These soft and chewy Salted Maple Walnut Bourbon Blondies have bold maple flavor underscored with spicy bourbon notes peeking out. Spicy, salty, and sweet, these salted blondies have it all!
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[March, 2023: I've reworked the recipe and updated this post with all new pictures. Enjoy!]
Why this recipe works
- Bold maple flavor underscored with spicy bourbon notes
- Soft texture with a nice crunch from the maple glazed walnuts
- Batter comes together quickly
I remember making blondies many years ago, and they were…uhm…just ok.
My major takeaway was that they seemed to be blond brownies, like brownies without the cocoa powder. They really needed some added oomph to make up for that lack of chocolate (read: flavor). Some recipes improve on the basic blondies by adding a flavored spread in their batter, like with these Biscoff blondies.
Salted Maple Walnut Bourbon Blondies solve that problem by adding maple syrup, a splash of bourbon, and a sprinkling of sea salt to the batter. Plus, they're topped with maple glazed walnuts.
Now we're talking bold flavor!
I love the combination of maple and nuts (pssst…Maple Walnut Scones, anyone?). I also love maple and bourbon and nuts. Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie is a Fall classic in our house. And bourbon in brownies, like with Chocolate Bourbon Brownies, is definitely a treat.
Like when tasting whisky, Salted Maple Walnut Bourbon Blondies require attention to the flavor details. Pleasantly soft and chewy, these blondies deliver strong maple and walnut flavor, with delicate hints of brown sugar caramel and bourbon spiciness, finishing up with a hit of sea salt.
I can now appreciate this dessert for what it is - not a bland brownie, but a richly flavored treat in itself. These maple blondies, enhanced with glazed walnuts and a hit of bourbon and sea salt, really amp up the flavor here!
Move along, bland blondies. Soft and spicy, salty and sweet, these Salted Maple Walnut Bourbon Blondies have it all!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This looks soooo good!!
- Kira
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this maple blondie recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Maple syrup: Maple syrup is a great flavor on its own, but when baking it's best to use a robust (dark) grade of syrup in order for the flavor to shine over the other ingredients. I look for the Grade A Dark Amber myself, but use what you like.
Walnuts: You can substitute another nut for the walnuts. Pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts would be good.
Bourbon: For bourbon blondies, choose a bourbon you like to drink. I like the spicy flavor the bourbon brings to the batter - the more you use, the more pronounced the flavor will be.
Because we're not baking the brownies for a long time, not all the alcohol will bake out. This is an adults-only treat, and is not pregnancy- or kid-friendly. To make blondies safe, you can replace the bourbon with apple cider or leave it out and increase the vanilla extract to 1 tablespoon.
Butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter without any noticeable difference. You don't need to alter the amount of salt in the recipe regardless of which type of butter you use.
Sea salt: A sprinkling of sea salt flakes after baking gives a salty, spicy, sweet treat in your hand.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Maple syrup designations
Before we start with the blondies, let's talk a bit about maple syrup. There's so many types to choose from now!
Maple syrup is graded by its intensity of color and flavor. Here is the current grading systems used by the USDA and Canada:
- Grade A Light Amber or Canada No. 1 Extra Light: Grade A golden color, delicate taste
- Grade A Medium Amber or Canada No. 1 Light: Grade A amber color, rich taste
- Grade A Dark Amber or Canada No. 1 Medium: Grade A dark color, robust taste (can be closer to the Medium Amber designation...it will depend on the brand)
- Grade B or Canada No. 2 Amber: Grade A dark color, robust taste
In addition, now there's maple syrup that's been aged in ex-bourbon barrels, like Maple Bourbon Whiskey from Smugglers' Notch Distillery.
First, bourbon is aged in oak barrels. Next, maple syrup is aged in those barrels. Finally, the previous bourbon is aged in the maple-infused ex-bourbon barrels.
(Whoa, that's a lot of aging!)
Aging maple syrup gives it a slight spiciness from the bourbon and a touch of vanilla from the oak barrels themselves. The effect is subtle and interesting.
How to make maple blondies
Like with brownies, making a maple blondie recipe is essentially a one-bowl process. There's just the added step of glazing the walnuts.
