These dark chocolate cranberry blondies start with Kristin Hoffman’s Master Blondie recipe found in her cookbook Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Cookbook. In her cookbook, she shows several ways to spruce up and flavor her Master Recipes. These vanilla blondies are wonderfully dense and chewy with plenty of dark chocolate and dried cranberries, plus a hint of fresh orange zest. Recipe below!
Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book
Are you familiar with Kristin “Baker Bettie” Hoffman? She’s a trained chef and baking educator, runs the popular blog Baker Bettie, and just authored her debut cookbook. Publishing a cookbook, as you can guess, is an enormous feat but publishing Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book is an accomplishment like no other. This unique cookbook is broken into 2 extensive parts. Part 1 lays the groundwork for baking success. You’ll find step-by-step methods, carefully explained tutorials, and information on the role different ingredients play.
Having this knowledge brings you into Part 2 where you’ll find dozens of customizable master “foundation” recipes such as master bread doughs, sweet quick bread, savory quick bread, scones, biscuits, muffins, cakes, cookies, fruit pies, brownies, and more. Kristin shares her base recipes for these popular items and endless ways to customize them with flavors, add-ins, spices, herbs, and/or garnishes. You have flexibility and creative control!
This cookbook is perfect for beginners and seasoned bakers alike and you can read more about Kristin’s book over on her website. (While you’re on her website, you’ll find an abundance of baking tutorials and recipes. Her bread making tutorial is excellent.)
No baking detail has been spared! In her book, you’ll find step-by-step photos, plus images and weight + volume ingredient measurements for every recipe.
Kristin says: “This book is the one that I wished I had when I was first learning. I wrote it so that other bakers have a practical resource that connects all the dots and shows how baking science, mixing methods, and master recipes all work together to create endless beautiful baked goods.”
And guess what? I authored the foreword for this book! It’s been a few years since I wrote a cookbook (I’m actually working on a proposal for my 4th!!!) so I was very honored that Kristin asked me to be part of this incredible project. I value her approach to teaching others onlineโshe does so in such a familiar and friendly wayโand have been a fan of hers for years!
Purchase Kristin Hoffman’s Cookbook
One reader, Alli, commented: “Loved these bars and they were really easy to make. They are rich with the dark chocolate chunks, but the cranberries and orange zest balance out the richness. The texture of the bars was soft and chewy, too. I put half the batch in the freezer because they were too tempting for me! Will make again! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Let’s Make Kristin’s Blondies!
There are 36 master recipes in this book and 100s of variations! Her blondies stuck out to me because they looked so rich, so buttery, and so irresistible. Kristin hands us plenty of options for flavoring our blondies including extracts, spices, nuts, oats, and other mix-ins. My mind swirled with possibilities, and I chose dark chocolate, dried cranberries, + orange zest. What a delicious combination and especially this time of year!
These dark chocolate cranberry blondies were an instant hit.
- Here’s What We Thought: Taste testers and I loved the base flavorโbrown sugar, butter, and extra vanilla. I love these white chocolate cranberry cookies, so I originally tried them with white chocolate and dried cranberries. Here however, we all loved the dark chocolate version more because it toned down the sweetness. (Just like it does in these dark chocolate cranberry almond cookies.) Orange zest adds a little fruity freshnessโand its flavor really stands out on day 2โbut you could definitely skip it if desired. The texture is dense and chewy with slightly crisp edges. Truly like a vanilla version of a chocolate brownie.
Kristin explains that we use the One Bowl Method for Cookies to make these blondies. She says, “The One-Bowl Method is typically utilized for cookies and bars with a chewy texture, which includes brownies and blondies as well as some forms of drop cookies. This method is extremely forgiving due to the fact that butter and sugar are not being creamed together, which requires much more attention to the process.”
Since Kristin’s cookbook recipes are so versatile, I thought it would be fun to show the blondies baked in a round cake pan instead of the traditional square pan. Bake time was the same and the wedge pieces are like blondie slices of pizza. You’ll love it. I use this same wedge method for my shortbread cookies, too!
If you like to get creative with baking recipes, this book is a goldmine!
I hope you enjoy these flavorful blondies and if you have a moment, check out Kristin’s new cookbook. I know many of you appreciate learning the science behind baking recipes and this cookbook is full of it! ๐
By the way, this recipe joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipesโready in 1 hour or less!
