Soft, chewy, and brown buttery, these blondies are infused with espresso, and studded with rich chocolate chips and homemade toffee!
Who knew it was possible to create something so heavenly by boiling sugar and butter together?
Although toffee doesn’t get quite the same amount of attention as caramel does, it definitely deserves to be in the spotlight. With its rich, buttery, and satisfyingly toasted flavor, there’s really nothing more addictive in my opinion. And this is especially true when you combine toffee with brown butter, coffee, and chocolate chips…
Why You Need To Make These Blondies
Coffee + Toffee = Match Made in Heaven: The bold, yet slightly bitter flavor of the coffee perfectly balances the rich and buttery sweetness of the toffee, resulting in a blondie that’s not too sweet with great depth of flavor.
Texture Perfection: These blondies are soft, chewy, and exquisitely fudgy in the middle. With perfectly crisp and golden edges, melted pockets of chocolate, and caramelized bits of toffee, these blondies are love at first bite.
Made With Homemade Toffee: Nothing compares to the flavor of homemade toffee, ESPECIALLY when it’s baked into a blissful blondie. Do yourself a favor and do NOT skip making the toffee.
Tips for Better Blondies
Brown the Butter: Not only does browning the butter add so much nutty, toasty flavor to the blondies, but it also produces that shiny, paper-thin, crackly crust on top. It’s a simple step that makes a major difference.
All you have to do is place the butter into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Once the butter is completely melted, continue stirring as the butter begins to boil. You should start to see little specks of brown form and you should smell a nutty aroma. Once this happens, immediately transfer the browned butter to a large mixing bowl so that it doesn’t continue cooking. Allow the butter to cool slightly (about 10 minutes) before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Add an Extra Yolk: Egg yolks contain more fat than egg whites. Adding an extra yolk not only adds more richness and flavor, but it results in a fudgy texture that’s both dense and tender.
Use Higher Ratio of Brown Sugar: This recipe contains 1 cup of brown sugar and just 1/4 cup of granulated (white) sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses, which incorporates more moisture into the blondie. This yields a softer bite without leaving the blondie dry or cakey. Brown sugar also contains a maple sweetness, giving the blondies a richer, warmer, more butterscotchy flavor.
Do Not Over-Bake: Just like brownies, blondies are meant to be soft and fudgy in the middle. That’s why it’s usually best to err on the side of underbaking, so you don’t risk the dreaded rock-hard edges and dry centers. I recommend checking the blondies after 25 minutes, and baking no longer than 30 minutes. If they begin to brown too quickly, tent a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the blondies during the last 10 minutes or so of baking.
Tips for Making Toffee
Use a Heavy-Bottomed Stainless Steel Saucepan: As opposed to nonstick or lightweight pans, heavy-bottomed stainless steel pans offer even heat distribution, which prevents hot spots that can burn the sugar or cause the mixture to separate.
Cook Slowly and Stir Constantly: Start by melting the butter on low to medium-low. Once it’s halfway melted, whisk in the brown sugar and salt until combined. Keep the heat on medium-low, and try to resist the urge to turn it up. If the heat is too high, you risk burning the butter or splitting the mixture. It’s also important to whisk the mixture constantly to ensure even cooking. Definitely do NOT leave the toffee at any point.
Use a Thermometer: In order to achieve the right texture and that signature toffee snap, the toffee mixture needs to reach 300ºF, or the hard-crack stage. Using a thermometer will allow you to gauge the temperature more accurately, so you know when it’s done. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a candy thermometer. I use a digital thermometer, which works just as well.
My toffee separated. How do I fix it?
If you find that your toffee has separated, simply take it off the stove and whisk it vigorously until it comes together. If this doesn’t work, add about a tablespoon of hot water to it, whisking the mixture until it smooths out. It might need another tablespoon of hot water if it still hasn’t come together after whisking.
Can I leave out the espresso powder?
You most certainly can! If you dislike the flavor of coffee, you can just leave it out. You can also simply add half the amount (1/2 teaspoon), if you prefer a more subtle coffee flavor.
Can I substitute the toffee with store-bought toffee bits?
If you want to make this recipe a little bit easier, you can definitely use store-bought toffee bits, like Heath. However the flavor of homemade toffee is so much better, and with only three ingredients, it’s really not that difficult to make.
Coffee Toffee Blondies
Ingredients
Toffee:
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Blondies:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ¼ teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup toffee bits (from recipe)
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate, chips or chopped
Instructions
Make the Toffee
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Place butter in a heavy bottomed stainless steel saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it's melted about halfway, add the sugar and salt, whisking everything together until the butter is completely melted.*
- Allow mixture to come to a boil, whisking constantly. Once the temperature reaches 300ºF on a thermometer, immediately pour the toffee onto the lined pan. Use a rubber spatula to spread toffee thinly, then allow to cool for 20 minutes.
- Once completely cooled, place the toffee into a large gallon ziplock bag, seal it, and place it onto a cutting board. Use a rolling pin to carefully pound/break the toffee up into small bits.
Make the Blondies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on both sides for easy removal.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. As the butter melts, it’ll start to foam, then turn a clear golden color. Continue to stir the butter, scraping up any browned specks from the bottom of the pan as it starts to brown. It should have a nutty aroma.
- Once browned and nutty, turn off the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- To the browned butter, whisk in both sugars, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and espresso powder until smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon, and add the flour, baking powder and salt, stirring until just combined. Fold in the toffee bits and chocolate.
- Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan. I find it easiest to use my hands. (Clean, of course!)
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 45 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.