Almost like a spongy keto white chocolate! I do warn you; keto blondies might be something for you to fall in love with. Plus, less than 1g net carbs!
Get cacao butter ready!
Seriously. If I didn't care about the carbs that white chocolate (even the sugar-free version) is full of, I'd make white chocolate keto brownies. Instead, my keto alternative is cacao butter keto blondies.
Without the cacao, I've never enjoyed any version of blondies. In fact, I have made a dozen versions of this recipe just to find the perfect combination of ingredients.
And I do warn you; this recipe might be something for you to fall in love with. Because every version I've prepared turned out beyond delicious. I tell you, the cacao butter is the ingredient to blame.
Before finding the right ratio between wet and dry ingredients, the test bunny living with me (which happens to be my partner) had to try them all! Poor guy. He was so pleased with the flavors, I had to hide the batches as if I lived with a few little sweet-tooths. Admittedly, I had to hide them from myself as well. I'd bake this dish again and again if only the cacao butter were as affordable as dairy butter. If there ever comes the time when having too much money is an issue, instead of buying a yacht, I'll get myself a ton of cacao butter.
The perfect mix for blondies
Besides the ratio between dry and wet ingredients, I think it is important to find just the right doneness, just like with keto brownies and keto gooey cake.
Since every oven tends to function a bit differently, no matter what the numbers say, I recommend baking for 20 minutes the first time. Later, if you like the flavor of these keto blondies as much as we do, and want to make another batch, decide whether you want juicier or dryer outcome the next time. Shorten or lengthen the baking time accordingly.
In the picture above you can see different types of blondies. The dense ones use more coconut cream and a bit more almond flour than the recipe below. Some of them are made with chia seeds, some with walnuts.
In my opinion, dark chocolate chunks are a must!
So the recipe below includes the chocolate but not any other optional ingredient which you can still add if you wish. Macros below only include the chocolate I used, though. Knock yourself out adding any desirable flavors and aromas!
UPDATE, August 2018:
Primal keto blondies
The original version: Many of our users like the original recipe for keto blondies a lot. I now call it the PRIMAL KETO BLONDIES recipe. This version of blondies should have a little raise and cakey structure when baked. Do note that they are quite buttery.
Yet, a few users commented about melted butter sitting at the bottom at the end of baking. I have tweaked this one just a tiny bit since the very original version in terms of flour/fat ratio and leavening agents used.
I've also decided to tweak the original recipe a bit more and offer an alternative so that maybe some of you can decide whether you like it better:
The alternative, "fudgy" keto blondies
The alternative version is called FUDGY KETO BLONDIES, although you might find the fudginess being different in character from the keto brownies. I've changed the butter/oil to flour ratio to make it more rational and heightened the baking temperature as well as shortened the baking time so that the keto blondies stay juicy in the middle and crispy on the outside. Still, these are quite oily as it is a very keto recipe.
Again, different brands of flours might yield different results, but I do believe (and hope) some of you folks will be happy with the alternative version.
What blondies are you trying first?
It goes for both versions that the result might be too buttery for your taste. But if you leave the blondies out on the counter overnight, the blondies will get just right in texture, not to even mention the flavor!
Besides, what I sometimes do, is to flip the batch out of the pan onto a cutting board straight out of the oven. It helps the batch to absorb back any butter sitting in the bottom.
I must comment that personally, I agree with those who say the primal version of keto blondies is better.
Below, in the "ingredients" section, you will find two alternative lists of the 4 main ingredients. Your feedback on either of the keto blondies versions will mean a lot to me. I will appreciate all the help to further develop this delicious recipe. If needed, of course. You folks will eventually decide on that.
Enough now. Just looking at all these pics makes me drool and calculate if I've got all the ingredients to bake a batch immediately.
Cacao butter keto blondies
Ingredients
for making THE PRIMAL KETO BLONDIES use:
- 6 tbsp cacao butter - 3 oz.
