This Peanut Butter Blondie recipe is as easy as it gets, calling for only 6 ingredients that you probably already have on hand. They are unbelievably decadent, while being naturally-sweetened and flourless!
What’s the Difference Between a Brownie and a Blondie?
If you’re not familiar with “blondies,” they are basically brownies without cocoa powder added in. They remind me of a deep dish cookie, with more of a buttery, brown sugar flavor. And they’re even more like a deep dish cookie when you add in some chocolate chips!
How to Make Gluten-Free Blondies
These peanut butter blondies are naturally gluten-free because they use NO flour– and you don’t even miss it! They are inspired by the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle, which lays out guidelines for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (also called SCD, for short).
This special diet may help to heal the intestine (including yeast overgrowth, like candida) through avoiding certain types of starches and sugars, while embracing others. Honey is one of the recommended sweeteners for the SCD, as it’s a monosaccharide, and can be used by the body very quickly without expending much digestive energy.
I’ve also included a vegan option using coconut sugar if you prefer to use that. (You can find my substitution notes directly under the printable recipe in this post.)
How to Make Them
Making these flourless peanut butter blondies couldn’t be easier. Simply stir together the peanut butter, honey, egg, salt, and baking soda, and pour it into a pan to bake.
Just 20 minutes later, it’s like a rich deep-dish cookie!
I like to add some dark chocolate chips to these for extra decadence, but that’s totally optional. (And chocolate is not SCD compliant if you follow that protocol.)
It’s important that you let these blondies cool completely before slicing and serving them. They are very tender when they are warm, and will be difficult to hold without them breaking.
I recommend placing them in the fridge to cool down faster, and I even keep mine stored in the fridge because they last longer that way.
Which Peanut Butter is Best for Blondies?
I use all-natural peanut butter when making this recipe, which has no added oil or sugar. (You can make homemade peanut butter in just 5 minutes, too!)
If you want to use a peanut butter like Jif or Skippy, that will most likely work, too, but I haven’t tested those myself. (But let me know if you try it so I can hear how it goes for you!)
Peanut Butter Blondies (Flourless!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-natural peanut butter (preferably organic)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 whole egg
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt , plus coarse salt if desired as a topping
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8" square pan with parchment paper. (Pro Tip: Grease the pan with a little spray oil first to help keep the parchment paper in place when you add the batter)
- In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, honey, egg, salt and baking soda and stir well, until a thick and sticky batter has formed. Fold in the dark chocolate chips, if using.
- Use a spatula to pour the batter into the prepared pan, then use it to smooth the top. Sprinkle coarse sea salt over the top of the batter, if desired. (I highly recommend it!)
- Bake at 350ºF until the top is a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let the blondies cool completely, as they are very fragile when warm, then cut into squares and serve. I like to store mine in the fridge in an airtight container, for a really firm texture and longer shelf life.
Video
Nutrition
How to Make Vegan Blondies:
To make this recipe vegan, replace the egg with a chia egg, and replace the honey with 1/2 cup of coconut sugar. Check out my Almond Butter Blondies, which are naturally vegan & paleo friendly for this method.
As always, feel free to experiment with other nut butters and sweeteners. If you try something different, please leave a comment below letting me know what worked for you! We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite healthy sweetener? Dates have been my other go-to sweetener lately, so be sure to try my Date-Sweetened Brownies and Date-Sweetened Peanut Butter Cookies!
These look TO DIE FOR! Seriously, best-looking thing I’ve seen all week by far!
I don’t know much about the SCD, but now you’ve got me interested.
Do you think these could be made vegan – by substituting the Ener-G Egg Replacer for the egg? They look delicious!
Hmm… I’ve never tried Ener-G egg replacer, so I have no idea! Let me know if you try it!!
I was wondering about using flax-eggs, too, which would keep them properly combined… but I have a feeling that wouldn’t turn out as well. Maybe the Ener-G replacer will work!
Hope you have some success! 😀
Hey megan!
