This Butterscotch Chocolate Chunk Blondies with Smoked Salt recipe is easy to make and rich with the flavors of butter and brown sugar.
I tend to lump butterscotch into the fall family of desserts. It has that warm and cozy feel to it, like a favorite soft sweater on a cool autumn day. My introduction to this beautiful caramel flavor was by means of one of my all-time favorite bar recipes that includes chocolate and marshmallows. Mom used to make that treat quite often when I was a kid. And now, with children of my own, that dessert continues to be one of those treats that never lets anybody down.
This recipe for Butterscotch Chocolate Chunk Blondies with Smoked Salt is a little more grown-up sounding than it actually tastes. I continue to be amazed at all the smoked flavors that our kids gravitate toward. Smoked almonds, double-smoked bacon from our local meat counter, and anything smoked in our Big Green Egg in the back yard. They like it all. And I had no doubt they were going to be particularly fond of these new blondies. Give them a try. I’m quite sure you’ll agree.
- This is a sponsored post, created in partnership with Land O’Lakes, Inc.
Blondies are known for their rich, sweet flavor base of butter and brown sugar. Of course, Land O Lakes® Butter is the butter that I reach for. It’s the all-purpose butter that’s great for every use, every day. And baking wouldn’t be baking without it!
This easy-to-make dessert features the flavors of butterscotch, chocolate, toffee, and a hint of smoked salt in every bite. When it’s baking in the oven, the house smells absolutely heavenly!
Land O’Lakes’ new tagline is “Add a Little Good™,” created to inspire simple acts of kindness. And sharing good with others is especially easy when it comes to baking. Creating something homemade, with your own hands and heart, is a great way to say “thank you”.
I’ve tried to instill in our daughters the thoughtful act of being grateful, every single day, for both the big and the small. The wonderful little things that occur on a day to day basis are often acknowledged in a mealtime or bedtime prayer, or by verbalizing “thank you” to the person who extended the kindness.
But with bigger, more thought-out items (a purchased gift or help with a project, etc.), I often encourage the writing of a note. It’s a lovely way to express gratitude, by taking the time to sit down to address an envelope and write out your words. I always tell our girls, “It won’t even take you 3 minutes.” And to that they usually reply, “Well, what do I write?”
Expressing gratitude with paper and pen is quite simple. I always make sure we have a variety of note cards on hand, plus a selection of fun, colorful pens. Because that’s where our girls tend to get excited about the whole act of written gratitude, when they get to use the “special pens”. From there, I guide them through addressing the person, and then saying thank you with a mention of the gift and how it was received. I also ask the girls to think about how they will use the gift, especially if the gift is cash, and to share that in their writing. I try to not put words in their mouths, to simply guide them and let their notes be written from their own hearts.
The 3-minute thank you note. It’s a good thing.
While these blondies are a great way to say “thank you”, they can also say so much more. Like “happy birthday” or “welcome to the neighborhood” or simply “Happy Friday, we made it through another week.” Whatever the occasion, it promises to be a delicious one.
Butterscotch Chocolate Chunk Blondies with Smoked Salt
Ingredients
- ½ c. Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter
- 1 c. lightly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- large pinch kosher salt
- 1.25 c. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- 4 oz. butterscotch chips divided
- 2 oz. toffee bits divided
- 1 oz. good quality dark chocolate bar chopped into 1/4″ to 3/8″ chunks
- ½ tsp. large-grain smoked salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Line an 8" x 8" metal baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the butter in the microwave. Try to not let the butter get too hot. With a rubber spatula, stir in the brown sugar until blended. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and kosher salt, stirring until completely incorporated. Sprinkle the flour over the top, followed by the baking powder and cinnamon. Then stir just until combined. Do not over mix. If the batter is noticeably warm from the melted butter, let it sit for a bit to cool down to room temperature.
- Then gently fold in 3 ounces of the butterscotch chips and 1 ounce of the toffee bits, taking care to not over mix the batter.
- Spread batter evenly in prepared pan, and then sprinkle with the chocolate chunks, followed by the remaining 1 ounce of butterscotch chips and 1 ounce of toffee bits.
- Finish by sprinkling the smoked salt over it all.
- Bake for 24 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out just barely clean. Let blondies cool completely before cutting.
Nutrition Information:
Be sure to also check out my recipe for S’mores Pie. It’s campfire goodness in a pie plate!
I am honored to partner with Land O’Lakes again this year to share new recipes from our kitchen using Land O Lakes® Butter. This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes, Inc. ADD A LITTLE GOOD is a trademark of Land O’Lakes, Inc. All opinions are my own.
Butterscotch seems like a fall flavor to me too. Looks yummy!
Love this post, love this recipe!!! Love, love, love! ♥
Your blog, the terrific food and your story and family is a comforting thing! Love it all!
I would say “thank you, life, for letting me get through to the end of the week” and then promptly shovel these in my face. (Also – have you tried smoked chocolate chips?? I’ve seen them but haven’t tried them yet and I’m SO CURIOUS!)
Love the smoked salt finish, what a nice combination of flavors!
I’m a big believer in the thank you note! Love this Brenda, and the bars looks amazing!
Those pools of chocolate! Oh mama!
I love everything about these bars, from the butterscotch to the sea salt. Â What a great mixture of savory and sweet!
These look heavenly!!
You have me inspire to get special cards and pens for my boys and encourage them to write more notes. Hopefully they will write one to me when I make them these blondies!
That smoked sea salt just takes things to a whole new level! Love it!
Love these blondies and love the 3 minute thank you idea! Should be done more often.
Brenda I enjoy your blog every week! keep up the creative work! Dianne(Roxie’s sister)
hey girl great post! These look amazing!
I put smoked salt on my eggs every morning! How have I never thought to bake with it – I need these!
Smoked salt is new to me. Where can it be purchased or how is it made?
I need to incorporate the 3 minute thank you more often. Taking a moment to be grateful can really change your perspective! And these blondies are so on point!Â