- 2 tbsp butter - unsalted, room temperature
- 1 tsp baking powder - or ½ t. cream of tartar + ¼ t. baking soda
- 6 tbsp erythritol - preferably powdered
for making THE FUDGY KETO BLONDIES alternative, use:
- 6 tbsp cacao butter - 3 oz.
- 2 tbsp coconut oil - 1 oz., soft, room temperature
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ cup erythritol - preferably powdered
in BOTH VERSIONS use:
- 1 dash salt
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 pinch stevia extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vanilla bean seeds
- 2 tbsp coconut cream
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 2.5 tbsp coconut flour
- ½ oz dark chocolate - chopped
- 2 tbsp walnuts or any nuts or chia - optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C) and line an 8" square baking pan with some parchment paper. Next, measure out all of the ingredients.
- Put cacao butter into a microwave-safe bowl. Let it melt in a microwave for a minute and a half. Stir the butter until there are no lumps left. If needed, microwave for another minute or so. Set aside to cool. When cooled, stir in the butter OR coconut oil.
- Using a hand electric mixer, mix the eggs, erythritol, vanilla bean seeds, salt, and vanilla extract for a couple of minutes. Add the coconut cream and mix again.
- Pour in the cooled butter and mix until the mixture gets denser. Depending on the temperature of the ingredients, the density might vary from almost liquid to creamy. Try to have all the ingredients at room temperature.
- Sieve and combine the two flours and baking soda or cream of tartar. Add this flour mixture to the cream and combine well with a rubber spatula. Add the chopped chocolate and stir well again.
- Optional: You can add 2 tablespoons of ground walnuts (or any type of nuts) or chia seeds (suggestion: add a tsp. of lemon zest as well). Either add them to the chopped chocolate or use solo. Combine using a spatula.
- Put the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly using a spatula.
- Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. After this time, the toothpick will be clean when inserted into the center, but the blondies will remain somewhat juicy in the middle. Don’t over-bake.
- When done baking, take the whole batch out of the pan together with the parchment paper and let it cool down. When cooled, cut into 20 more or less equal size blondies.
These are best served the next day, just leave them out on the counter.
Video
Nutrition
Thanks for your website I really enjoy it.
I have a question and it’s if I can use coconut flour instead of almond flour.
Thanks again.
I find it in the Asian section of the supermarket.
Hi these sound wonderful! Will it still work to use just the egg whites instead of the whole eggs?
Hi, Paula. I sincerely don't know. You'd lose some fat liquid there but it might still work. I guess it's a trial and error thing if you wish to give it a chance!
Can these be frozen
Yes, they can.
These look amazing. Definitely going to try and make them this weekend. But I have a question regarding the primal Keto Blondies recipe. The recipe shows 2 Tbsp. Butter and 1/2 tsp. Cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp. Baking soda. However some comments say 4 Tbsp. Of butter and 1/4 tsp. Of baking soda (instead of the cream of tartar). Can you please confirm which ingredients/measurements would work better?
Hi, Jessica. If you looked at the older comments, they mentioned 4 Tbsp. butter because the first version of the recipe contained less cacao butter and more dairy butter. Some people had complaints about too much "oil" sitting at the bottom at the end of baking, that is why I changed the recipe a bit and offered two options.
The primal blondies use either baking powder or the 1/2 tsp. Cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp. Baking soda combination. Baking soda causes them to slightly rise and be more spongy. While the fudgy blondies end up denser and don't really rise because there's no baking soda.
I have noticed that people still prefer the original (primal) version and will probably just keep this version up.
Let us know how it goes!
I can’t find coconut cream anywhere is there any substitute I can use
Hi, Trish!
Buy a can of full-fat coconut milk (at least 20% fat) and leave it in the fridge overnight. The cream and liquid will separate with cream floating on top. Scrape it out with a spoon.
All the best and Happy New Year!
Greetings and salutations !
I'm going to attempt your delicious-looking creation. I'm already drooling. Questions, though--- 1) I usually use whole earth sweetener, which is a mix of erythritol and monk fruit and has a sugar-like grain. Will this work ? 2) In lieu of vanilla bean powder, did you say previously to sub 1/2 tsp vanilla extract ?