I wasnt sure where to start my own thread so i decided to write through a reply. Ive been making a bunch of your recipes and my hubby is loving everything i make! However, I tried making these blondies but after i put all the ingredients the consistency is just too thick and doesnt pour out like your picture shows. Any tips on making it like your batter? ive tried buying different organic peanut butters and even adding coconut oil… no luck 🙁 PLEASE HELP! and thank you so so much for all your other wonderful healthy recipes that have been a success in our home!
Sara, i am not sure what is causing your batter to be so dry, but if I was you, i would add an extra egg to male the batter a bit more wet. I hope this helps!
-Kelly
I had the same issue. I think it’s the peanut butter. In the video hers poured out, but mine was thick and had to be scooped with a spatula. Maybe adding some avocado oil to the peanut butter and stirring before adding any other ingredients would help? I’m going to try that next time.
We use PB that is freshly opened and more liquidy before we put it in the fridge…. it pours out and is runnier. I find this works best! Delicious!
I heat up my peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds to make it nice and gooey, and that seems to do the trick!
I’ve tried these with flax eggs and they came out great! Also have subbed almond butter for peanut butter. I just use whatever combo I have on hand and they always come out great.
Actually, I’ve made these using raw almond unsalted almond butter, and a flax egg in place of the regular egg, and they turn out amazing every time. They’re like perfect on the outside and chewy. Just surprisingly good. I had doubts the first time that I made them, because the batter was much thicker than what you have pictured, but after the first bite I was madly in love. 🙂 So rest assured flax will not detract from their deliciousness. (PS: I also usually add a little vanilla extract and like the flavor that it adds. try it sometime.)
I used energy Egg replacer, and. My batter was dry and crumbly. After baking, it smelled burnt and too dry to pic kip with a fork. Any suggestions??
I use ener g for everything and it always works just fine. Just make sure to whip the ener g really well or let it blend in a food processor for a few minutes.
Darn, I tried with a flax egg and salted almond butter. All I tasted is flax 🙁
I’ve made these with a flax egg substitute. 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed and 2-3 Tablespoons water per egg. Delicious
Those look divine! My sweet tooth has been raging too! I guess it just means that the holidays are in full swing 🙂 I’ve been trying my best to not eat with “reckless abandon” and going to the gym each day is a great reminder!
Those look totally yummy, I bet my girlfriend would love them!
Ohhh Dollface!! I’m making these and I’m reading that book and starting this diet come December 27th! I Need to change something up over here and I feel this is right….so I need a lotta honey 😉
Can you eat peanuts on this diet?! Hmmmmm…
Thanks for the fun holiday recipe, girl, I can’t wait to dive in!
xxoo
Yes, peanuts seem to be approved for the SCD… but I still don’t feel great eating them too often. They do make a tasty treat, though! 😉
(oh, and I’m pretty sure chocolate chips are NOT approved for that diet, so these aren’t exactly SCD “approved.”) LOL
You can always use cashews 🙂
Luv Luv Luv this recipe…planning to make it for my family when I go home this weekend! I stick to baking pretty healthy things, however, I did stray and use white chocolate chips for a white chocolate peppermint stick recipe that I am going to give as a gift… 🙂
Can’t wait to hear more about the book!
Happy day!!!
They were a hit with my family, so I hope yours enjoys them as well!
I tried them – they are delicious!
These look delicious!!! I know what you mean about the Almond Butter… I used to love PB so much, still do, but my tastes have def shifted over to loving AB way more! I guess I know what I’ll be making this week for the kiddo since he’s home on break 😉 Hope you had a great holiday <3
These look amazing! I’m wondering if I can replace banana for the eggs? Definitely using almond butter though, I hate peanut butter! I’ve gained a little weight over the holidays, but these look too impossible to resist and I love that they’re gluten-free!
Hmmm… I have no idea if the banana would work, but it’s with a shot!! You could reduce the sweetener that way, too. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
I tried it with banana and it worked out great! My oven is kind of weird, so it burned quickly at the top and in the middle it didn’t cook quite as well, but they were still delicious! Saving some for later with some soy vanilla ice cream 🙂
That’s awesome!! I love brownies and blondies with “gooey” centers, so I bet it would be totally decadent with the ice cream on top. 😉
And with the bananas, you don’t have to worry if it’s a little under-baked anyway. Glad it worked out!