Print
Dark Chocolate Cranberry Blondies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 33 minutes
- Total Time: 53 minutes
- Yield: 9 large or 16 small squares (or 12 wedges)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These vanilla blondies are wonderfully dense and chewy with plenty of dark chocolate and dried cranberries, plus a hint of fresh orange zest. They’re made from Kristin Hoffman’s Master Blondie recipe found in her cookbook Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Cookbook.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (150g) light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1ย largeย eggย +ย 1ย egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2g) kosher salt
- 1 and 1/3 cups (160g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (130g) bittersweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks (see note)
- 3/4 cupย (105g)ย dried cranberries
Instructions
- Prep: At least 30 minutes before baking, take the eggs out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature. Measure out the rest of the ingredients. Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.ย Position an oven rack in the center position. Preheat the oven to 325ยฐF (165ยฐC).ย Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan or 9-inch (23 cm) round pan with parchment paper or grease with non-stick spray.
- Blondies: In a large mixing bowl whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and orange zest and whisk until well incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Add the baking powder, salt, and flour to the mixing bowl and use a silicone spatula or mixing spoon to stir together until well combined. Stir for about 30 seconds to purposely develop a little bit of gluten, which will give your blondies more chewiness. Fold in the chocolate and dried cranberries.
- Transfer the mixture into your prepared pan and spread evenly.ย
- Bake for 28-33 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.ย
- Set the pan on a cooling rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing into squares. Since I use a cake pan, I slice into 12 wedges.
- Store leftover blondies at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: To freeze, it’s best to cool the blondies completely. Cut into squares/wedges and layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Pan or 9-inch Round Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Rubber Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Cooling Rack
- Extra Egg Yolk: You need 1 whole egg + 1 extra egg yolk. The extra egg yolk promises a chewier, denser texture. Without it, blondies can taste a little dry and sandy.
- Chocolate: For the dark chocolate, I use a coarsely chopped 4-ounce bittersweet chocolate baking bar. You can find these in the baking aisle next to the chocolate chips. A bittersweet, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate bar or chocolate chips/chunks work. Feel free to replace with white chocolate.
- Reprinted with adaptations with permission from Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book
Reader Comments and Reviews
Wow Sally, these are beautiful! Love the texture and the flavour, was even better than I imagined. Did half with a chopped quality dark chocolate bar and other half chocolate chips. Only had lemon zest, but looking forward to trying orange next time. Itโs low labour for maximum results!
Yummy!! Just baked, and it is delicious!
These are excellent. New absolute favorite blondie recipe. So easy to make, only one bowl needed. Wonderful flavor and texture. I used Ghirardelli 60% baking bars and raisins instead of cranberries. Very Raisinette-esque. Baking in 9″ glass pie dish took 40 minutes + toothpick test. Thank you for sharing this.
These were absolutely delicious and a big hit. Very simple to make
I had no idea I LOVED blondies!! Going to be a new regular for me. I did 3/4 cup chopped pecans, 3/4 cup chopped dried cranberries, and 1 1/4 tsp cardamom, and 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. TO DIE FOR! Chewy, delightful texture, not too sweet
How far in advance can these be made?
Hi Jules, you can store leftover blondies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Loved these bars and they were really easy to make. They are rich with the dark chocolate chunks, but the cranberries and orange zest balance out the richness. The texture of the bars was soft and chewy too. I put half the batch in the freezer because they were too tempting for me! Will make again!
Your recipe got me addicted to baking. I baked Blondie twice and each time was perfect. The instruction was so clear that amateur baker like me could end up baking easily. Thanks a tonne!
So glad to read this. Happy baking!
I have made these blondies twice in the past two weeks and am planning to make it again this week for a party. Perfect chewiness and the orange zest/cranberry/dark chocolate combination is just delightful. I’ve been using a mix of 70% and 62(I think it is)% dark chocolate chips. Highly recommend!!!
LOVE these — dark chocolate, cranberry and orange — what’s NOT to like? I was wondering why we’re baking these at 325, as mine took forever. (And yes, my oven is properly calibrated.)
Hi Jill, we’re so glad you enjoyed these! The lower temperature helps the blondies cook a little more evenly. (The find edges can brown/harden very quickly in these buttery treats.)
Another great recipe from Sally! I never bake blondies, but the combination of flavors sounded good and I happened to have dark chocolate chips that I didn’t know what to do with, so I thought I’d give these a try. And, I wasn’t disappointed! These blondies are delicious. The three flavors of cranberry, dark chocolate and orange all go so well together.
I did make a mistake and put in two whole eggs, so they came out a little cakier and taller, less chewy, but still absolutely delicious. I also used one teaspoon of orange emulsion because I didn’t have orange rind.
Next time, and there will definitely be a next time, I’ll have to be more careful with the eggs so I can see how they are intended to come out.