Thank you so much for investing your time in helping others to eat well and healthily. I don't do gluten, dairy, sugar, or soy, and have been doing keto for about 8 weeks, so you can imagine how pleased I am to have found your website.
Hi, Erin! Thank you for the comment. I hope you find a lot of joy in your new way of eating.
To answer your questions: 1) Yes, the sweetener will work. I've been using erythritol-monk fruit mix a lot lately. Because it is as sweet as sugar, there is no need to add the pinch of stevia. 2) Yes, you can use either vanilla extract or bean powder. The amount of the extract really kind of depends on how much you like it and how strong it is. I would use 1 tsp extract instead of one bean (approximately 1/2 t) powder.
All the best!
I found these and I’m living my best Keto life atm. I added a tbsp of Neufchâtel and it made it a tad creamier but my batter was all liquid and turned out phenomenal! I will be making a blondie, & blondie with cocoa powder to make a swirl blondie. I’m so exited! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
-Allie
Hi, Allie!
Thank you for the feedback - I'm glad that you've enjoyed the recipe!
This sounds so yummy to me. I make a decadent "buttery cranberry pie" at Christmas, which is really more like a cake in a pie plate. Playing with your recipe might be the perfect keto alternative that I need.
On another note...I signed up for your mailing list using the purple "Subscribe" button because I want to keep up with your creation. But the super bar advertisement with the black wiggly "Click Here" button is about the most obnoxious thing I've ever encountered on a website. It makes me not want to revisit or stay on your site in the future.
Hi, Ashley! I appreciate your feedback and am now looking at modifying the wiggly advertisement. Totally agree that, in the current format, it obnoxiously ruins the user experience. I should maybe get a beta tester for the site. 🙂
I hope you stick with us and give the recipe a try. The buttery cranberry pie sounds delicious and we will be happy to hear about your keto alternative!
These turned out yummy, but you need to store them in the fridge. Mine turned moldy after 48 hours. I had doubled the recipe and lost most of it 🙁
Ooops, seriously? I’ve had these out for up to 4 days but stored in an airtight container. They were fine. I don’t like the texture when they are stored in the fridge.
I’m sorry they turned out moldy for tou in only 2 days! I should add a note to the recipe ...
I agree with Craig. The original recipe was much better. I actually had more of a problem with the blondies being "oily" with the updated recipe. I am going to go back to the original recipe!
Thanks for what you do.
Whoa! OK, good to know, thank you, Keri!
I'll get the original one back up ASAP and leave the updated version for consideration.
I’m sure I will try it again but your original recipe was amazing and this updated one seemed like it was missing something. I didn’t get the rise the first one had. Do you by chance have the original one you could post somewhere too? Thanks!
Hi, Craig!
I appreciate this feedback of yours! It's good to know we have different preferences as I was looking for a fudgier, less cakey version here and I guess not everybody prefers that, understandably ... I will add the original version, but I'll let you know straight away where the main difference was: The old one used 1/4 t baking soda instead of cream of tartar, and 1/4 cup butter (4 T) instead of 2 T coconut oil. It also used 1/2 cup erythritol instead of 1/4, which can be a bit oversweet.
Oh, and another thing: Once your butter is melted, cool it down completely before adding it to the mixture. It should still stay creamy, though.
Thank you! I thought I was going crazy the second time around I totally remembered using butter and baking soda. Just made the 3rd batch which is the original recipe and it looks like I remember. There are in the oven now and they have more of the cakie feel you were describing.
Hopefully, they turned out right for you this time!
Can we us something other than erythritol?
Absolutely. Use any sweetener you desire (like xylitol for example) that resembles the sweetness and the texture of sugar. I wouldn't suggest using only stevia extract, though.
I did something wrong...when I mixed all the stuff before the flour it never would get the peaks or thickened....what did I not do?
This part shouldn't be too worrisome. The thickness at this point kind of depends on the temperature of eggs, butter, coconut cream, etc. I've noticed I've had a few occasions when the mixture was almost completely runny before adding flour, but the end result was as good as ever.