When replacing with banana, is it one for one?
I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve heard that 1 medium banana can replace 1 egg. I don’t think they will bake-up in the same way as using eggs– the centers will probably be gooey! But, since it’s egg-free, you don’t have to worry about under-baking, and I kinda love gooey desserts, anyway! Hope it works well for you!
Also, I’d probably reduce the honey a bit– the bananas will add sweetness, too!
Popped over from I Heart Wellness 🙂
This recipe looks awesome!
Just threw these in the oven! This is my type of recipe!
Aren’t they so easy?? Hope you enjoy them! 😀
Worked great with the enerG egg replacer!
Yay! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Hi how much egg replace did you use? Thanks!
The box tells you how much mixture would equal an egg so I just used that as a guide I think 1/4 tablespoon or something…. I can check when I get home if ur missing that part on your box!! 🙂
oh, these sound incredible!!
I made there using the Ener-G Egg Replacer, and they came out terrific! Very gooey and yummy. Thanks much!
So delicious! Thank you for posting this amazing treat! I made it with the flax egg and a mixture of almond butter, tahini, and macadamia nut butter because I didn’t have enough of the almond.. I had to add 1/4 cup of water to mix everything, and also ran out of honey, so I did a mixture of the honey and stevia. They turned out super light and fluffy.. and a good combo! 🙂 double win!
I just made these with homemade almond butter. They are baking now, and smell fantastic! If the cookies taste half as good as the batter did, they will be delectable!
Megan, I stumbled on your blog yesterday and I am obsessed! Made these blondes last night and found them to be a little dry. However put them in the freezer and low and behold they are DELICIOUS frozen!!!!(and a better consistency!) Thanks for your great recipes! Looking forward to trying out more this week!
Glad you found me, Lauren! I’m sorry to hear the blondies were dry. Natural peanut butters vary in oil-content and texture, so maybe another brand would work better next time?
Though, I must agree… I always enjoy them best frozen. 😀
I JUST MADE THESE! I used cashew butter instead. The grain free cookie will be next! : )
I can’t find Flax eggs at Whole Foods. Where do you buy them?
You actually make “flax eggs” using ground flax seed and water. One egg = 1 Tablespoon ground flax + 3 Tablespoons water. Mix and let gel in the fridge for 15 minutes before adding to your batter.
What a wonderful inspiring blog you have here – thx for sharing. You are very creative!
~Sheila, Denmark~
Just spent about 30mins looking through your amazing recipes and i can’t wait to try most if not all of them! Thank you for these great ideas! Also-very interested in SCD as i’ve been battling digestive problems for most of my life and have yet to get a definitive answer on the issue from modern doctors so if you recommend a book i’d love a suggestion. Thanks again!
Good grief! These are wonderful! I made these today with sunbutter (I’m allergic to PB), and they are delicious. I don’t like eating sugar… or not much of it, and I am grateful to find such a simple (almost) sugarless recipe that tastes great.
Good to know that the sunbutter worked out! And I’m glad you enjoyed them! 😀
I LOVE this recipe sooo much and have always made it with peanut butter. Now I want to cook them for a group of my son’s friends but one is allergic to peanuts and the other to tree nuts. I was wondering when you made it with sunbutter, did the blondies turn green? Please let me know. Thanks!
OMG! Megan….I am in love with you. Peanut butter and chocolate chips AND flourless…..It’s can’t taste as good as it looks…it just can’t! I haven’t tried it yet, but it is on the agenda for this week. I’ll be back to give my report!
I just love your recipes so much. It’s much easier to find a healthy dinner to serve when guests come over but I’m often stumped of health desserts besides “fruit salad”. This is so, so wonderful!!!
ohmegoomie – L O V E!
delicious! i pressed all the peanut butter/honey mixture in the dish & then pressed mini dark chocolate chunks on top.I put them in the freezer & they are delish! i think all natural peanut butter helps texture bc of the natural oils. thanks for this recipe!
