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Caramel Nut Blondies

These sweet and salty blondies are packed with nuts, a swirl of caramel, and topped off with a salty pretzel for an irresistible sweet and salty treat.

While it may be mid-August, my baking brain is already shifting toward fall. I find myself thinking about pears and apples and all of those warm, comforting desserts that I love.

And caramel! Lots of warm, gooey caramel. Please tell me I’m not alone!

As I’ve been trying to balance the fact that it’s still summer with my longing for all things fall, I thought these blondies-slash-cupcakes would be the perfect transition. They have that small, portable, picnic-y feel to them that makes them a great summer choice. But, they also have plenty of nuts and a nice swirl of gooey caramel, which always makes me think of fall.

Salty nuts, gooey caramel, and crunchy pretzels make these Caramel Nut Blondies irresistible!

Another mark in the plus column for these blondies is their great sweet and salty flavor. We all know how much I love sweet and salty desserts, and these blondies are no exception. I incorporated salted nuts into the batter and then topped each blondie with a salty, crunchy pretzel. If you’re feeling especially salty, you can even sprinkle a little coarse salt over the top of each one before you bake them.

These little guys are a great grab-and-go sweet snack. Baking them in muffin pans as opposed to in a rectangular pan gives the simplicity of single serving, no cutting involved dessert. Of course, if you prefer to make these in more traditional bar form, they will work just as well. Just follow the suggestions I made in the recipe for adapting them.

These sweet and salty blondies are packed with nuts, swirled with caramel, and topped off with a salty, crunchy pretzel for an irresistible sweet and salty treat.

I just love the flavors in these blondies. And, they’re so soft and chewy, too. If you’re a fan of all things nutty, caramel-y, sweet, salty, and all-out delicious, then you’re sure to love them, too!

Find more caramel recipes in the Recipe Index.

Caramel Nut Blondies

Yield 18
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes

These sweet and salty blondies are packed with nuts, swirled with caramel, and topped off with a salty, crunchy pretzel for an irresistible sweet and salty treat.

These sweet and salty blondies are packed with nuts, a swirl of caramel, and topped off with a salty pretzel for an irresistible sweet and salty treat.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 & 1/2 cups chopped salted mixed nuts
  • about 5 tablespoons store-bought thick caramel sauce or dulce de leche
  • 18 mini pretzels*

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 standard-sized muffin cups with paper liners.**
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Stir together the brown sugar and butter until combined. Stir in the eggs and vanilla, mixing until well-blended.
  4. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Stir in the nuts.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pans, filling each cup with about 3 tablespoons of batter. Place about 1 teaspoon of caramel on top of each. Use a thin knife to swirl the caramel into the top third of the batter. Place a pretzel on top of each.
  6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the blondies are browned and a pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Then, remove the blondies to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Notes

*I used Rold Gold Tiny Twists, and they were the perfect size. **These can also be made in a 9"x 13"x 2" pan. Just dollop the caramel over the top and swirl as directed above. Then, place the pretzels over the surface of the batter so that there will be one on top of each cut bar.

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    14 Comments on “Caramel Nut Blondies”

  1. You had me at Sweet and Salty!!! Have a few more icebox pies to try before I make the transition but this will be first on the cool weather list.

  2. Genius! I’m on a pretty strict meal plan right now and am always on the look-out for perfectly-portioned sweet things. And, I especially love the salty-sweet thing going on with these blondies, too. I’m a baker, so it’s been tough to ‘portion’ out sweets…You just solved my problem of making a whole pan of blondies and then having to meter them out! Genius…And, thanks so much!

  3. I’m on board with caramel and pears but I cannot move on to apples or pumpkins just yet. It’s way too hot down here still! Maybe I’ll just have to make fall flavored ice creams in the mean time haha.

  4. I’ve really been thinking fall — apples, pears, pumpkin, caramel! I love a good sweet and salty dessert, and these blondies look delicious!

  5. I have been doing the same thing lately!! Can’t wait for fall, and these blondies look amazing with that caramel!! MMM

  6. Perfect for that first tailgating party too!

  7. I’ve been thinking about caramel too! These look like the perfect combination of salty and sweet 🙂

  8. Wow, I love the sweet and salty thing these have got going on! And I am obsessed with pretzels in my desserts! Can’t wait to make these.

  9. These look AMAZING! Love the little pretzel on top 🙂

  10. To be honest, I dream in shades of caramel year-round. These blondies look INSANE. In the best way.

  11. Oh caramel. Oh sweet n salty. You are heaven. Get in my belllyyyy

  12. I’m so not ready for fall, but I can make an exception for these. Love that they are single serving! Great idea!

  13. Mmmm, delicious, nutty and so sweet! I made these this morning for a friend/co-worker’s birthday. I was able to get 21 blondies out of the batter, actually. But, I have to say that it was rather stiff after adding the flour, and so when it came time to swirl the caramel, I wasn’t able to. I just let it sit on top. They taste yummy all the same, and I’m sure my friend and her students will enjoy them 😀

  14. Caramel Blondies looks delicious.  Will try soon.

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