How did the blondies turn out in the end?
I don't have vanilla bean seeds, are these okay to leave out or is there a substitute?
Hi Janice,
Yes, it is totally fine o leave out the vanilla bean seeds. They do add to more authentic vanilla flavor but you can just use an additional 1/2 t of vanilla extract.
Made these today. Taste is AMAZING... but i too ended up with oil at the bottom and a slightly separated product.... wet and "eggy" on the bottom with a crumb topping of sorts. They didnt bind well. Wonder where i went wrong...
Hi, Ashley. Thank you for the feedback! I think it's time I have reviewed the recipe and come up with a more universal version which shouldn't depend on the type and brand of flours so that more of you can be happy with the result. I know the texture is at least as important as the taste ...
Just made these and think they are good. Very "buttery" for sure. Was wondering if you have ever made one with Almond extract for an almond blondie? wouldn't need to chopped chocolate and would sub Almond extract for vanilla. I used a 90% Dark Chocolate and they are almost too chocolaty ( atleast to me). Its a wonderful little sweet bite though, when your wanting to eat something sweet or feel a little indulgent! Do you keep them out or store in the frig?
Hi, Lisa,
I will try using almond extract as suggested, thanks! Yeah, for the first day I keep these out but if they last longer, they are moved into the fridge. True, they are very buttery, kind of like fat bomb blondies.
Follow-up to my initial comment. I found these to be FABULOUS the following day (had just left them on counter in a container) - not as "greasy" and the flavors had melded together beautifully. Absolutely wonderful, a very decadent, yummy treat! You would have no idea this was a Keto thing at all!! -- now I really want to use this recipe as a basis for an Almond bar (I LOVE Almond flavor in baked goods!). If you have success please share! I will do the same!!
Hi, Lisa!
Thank you for such a positive feedback! I do experience the same: Love the blondies the most when they have been sitting out overnight.
I have actually tried a batch with almond flavor recently but realized that my almond aroma was crappy and didn't like the result. So first I need to get a hold of some high-quality almond flavor.
I was so excited to make these but when I baked them, they were swimming in oil! I was so sad. What should I do? Is it just a matter of adding more almond flour?
Too bad! 🙁 I guess the flours you used weren't absorbent enough. It gets really tricky when we use different brands ... I'm so sorry. If you ever give it another try, I would suggest using more coconut flour. Also, make sure the batter is not runny, and when they are baked, wait for them to cool down. The cacao butter usually hardens at room temperature.
For the denser version, how much more coconut cream and almond flour? Can’t wait to try them!!!
Hi. Try doubling the amount. But I would be careful with the coconut flour as it tends to absorb too much liquid very quickly. Add little by little until you like the consistency.
Well these are delicious. I did not have cocoa butter but I did have COCONUT butter! Tastes amazing. I also subbed Greek yogurt for the coconut cream since I didn’t have that either! Yummy!!!
Awesome, Lori, thank you for your feedback! I shall try these with coconut butter, too! 🙂
I did the same with Greek yogurt!! They are in the oven, and I'm waiting to see how they turned out!
These look amazing. Any idea how i can make thrm without coconut flour?
Just use two to three additional Tablespoons of almond flour.
I'm not sure why you use the Cacao butter if fat is good on the Keto diet. Why not use butter? I'll admit I have never used Cacao butter, so maybe it isn't used as a "butter" at all. I'm not familiar with it.
Cacao butter is the whole point of the blondies recipe. Its flavor and texture remind of chocolate as it is the main ingredient of dark chocolate. But we are making blondies not brownies here. Hence ... the cacao butter.
Hi, I made these today and loved the texture but they were much too sweet for our liking. Are all erythritols the same, I used one that I bought at bulk barn but I just noticed that you used Swerve granular, could this make a difference? I am afraid that lowering the quantity of erythritol will change the texture. In any case, I will try this recipe again, it's well worth trying to perfect to our taste!
Hi, Louise. Thank you for your comment. I used pure erythritol which is 75% as sweet as sugar. If you use something that contains other ingredients (maybe stevia extract or monk fruit), it might be as sweet as sugar.