I am now following you on Facebook and will subscribe to your blog. Wondering your thoughts on SCD now. My son has Asperger’s and candida and we have just taken him off grain. I am worried about honey due to the candida. Perhaps you mention it somewhere, but are you looking at SCD for specific health conditions? Thanks!
Hi Adrienne! I am still a big fan of the SCD diet. While I don’t follow it for any specific health condition at the moment, I was drawn to it when I was trying a candida cleanse– the idea of how monosaccharides and disaccharides digest differently in the body made me wonder if simple sugars, like fruit and raw honey, are truly yeast-feeding or not, since they digest so quickly, before reaching the intestine. Of course, since I don’t have a science lab to test this theory, it’s all speculation! And, it also depends on the extent of the candida, whether it’s systemic or not.
Regardless, I felt really great while following the general guidelines of the SCD, and think it’s a great approach. 🙂
Interesting. So – my question is – what is the difference if it is systemic. Isn’t all candidiasis systemic? Ours is bad so I am assuming it wouldn’t be a great choice for us. And I am not wrapping my mind around the digestibility issues. I need to learn more about that. Thanks!
It is my understanding that candida can either be contained in the digestive system OR it can develop into a systemic problem, where it’s spread into the blood stream, and therefore throughout the body.
I highly recommend reading this book, for a great explanation (with diagrams!) of digestion: http://amzn.to/QGwxTD
These are absolutely delicious!!! I wish I had a picture for you, but I dont, my family and I had them all last night, and I had the last one this morning. The best combination, with the most simplest ingredients ever. I’m a Peanut Butter-Chocoholic, so this is just what I needed, and the best part is there is absolutely NO GRAINS in this. :)))
Would this work with any other types of nut butters?
Yes, it would absolutely work with other nut butters! I’ve tried it with almond butter as well. 🙂
Hi Megan, what about Pumpkin filling replacing peanut butter? Hmm Totally in the mood for chocolate pumpkin anything. 🙂
That sounds delicious! I’ll see what I can do. 🙂
Hi Megan! I tried these the other day and they were a bit too honey-ish for hubby (personal preference, I think they’re delicious!). So, next time I might try reducing the honey to 1/4 cup and adding 2 T agave. Also thinking of adding 1/4 C almond meal because they were a bit sticky for me. What do you think?
What I ended up doing with the baked batch I made was forming them into 1 inch balls and rolling them in a combination of almond flour and unsweetened coconut flakes and stuck them in the freezer for choco peanut butter truffles! Reminiscent of those chic-o-stick candies from the early years…yum. Thanks for a great recipe! I enjoyed toying around with it. 😉
Made these a couple days ago…delicious!!!
I made these with organic peanut butter, they tasted so amazing and everyone in my family loved them. Now I am making them with almond butter. I can not wait to taste. This is a must make recipe
I made these last night and they are delicious! I used almond butter instead and added a tablespoon of ground flax meal and they are simply delicious and so easy to make!!
Made these this weekend w/maple syrup instead of honey. They are WONDERFUL! They’re really good w/vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream on top. :0)
Hi,
I just found your blog and i am so obsessed! I actually just made your almond cookies and they are yum, but i really want to make this.
By natural pb, do you mean also no sugar added? Thanks!!
Yes, the ingredients in the peanut butter should just be peanuts. Hope you enjoy them!
Finally got a chance to make this. Out of the oven the top got dark, but the inside is very very gooey. Will it firm up a bit? or should i put it back into the oven a little longer?
The middle shouldn’t be too gooey. Since oven temperatures vary, perhaps try lowering yours and baking a little longer? (You can cover the top with foil to avoid burning.)
Also, if you used a flax egg instead of a whole egg, the insides tend to be more gooey… but, of course, then you don’t have to worry about under-baking it! 😉
I ended up putting them back in the oven and covered the top with foil. Just needed a bit longer. They are awesome!!!! I have done recipes like this before but they all call for brown sugar and besides for the fact that i prefer to use honey, the brown sugar makes the texture more crunchy. I just love these and they were so so simple to make. Which isnt good b.c then i’ll want to make them too often!! Thanks so much!
