Cherry Blondies
These Cherry Blondies are buttery, chewy dessert bars packed with sweet maraschino cherries and almond flavor. Easy to make and full of nostalgic cherry chip cake flavor, they're perfect for holidays, bake sales, and everyday desserts.
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 245kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped maraschino cherries patted dry really well
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment.
- In a bowl, whisk melted butter and sugar until glossy and smooth.
- Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla, almond extract, and cherry juice.
- Fold in flour and salt just until combined. (the batter being a little lumpy is okay)
- Gently fold in chopped cherries (make sure they’re well dried to avoid excess moisture).
- Spread batter into the pan.
- Bake 45-48 minutes, until edges are set and center is slightly soft.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Pat the maraschino cherries very dry before adding them to the batter. Excess moisture can make the blondies soft or cakey instead of chewy.
- Don't overmix after adding the flour. Stir just until combined to keep the blondies tender.
- Bake until the edges are set and the center still looks slightly soft. Overbaking can dry them out.
- Let the blondies cool completely before slicing. This helps them set properly and gives you cleaner cuts.
- For the best texture, use room-temperature eggs. They blend more evenly into the batter and help create a smoother crumb.
Nutrition
Serving: 1blondie | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