Step 1: Make the maple glazed walnuts
Heat the walnuts, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the nuts are glazed, lightly toasted, and the bottom of the pan looks dry, about 4 to 5 minutes (photo 1).
Glazing the walnuts adds to the maple-forward flavor while taming the bitterness that walnuts can sometimes have. Don't skip this step!
After allowing the nuts to cool, chop them coarsely to use for the topping (photo 2).
Step 2: Make the blondie batter
Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, egg, bourbon, and vanilla. Whisk until the batter is smooth. Stir in the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg until everything is just combined (photo 3).
Step 3: Bake the blondies
Spray an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. The batter will be sticky, so smooth the top with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle the glazed walnuts evenly over the top of the batter (photo 4).
How to keep the parchment paper out of the batter
You may notice the binder clips attached to the sides of the baking pan. Those help to keep the parchment paper from falling into the batter as it's being baked, leaving a smooth top. It's an easy fix to a vexing problem!
Bake at 350°F for 20 to 22 minutes. Make sure to under-bake these blondies slightly by taking them out just before they're fully baked. The blondies will firm up a bit as they cool and will have a soft and chewy texture.
When the blondies come out of the oven, sprinkle them lightly with sea salt flakes, then allow to cool in the baking pan to room temperature (photo 5).
When the blondies are completely cool, remove the slab from the pan using the parchment paper as a sling. Cut the slab into 2- x 2-inch squares (photo 6).
Serve the blondies chilled for optimal chewiness and flavor.
Storage instructions
Store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days, or in the refrigerator for about a week. These freeze well, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a airtight plastic bag.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions that you might have...
Brownies generally have white sugar, cocoa powder, and even melted chocolate in their recipes, while a blondie recipe relies on brown sugar, vanilla, and other non-chocolate ingredients (like maple syrup and whiskey) for flavor.
Maple syrup is a great flavor on its own, but when baking it's best to use a robust (dark) grade of syrup in order for the flavor to shine over the other ingredients. I look for the Grade A Dark Amber myself, but use what you like.
If you don't like walnuts, go ahead and substitute any type of nut you prefer. Pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts all would be especially good.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More bar cookie and brownie recipes to try
Recipe
Salted Maple Walnut Bourbon Blondies
Ingredients
For the maple glazed walnuts
- ½ cup walnuts, see Recipe Notes
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, see Recipe Notes
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the blondies
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, see Recipe Notes
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 to 2 tablespoon bourbon, see Recipe Notes
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- sea salt flakes, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 °F. Spray an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides.
- Make the maple glazed walnuts: In a small sauté pan, heat ½ cup walnuts, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the nuts are glazed, lightly toasted, and the bottom of the pan looks dry, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. When the nuts have cooled, coarsely chop them.
- Make the blondies: In a large bowl, combine ½ cup unsalted butter (melted), ¾ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 large egg, 1 to 2 tablespoon bourbon, and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. Whisk until the batter is smooth.
- Stir in 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg until everything is just combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle the glazed walnuts evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the bars are just starting to brown at the edges. They should seem slightly underbaked and will firm up as they cool.
- When the blondies come out of the oven, sprinkle them lightly with sea salt flakes then allow to cool in the baking pan to room temperature.
- When the blondies are completely cool, remove the slab from the pan using the parchment paper as a sling. Cut the slab into 2- x 2-inch squares.
- Chill the blondies for optimal chewiness and flavor. Serve and enjoy!
- Storage instructions: Store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days, or in the refrigerator for about a week. These freeze well, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a airtight plastic bag.
Eleanor says
These blondies might be the best ones I have ever had the pleasure to eat! They are amazing and I could not stop eating them! I followed your recipe as written, including 2 Tbsp’s of bourbon! I did add a few extra candied walnuts, I mean, candied walnuts, why not, to die for! Thank you for an awesome recipe, it’s a keeper and I cannot wait to make another batch! Sooooo yummy!
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Eleanor, I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks for sharing, and happy baking! 🙂
Eleanor says
These were the bomb, amazing! I made them yesterday, per your recipe, and I LOVED them! I wouldn’t change a thing (used the 2 Tbsp’s of Bourbon, mmmm) but I’m a nut freak so I might double the walnuts next time and there will be a next time! Thank you for a great recipe!
Tammy Spencer says
I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kira Bornemann says
This looks soooo good!!