These maple blondies are perfectly chewy and studded with walnuts for the ultimate fall treat.
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My husband is “not a dessert person.”
Almost 10 years into our relationship, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this concept.
I mean, more for me. But also…more for me. I bake a lot, and I genuinely can’t eat everything I make all by myself.
As a result, our friends and neighbors often end up with treats on their porch.
When we lived in Chicago, one such friend was my personal trainer, Cindy. One fall, she asked me to come up with a copycat version of the Trader Joe’s Maple Walnut Blondies.
Since she always so willingly tried everything I brought her, I was happy to oblige. I mean, what are friends for, right?
It took me a few tries to get this recipe just right, but it’s been a personal favorite ever since.
WHAT IS A BLONDIE?
If you’ve never had a blondie bar, you might be wondering what the heck a blondie even is.
A blondie is a non-chocolate brownie – sort of the opposite of a brownie, if you will. They’re a super chewy bar cookie that has a non-chocolate base.
There are lots of different types of blondies, from butterscotch blondies to raspberry blondies to maple blondies and more.
COPYCAT TRADER JOE’S MAPLE WALNUT BLONDIES
I was 22 before I lived in a town with a Trader Joe’s, so it took me a bit to come to learn about the store’s beloved seasonal items.
One such seasonal treat is the Maple Walnut Blondies. They’re nearly impossible to get your hands on – it feels like they are only around for a few minutes each year, and go out of stock almost immediately.
So it’s no wonder that my friend Cindy wanted a copycat version that she could whip up any time of year.
This maple blondie recipe is perfectly chewy, full of maple flavor, and studded with walnuts. It’s a combination of some of the best fall flavors in one perfect bar cookie.
HOW TO MAKE THIS BLONDIE RECIPE
One of the best things about blondies is that they are usually super easy to make. This maple blondie recipe is no different – a few bowls, and handful of minutes, and you’ve got a sweet treat to snack on.
Ingredients you’ll need
Some of the key ingredients in this recipe include:
Rolled oats: This is maybe the most unexpected ingredient on the list. The oats add a nutty flavor and great texture to these bars, and are the ingredient that really makes them taste like the Trader Joe’s version!
Brown sugar: In my opinion, you can’t have a good brownie without brown sugar. It adds depth of flavor and helps make the bars nice and chewy.
Maple syrup: We’ve gotta get that maple in there! I like to use real maple syrup in this recipe. It adds just enough maple without overpowering the subtle flavor of the walnuts.
Walnuts: The crunchy walnuts are such a great contrast to the chewy texture of the bars. You can, of course, leave the walnuts out if you are allergic and still have a lovely maple blondie bar.
Other ingredients you will need are:
- 6 tablespoons (87 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 generous pinch of salt
- 1 cup (124 grams) flour
Make sure that you also have a set of mixing bowls, a spatula, and an 8×8-inch baking pan.
Making maple blondies
To get started, we will pulse the oats in a food processor until coarsely ground. I like to use my mini food processor to do this.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and the brown sugar until the mixture has slightly lightened in color. Add the syrup, egg, and vanilla and whisk well.
Fold in the oats, flour, and salt until just combined, followed by the walnuts.
Spread the batter into a parchment-lined 8×8-inch pan and bake the maple blondies for 30-35 minutes.
You want the edges to be golden and the center to just be set. Be careful not to overbake these bars – they’re better if they’re a bit under-baked than over-baked!
Let the blondies cool in the pan before removing to a cutting board and cutting into squares.
STORAGE TIPS
These maple blondies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Want to store them for longer? Turn to the freezer!
Place the sliced blondies in an airtight container or in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you’d like to enjoy a blondie, you can let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours or microwave it for 30-60 seconds for a warm, gooey treat.
Give these maple blondies a try. I can bet they’ll join applesauce bread and fresh apple cake in your arsenal of favorite fall recipes.
Maple Walnut Blondies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 generous pinch of salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the oats in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and brown sugar until slightly lightened in color. Add in the syrup, egg, and vanilla, and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Using a spatula, stir in the ground oats, flour, and salt until just combined. Fold in the walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is set. Do not overbake.
- Allow to cool in the pan, then use the parchment paper to lift the blondies out the pan. Cut into pieces and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Awwww what a sweet treat for your friend!!! Michael used to crinkle his nose at my desserts (unless they were like ice cream or strawberry pie) but I’ve-mostly-converted him 😛
Maybe there is still hope!
UGH these things look like they’re SO worth the triple effort! When a baking recipe doesn’t work out for me the first time, I tend to just throw in the towel, so nice work sticking to it! Boyfriend may not be huge into sweets, but a little birdy told me he can grill up a mean piece of meat, and that’s worth its weight in gold! 🙂 I want a stack of these at arms-reach at all times!
This is true. Little birdy was quite right. Now we just need an outdoor space to keep a grill!
