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Home » Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Blondies

January 21, 2023

Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Blondies

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Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Blondies created in honor of National Blondies or “Blonde Brownie” Day, which is January 22 for those of you who keep track of these things. We have bar cookies filled with chunks of dark chocolate, tart dried cherries, and a hint of bourbon. It’s a grown up kind of treat.

Connor Blondies

Speaking of a grown up kind of treat, some of you may know that I am a mom of practically grown kids. My son is 22 years old, so don’t freak out when I tell you how much he likes bourbon! I made these Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Blondies especially for Connor, and almost titled them “Connor Blondies,” but that would have been confusing for anyone not in the know. Anyhow, I filled these bars with flavors Connor enjoys. When he saw them on the counter cooling he asked if they were for him. I listed the components, and he smiled saying, “These are definitely for me!”

What’s a blondie?

Honestly, when I was growing up these were just called bar cookies as far as I knew. They have all the ease of a brownie, but you can mix up the flavor profile. When I want a treat, and I want it now, I tend to make brownies because it’s a simple mix it up, put in the pan, bake and done. Blondies serve that purpose as well. These treats require no shaping, rolling, frosting, or decorating of any kind! I cannot think of a more simple dessert to make.

Speaking of simple, let’s cut to the chase and get right to work!

Here’s what you will need:

You really don’t need very many ingredients to make a tasty treat! I used Maker’s Mark bourbon in my blondies, but my son will tell you that you can get something even cheaper if you just want to use it for baking. I do recommend using a good quality chocolate, however. Chocolate chips would work fine, but I really liked how these turned out with chunks of good quality chocolate.

Pro Tips:

Don’t over bake these.

Really, these are pretty simple. I don’t have a lot of good advice to offer, or any special tips or tricks. Just don’t over bake them. Nobody wants dry blondies, and these get dry if over baked. You want to remove them from the oven when the edges are golden, and the middle is just starting to set.

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Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Blondies

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A simple bar cookie loaded with chunks of chocolate, tart dried cherries, and a hint of bourbon.

  • Author: Darla McVay
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 30
  • Yield: 24 1x
  • Category: brownies and bars
  • Cuisine: dessert

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup bourbon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups flour

1–2 cups chocolate, chopped or chips*

1 cup dried cherries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350

Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper

In a large bowl, blend butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and bourbon.  Mix in the salt and flour.  Stir in the chocolate and cherries.

Spread the batter into the pan and bake for approximately 22 minutes*

Notes

*Measure the chocolate with your heart!  I used 2 cups of chocolate in this batch, but that might seem like a lot.  Really, put in the amount that looks right to you.

*My blondies were done at 22 minutes.  Ovens vary, so plan for 20-25 minutes and keep an eye on your bake.

Keywords: chocolate, cherry, bourbon, blondies, bar cookie, brown sugar

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More:

For more quick and easy desserts consider my Go To Brownies or my Almond Joy Blondies.

Filed Under: Brownies & Bars, Chocolate, Recipe Tagged With: bar cookie, blondies, Bourbon, cherry, chocolate

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