I have somewhat of an obsession with blondies. Buttery, ooey, gooey, caramelly. Yum. So when I started omitting dairy from my diet earlier this year, I spent a little time mourning my beloved buttery squares.

I also cut my sugar intake drastically, so it was probably for the best. But I believe in the occasional indulgence, and so it wasn’t long before I thought, hey! Maybe, just maybe we can make blondies without the butter!

Coconut oil is the first ingredient I turn to when subbing something non-dairy for butter. And, much to my delight, it worked like a charm. These blondies are moist, chewy, utterly caramelized deliciousness. And I don’t know if it’s my mind playing tricks on me or what, but I swear I detect a seriously buttery note, even though I know there isn’t any in there.

With the dark brown sugar and whole wheat flour, these blondies look more like brownies. But they’re blondies! I swear!

Rich, buttery-without-the-butter, dairy-free and decadent blondies liberally dotted with chocolate chunks.

And now I mourn blondies no more.

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Why don’t we see it in spring? It might just be excellent with rhubarb! Or as a syrup in coffee. Gingerbread iced coffee in June. I know I’d love it, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t fly here on the blog. Bah, humbug.

Well, I guess I’ll just have to embrace gingerbread right here, right now. And in the form of these dense and moist, chewy and sweet White Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Blondies.

These blondies are so full of gingerbread goodness that they look more like brownies than blondies. But trust me – that’s brown sugar-molasses-spiced-delicious goodness all up in there. With a hefty dose of white chocolate, both drizzled on the top and in chip form in the batter itself.

I love the buttery, rich spiced flavor of the blondies, but the white chocolate gives a cool contrast that draws you in bite after bite. Plus, it looks pretty and kind of snowy drizzled over the top. I’m wishing now I’d sprinkled some white nonpariels over the chocolate drizzle for a little extra bit of festivity. If you make these, you should try it! It’ll look like snow. Pretty.

When I developed this recipe, I literally just threw this and that into a bowl, spread it into a baking dish, and crossed my fingers. I was shockingly surprised (and admittedly proud) at how well they turned out. The edges do tend to stay a bit high compared to the middles, but I love them that way. More crispy edges without one of those funky maze-shaped brownie pans works for me.

These also freeze so well that I could make several batches and keep them in the freezer. And then so I can pull one out whenever I wish. Like on the Fourth of July! Or any other day in the year that’s not the holiday season! Rebel blondies, my friends. Gingerbread 365!

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Our 2-year-old has a new habit lately, and I worry it’s something she learned directly from her parents.

“Daisy! No eat the house!”

“Daisy! No hit the CARS!”

Daisy is our three-year-old golden retriever, and she’s a bit … boisterous. She’s a somewhat troubled rescue dog that we found at a shelter when she was six months old. She was completely shut down – afraid of everything and everyone. She’s still skittish, but for the most part, she’s transformed into an overgrown, over-rambunctious, 70-pound, out of control puppy. She is also unbelievably wonderful and patient with our toddler, thankfully. The toddler, on the other hand …

“Daisy! No. Lick. The. Book!”

“Daisy! No. Eat. The. Bunny MAC!”

It’s always a bit of a reality check to hear yourself through your child (though we do structure our sentences a little differently, promise). Anyway, we’re sorry, Daisy. We’ll try to be a little more patient with you – and teach our daughter to do the same.

Not that Daisy reads this, but you know.

Anyway! Blondies! I’ve been obsessing over blondies a bit lately, so I thought it would be fun to create a St. Patrick’s Day-esque version: Bailey’s & Coffee Blondies. Though, by all means, these should be enjoyed any time of year.

We’ve got rich, dense, espresso-spiked blondies, and then we top them with Baileys Irish Cream icing. Basically, blondies both caffienated and boozified. Kind of like me! Not really. Maybe a little.

One cool thing about these blondies is that the base only takes one bowl. No separate bowls for wet and dry; you just melt the butter in the bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients. So easy! Although … you do need a mixer for the icing, so that’s kind of a bummer. But totally worth it, promise!

My self control is often nil, but with these blondies, it’s pretty much minus nil. 20 degrees below nil. After my quality control sample(s), the rest went to the office with my guy. They had to GO. Except for that one I, ahem, hid away. Now where is that thing?! (I am not looking at the dog accusingly. I am not.)

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Baileys & Coffee Blondies

These utterly decadent blondies are a new take on Baileys and Coffee. Espresso flavors the rich, caramel-y base; Irish Cream spiked icing takes them over the top.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 16 squares

Author Kare

Ingredients

Coffee Blondies

• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso granules
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Irish Cream Buttercream Icing

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups powdered aka confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream liqueur or other Irish Cream liqueur
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Pinch salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish or coat well with non-stick cooking spray.
• Add the butter to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 50% power in 20-second increments just until melted. Whisk in the brown sugar, then stir in the instant espresso granules, egg, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.
• Add the flour and stir just until combined.
• Spoon batter into baking dish - it will be very thick. Using an offset spatula or your clean fingers, press and spread the batter evenly into the pan.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle and the edges appear dry and slightly golden.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 hour.
• Make the icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer afixed with the whisk attachment or in a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter until pale, about one minute. Add the powdered sugar and blend at low speed until the butter and sugar begin to combine. Drizzle in the irish cream. Add the milk, a little at a time, until you reach a creamy, spreadable consistency. Add the salt and combine well.
• Spread the icing evenly over the blondies. Cut into 16 squares and remove with a cookie spatula.
• Blondies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 3 days.

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