I cannot even imagine that, says the gal who has sugar coursing through her veins. I would eat about 5 of those without batting an eye.
I did eat about 5 of these without batting an eye.
Whoops.
You can borrow Mike for a week or so to be your taste tester. I am sure with his cookie monster status he would gladly comply. Plus, we are just about to run out of Oreos so he will be so hungry for cooooookkkies! But for real this blondie looks to die for. I am new to the whole blondie thing but I seriously love them more than brownies!
I think it’s the brown sugar that gets me. Chewy! Sweet! Customizable! These cookies have it all! *End infomercial*
I just finished making these. Probably should have let them cool a bit more, but we were hungry. Three of them are already in our tummies. I’m guessing by the end of tomorrow, there might not be any left at all. 🙂 You know, the family is going to go between horror and delight at the news that he isn’t much on sweets–horror that someone exists like that and delight that there is more for them.
OK so these look amazing. And just let me know whenever you need someone to help you taste test next time and I’LL BE THERE. Just like the song.
Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter…Togetherness, well, that’s all I’m after…
Oh, little Michael.
I would happily taste test these! Love that you used maple syrup. So many people use maple extract which I think is rather gross. My dad never used to like sweets, but now he loves to try the things I bake.
I agree! The TJ’s version uses “maple flavoring”. Um, no. Guess how else you can get maple flavor? Um…duh. Maple syrup. (And that’s really how the convo in my head went with the TJ’s ingredients list.)
Awwwwww! SSSS…I am beyond honored to be mentioned on your blog!
I can not wait to make/bake my ultimate favorite! I thank you immensely for deconstructing & reconstructing the beloved TJ’s maple walnut blondie brownie! I am forever grateful to you as I can now enjoy them 365 days a year! Luv being your taster, thank you boyfriend, Lol!
And now you don’t have to be the cray-cray who runs into TJ’s every day on her break and buys them out of blondies! Haha. 😉 <3
Thank goodness indeed! Whew! LOL! Because you know I was! LOL!
You just saved me a lot of money in gas because I love these too, but our nearest TJ’s is almost an hour away! I’m lucky if I get one of whatever I bake. I take something out of the oven, turn my back, and *poof* it’s gone. I may have to bake these in secret and taste test them all myself. 🙂
What IS it with men who have to be harassed to eat dessert?? You’d think I was giving Ben Robitussin, the way he acts about my requests that he try my desserts. Your friend Cindy is one lucky lady, and I am pinning these maple bars of wonder to bake ASAP. If Ben won’t eat them…more for me! Mwahahahaha.
This is seriously the best Fall dessert. I may just have to whip these up for my Bible study nest week. TDF!
I thought about taking these to my church group this week, too. I hope everyone enjoys them!
Ummmmm, yes, I’ll take twenty thaaaaank you! I’m not big on regular brownies, but blondies are numero uno in my book! Add maple and I’m basically passed out from disbelief. I’ll be trying this.. oh yes.
Cheryl
http://thestylistquo.com
Seriously, what IS it about blondies that are so addicting?? I think it’s the gooey centers. Gets me EVERY time.
Heeeelarious. Ebenezer Scrooge of desserts. I don’t understand people that don’t like desserts/sweet things. I wish I was one of them though, a bit less sugar would do me good! This walnut and maple brownie recipe looks absolutely perfect though. Stunning is the word. I’d down a whole batch by myself, I’m certain! xx
Delicious recipe!! Thank you so much!
Living in Québec, and this being the time just before the maple season, there was a huge sale of last year’s maple syrup this week. So I bought a ton of it, and used some to make maple sugar (surprisingly simple : http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/148932/maple-sugaring-making-granulated-maple-sugar) and used it instead of the brown sugar called for in your recipe. Holy maple!!! For good measure I topped the blondies with maple butter… Triple maple madness!!!
But definitely could not have achieved such delicious results without your perfect recipe proportions! The texture is peeeeeerfect, and the oats add a subtle nuttiness that complement the walnuts beautifully. Thank you very much for sharing!
Cheers from Montréal!
Xoxo
Jean-François
Thank you for your lovely comment! Triple maple madness…I love it!! I imagine they were to die for. 🙂
I admit that they were… Took them to a recording session with a large group of guys, they flew of the table! Thanks again!
I was just at TJ’s looking for these. My husband was given a package of them, ate them and asked for more. Alas, they are ‘seasonal’ and none in stock ’til next ‘season’. So I hunted online and Lo & Behold! Here you are with a great recipe for me to try. I’ll let you know how he likes them.
Also, I’m not the type to figure out a recipe based on the back of a package. So I’m grateful for your hard work.
Thank you!
Back for another batch! After all, it’s maple syrup season in Québec! Will try to make them gluten-free for my brother-in-law… Hope they turn out well…
Thanks again for the great recipe, I am already salivating at the thought of them…
Bons baisers de Montréal!