Morning. Love this recipe. The photos of the finish blondies look fantastic. I wonder if gluten free flour could be used instead..please
Hi Shirley, although we haven’t tested it, some readers have reported success using a 1:1 gluten free flour in many of our recipes. Let us know if you try it!
Very nice flavor – I followed the recipe to the letter. It is delicious and easy to bake!!
This was easy and delicious. But I won’t soak my dried Cranberries next time. I think it took away from the flavor.
Hi! I am going to make these tomorrow. I have a couple of questions.
1. I want to make an 8 inch square and a nine inch round, because I don’t have 2 square pans. Would I just divide the batter in half?
2. Do you recommend a certain size of egg? We have Jumbo and almost all of them have double yolks so I wonder if I should get large or medium instead. Thanks! Looking forward to trying these for my friend’s birthday!
Hi Eden! You would need two batched of blondies to fill your two pans. We always use large eggs when baking.
TJโs is the best Blondie I have ever had! The combo of the cranberry and salt with that pop of salt is delicious!
I love this recipe! Itโs so simple and quick to make and especially without bringing the stand mixer out! I cooked cranberries (fresh) with sugar and water and then removed the liquid and placed the cooked full reduced cranberries on top of the blondie mixture and it was sooo good! They took longer to bake but the cranberries were nice and chewy and so was the blondie! I definitely recommend trying it out!
A great, easy recipe. Love the various flavors
Would I be able to replace the cranberries with frozen raspberries?
Hi RiRi, dried fruits are best for this recipe, since frozen fruits will release quite a bit of their liquids into the batter and make the blondies wet.
Can this recipe be easily doubled to fit a 9 x 13 pan?
Hi Molly, For a larger pan, we recommend making the batter twiceโ separately, and spreading them together in your pan. Only fill halfway up the pan with batter. (Not sure if you will have extra.) Weโre unsure of the best bake time.
I love this recipe and have made it several times. As we say in my house, itโs a keeper!
These are a unique and delicious combo – however they definitely taste the best the next day!
This is also a great base for your own mix-ins. I planned on making two batches until I realized that I didn’t have enough cranberries for the second batch, so I omitted the orange zest and toasted some chopped almonds in place of the cranberries and used white chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate and it turned out delicious as well!
These were wonderful. They had a lovely chewiness. I loved the hint of orange. SO EASY to make.
Thanks.
Hi Sally, this recipe looks amazing! is it possible to substitute the melted butter with canola oil?
Hi Talia, we really recommend sticking with butter for best taste and texture.
Hey Sally! Would leaving out the cranberries and orange alter the texture of the blondies? Is there a separate blondie recipe that’s just plain? These sound delicious, can’t wait to try them!
Hi Izzy, this is a great base blondie recipe for any mix-ins you prefer, or even plain!
This recipe was delicious, although I made one change. I replaced the chocolate chips with walnuts because I’m not crazy about chocolate chips in this type of recipe. Makes it a little too sweet for my taste. Chewy and tasty.
I made this in the morning, and although I covered the slices with plastic wrap, it was not as moist by the afternoon.
The recipe name hooked me to try it: dark chocolate (rich) dried cranberries (tons of flavor) blondies (butter&brown sugar kinda like chocolate chip cookies)
They were so easy to make, in the oven in minutes, one bowl to clean. I followed the recipe exactly! Wasnโt sure how fresh orange zest was going to taste ( but Iโm a homemade hot fudge sauce on orange sherbet ice cream all my life!) they baked up perfectly, just like Sally said, a slight crisp on the edge and dense chewiness with the flavor packed combo of add-ins. I immediately cut the panful in half to freeze. These were that dangerous to MY baking (sampling) addiction!!! Make these 10 star bars or triangles, only your diet will be challenged.
By The Way!!! My name is Sally too!! Itโs a serendipitous riot to be addicted to Sallyโs Baking Addiction. I have all the books and swear by every recipe. One more thing, Iโm not a Sarah nicknamed Sally, Iโm a real Sally and my middle name is May ! Haha, I always say โSally May and Sally May Not!โ But I will always try a Sally McK recipe for certain sure!
I have a question – these are sooo good that I want to ship to friends. Do you think they are sturdy enough to be shipped?
Hi Judy, These should be fine to ship. We hope your friends enjoy them! See this post for tips on shipping.
Dynamite recipe – love the combo. I think they taste the best the next day. Love them – maybe too much – this could have a disastrous effect on my diet.
Tasty! I made these with dried cherries, chocolate chips, and the zest of 1 small orange. I also browned the butter. If I make them again (and I suspect I will :^), I’ll leave out the zest – I suspect it works better with dried cranberries than dried cherries, because it was a bit overwhelming in these.