These are one of the best sweet treats I’ve ever had! Sweet but not too sweet, salty but not too salty. I have many friends with a variety of diet restrictions; I will be pulling out this recipe often!
I added these to myfitnesspal and figured out the nutritional value (following the recipe exactly -using an egg)…thought I’d share. Thanks for the recipe!!!
16 servings:
cal/ carbs. fat/ protein
Total: 2755 261 170 68
Per Serving: 172 16 11 4
These were super yummy! Thanks for the recipe! When do you usually eat desserts like this according to the food combining rules? Is it the same as the fruits…only by themselves or before a meal? Or is there not a good time and these are just a splurge?
These are a bit of a splurge, so I would enjoy them after a veggie-centric meal, like a large raw salad dressed with a tahini dressing and maybe some steamed veggies. Eating the raw veggies first will help these treats digest better!
I forgot to mention that super-strict food combiners will only eat desserts first (including fruit), at least 30 minutes before a meal, but I have a hard time doing that myself. Why would I want anything else AFTER dessert?! So, I stick to my vegetable-centric meals and indulge in my desserts afterward, even if it isn’t perfectly combined that way. 😉
These are the best. I made them with macadamia nuts for my father-in-law who can’t do chocolate-delicious!
Girl, this recipe is genius. I mentioned you and linked back to it in this blog post: http://casamoses.blogspot.com/2012/11/032-fat-friday-you-wont-believe-it.html
Thank you for sharing your genius. Because of you, I didn’t have a dessert-less Thanksgiving.
Just made these with maple syrup instead of honey, the taste was great but they never set. Do you use a specific brand of peanut butter?
Did you use a real egg or a flax egg? Flax eggs tend to make brownies and bars never “set” completely, so that could be one possible reason. As far as peanut butter goes, I usually use Trader Joe’s creamy organic or the organic brand that Whole Food’s carries with a bright green plastic lid (can’t remember the brand name at the moment).
I actually used a chia egg, not a real egg. I’ll try again and do tge peanut butter cookies with the real egg. Love your website though!
I’m going to try these…but I have no chocolate chips, so hope it is okay anyway. Also, they won’t be eaten right away, but maybe tommorow…will they still be okay??? and how should i store them? Thanks.
These were sOO delicious. I am addicted to detoxinista. I must try more recipes!!! Thanks so much!
I just made these, and they are delicious!!!! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
I made these for a potluck and they were such a hit! I added an extra egg white because the batter seemed too sticky at first (maybe my eggs were too small)–they came out great and now my friends think that I can cook 🙂 Thank you!
hi, tried these this morning but they turned out very dry and crumbly. my barter was pretty thick, not flowing like yours in your picture. thoughts on what I could add to make them more moist? thanks! 🙂
I’ve had different results when I change peanut butter brands, since some tend to be more oily than others. Next time, I’d try reducing the amount of peanut butter (maybe 3/4 cup?) to see if the batter is more runny that way.
I just made them. Many thank from me and my kiddos-Delicious!!
Hi Megan. I made these tonight. I substituted peanut for almond butter and instead of honey used Grade A maple syrup. They were tasty, but my batter tended to be very thick and the center was not as gooey as I liked. I think I will reduce the amount of almond butter or add some coconut oil. Thoughts?
Hi Megan! I made these yesterday using tahini instead of peanut butter, and I added some peanuts in addition to chocolate chips that I made by cutting up a half of a dark chocolate almond bar. I must admit, I started to worry when they had not “set” after about 20 minutes in the oven, but then I turned down the heat a bit, covered them with foil, and let them stay in maybe another 15 minutes. And . . . they are PERFECT! I love the “burnt sugar” flavor that the honey imparts, and the tahini “nuttiness” is delicious! I’ll definitely be making them again to test out peanut butter and almond butter variations. Yum, and thanks! 🙂
Making tomorrow for sure!!! What’s net carb in this?
Please see my FAQ page regarding nutritional information: https://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/