JF
Can’t wait to hear how the GF version turns out!
Hi there! The GF version was perfect! I wasn’t to worried as most brownie/blondie-type cakes require little flour to start with and tend to be denser regardless.
Instead of the 1 cup of wheat flour, I used 1/2 cup processed oatmeal (on top of the 1/2 cup already used in the recipe), 1/4 rice flour and 1/4 almond meal. I added 1 tbsp. xantham gum (a standard GF flour mix additive which mimics gluten and helps things bind together) as well as a heaping tsp. of baking powder, which helps counteract the tendency for GF flour mixes to “pack tightly” and yield a denser texture.
The oatmeal taste was stronger, which no one minded, as its nuttiness complemented the walnuts well.
And as before, I used maple sugar instead of brown sugar, and topped the blondies with maple butter, which makes a beautiful and intensely mapley frosting. I also sprinkled a bit of fleur de sel to offset the sweetness.
Thank again for the recipe, I couldn’t have achieved such great results without your initial hard work. I appreciate your dedication to precision and your very inspiring blog!
Merci!
JF
PS : If you want to see a picture of the blondies, let me know how I can send it to you. Or look me up on Facebook, where I posted it last Sunday. 🙂
This is just the best comment. Thank you so much for sharing your GF method- that’s so helpful for others! And even for myself, as I have some GF friends who would love these. I would love to see pics- you can email me at stephie@eat-your-heart-out.net if I don’t find your profile first. 🙂
I will gladly take any leftovers your boyfriend thumbs his nose at. I will be awaiting the word with my address standing by 🙂
I am so glad to have magnanimous readers such as yourself! Thank you for offering to carry that burden. 😉
My husband loves Maple Blondies! I look forward to trying these.
I hope he loves them!
They look yummy! Thank you for linking up with Foodie Friends Friday! Hope to see you next week.
Thanks, Lois!
Hi Stephie! You’re being featured this week on the weekend social for most viewed recipe this week! Come back by and link up @KicthenDreaming.com and congrats. This is absolutely beautiful!
I’ve never had the Trader Joe’s version, but these look awesome! I can’t imagine they would last long here! Pinning!
Thanks for sharing at Foodie Friday’s. These bars look amazing. Shared on my FB page this evening and pinned too!
Blessings,
Shari
I just found this recipe and gave it a try. Due to acid reflux, instead of butter I used butter substitute Earth Balance. They came out GREAT. Thank you so much for putting in the time and effort to perfect this recipe. It’s a keeper at our house.
Thank you for the kind comment, Marcy! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Hi,
I know I am late to this blondie party, but I have a question.
If I use oat flour instead of grinding oats, how much oat flour should I use?
Thanks for the recipe!
Oddly, I’ve never actually measured the end volume of the ground oats – maybe around 1/3 cup?
I will eat just about anything that has maple and walnuts in it…fudge, sundaes, cake, pie, and blondies. Thanks so much for the recipe.
It is a pretty great combo, isn’t it?
These look so delicious. Pinning to try the recipe. Thanks!
I’m going to try this with instant oats since I have a lot that I don’t usually like eating, but if you are already grind the oats, it seems it’ll work? I’m so happy I found this because these blondies from TJ’s look amazing but I love to bake so I usually don’t let myself buy too many baked goods at the store!
I love maple anything and was looking for a new recipe to make today to celebrate Maine Maple Sunday. I got lucky when I happened upon your blog. Oh my… maple, walnuts, oatmeal, brown sugar? Yes please! Thank you so much for the recipe. These blondies are the best ever! My husband and I are trying to control ourselves and not eat the whole pan in one sitting. 🙂
Good luck with the self control. I hope yours is stronger than mine! 🙂
My first attempt at maple walnut blondies was a King Arthur Flour recipe. They usually have great recipes, but their recipe was dry and more cake like than chewy. They shattered when I tried to cut them, too. So I googled, and your recipe came up 3rd one down the list. This recipe is just perfection! I think the oats probably make it moist but chewy. The only thing I changed is using 3/4 cup of walnuts instead of 1 cup. Tried to cut calories, but still wound up at 118 calories per ounce. But so delicious, and I had no trouble cutting them into neat little squares.
I don’t know if you do your own photography, but it is great, too. Your blondies also looked much better than any others I’ve seen. This one is a keeper!
Thank you so much! That means a lot. and I’m SO glad you enjoyed the recipe. It might be a bit fattening…but sometimes the splurge is worth it. 🙂
The ingredients say rolled oats but the instructions say ground oats. Which is correct?
Both – As noted in the instructions, you’ll pulse the rolled oats in the food processor to achieve the ground oats.
Sigh. Being a baker with a husband/boyfriend who isn’t into desserts… I totally get you, and it’s ridiculous. These look awesome though, can’t wait to try!