert recipes
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Blondies (Vegan)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (150g) unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup (180g) unsalted almond butter
- ½ cup (120g) organic cane sugar
- ¼ cup (40g) coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons (138g) almond flour
- ¼ cup (33g) packed coconut flour (pack the measuring cup)
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (50g) raw walnuts chopped
- ½ cup (88g) dairy-free white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add applesauce and almond butter. With an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until fully incorporated. Add cane sugar, coconut sugar, and maple syrup and beat again on medium-high speed for about a minute.
- Add remaining ingredients except walnuts and white chocolate chips and beat on low speed just until mixture is combined. Do not over mix.
- Fold in walnuts and white chocolate chips and transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. The edges will be firm. If it seems like it needs more time to bake, tent the blondies with foil and bake in 5-minute increments. (They will be slightly gooey in the middle.)
- Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into 9 or 16 squares.
Brad
Could 1-2 eggs replace the applesauce?
Tessa
Yes! Two eggs should work just fine.
Jen
What is a substitute for the sweet rice flour?
Tessa
Hi Jen! You could try regular white rice flour but it would not result in quite the same chew or texture. The starchiness of the sweet white rice flour helps with the binding along with the almond butter.