On the other hand, lots of us perceive the same level of sweetness differently sometimes. Hope you try again. 🙂
Dark chocolate... are you talking about baker's chocolate, or something else?
Chocolate that has minimum amount of sugar and around 80% cocoa.
I am interested in trying these but I don't know where or if I can find coconut cream. Is there something else I can substitute for that? Thanks!
Hi, Dawn,
If you buy a can of full-fat coconut milk (at least 20% fat) and store it in the fridge overnight, the cream and the liquid should separate and make it easy for you to just spoon out the cream.
Also, the cream is not a huge part of the ingredients, so the blondies should turn out just fine with practically any alternative (cream cheese or whipped cream).
OMG! These are amazing. Made a batch yesterday and it turned out perfectly! This recipe will definitely be made again and again! Thank you for sharing!
Is the 6T of cocoa butter, before or after melting? It is difficult to measure it before melting. Do you have an estimate of the weight of the cocoa butter? Thanks, I’m getting ready to make these, but I’m not sure about the cocoa butter amount.
Hey, Lynda. The best thing to do is to use a scale. 6T of the butter is approximately 3 oz. Hope this helps.
Hi these sound amazing but I am new to Keto and have a son with anaphylaxis to peanuts and tree nuts - all recipes tend to ask for almond flour which we cannot have Can coconut be substituted? If so what are the ratios for that? Thank you!!
Hi, Barb,
Coconut flour will act quite differently and you might not be happy with the result. You could still try using it instead of almond flour but maybe use a Tbsp less. Let us know how it goes if you decide to go for it!
Did you ever weigh out the ingredienses? I cannot find a decend converter to Europe measurements and the whole thing just Camre out really funky.... (Or maybe next time you make the recepi you could maybe use a set of scales? 🙂 )
Americans don't usually have kitchen scales unless they are professional chefs. All our regular cookbooks are written with measurements in volume. If it helps any, my bag of cacao butter says 14 g. = 1 tablespoon.
These sound amazing. I see you use defatted almond flour. I don't have that but I do have defatted peanut flour which I assume I could sub 1:1 (obviously with a more peanutty taste) but could I sub regular heavy whipping cream for the coconut cream? I don't know that I would enjoy the taste of coconut with peanut-taste.
Hi, Sarah. This sound like something worth experimenting with. Honestly, I haven't used peanut flour before so I wouldn' know if it does actually taste like peanuts. I don't find almond flour tasting much as almonds, at least not mixed with so many other ingredients. The amount of heavy whipping cream might need to be a bit adjusted (and I would beat it forehand) but I would give it a go.
Delicious!!! I had to laugh at your comment about not buying a yatch but buying a Ton of Cocoa Butter if you were rich... Do you know what I would do if I had the money? I would hire a live in cook to make every single delicious Keto recipe whenever I desired... ( every day) Now Wouldn't that make life easy LOL 🙂
Love your idea, Deanne. I could use a keto cook from time to time myself! 😀
Hi I don’t have the cocoa butter or coconut butter. Do you have any ideas of a substitution I can use?
Hi! I made these blondies a couple days ago and there are none left to post pics of..:). They are awesome! I only had coconut manna/butter to use and hoped for the best. They were still delicious! The texture came out maybe a little cakier but was still very good! I’m going to try it again using only almond flour because I like a denser texture and wonder if maybe the combo of coconut butter and coconut flour (which I know absorbs more liquid!) may have made them a tad drier..? It gives me a good excuse to make more anyways!! Best low carb sugar free recipe I have tried so far. Thank you!!
Hey, Tammy, it makes me very happy that you like the recipe so much! You are thinking in the right direction: coconut flour tends to make them drier ... I think it's always fun to play around with different flour - fat combinations to see what works best. Even when the resulting texture isn't the best, the baked good still tastes delicious. 🙂
Hi! These look amazing. Can I leave them to cool overnight or do they need to be covered over night?
Thank you!
Hi, of course, you can cool them overnight.
Oh my word!!!! I too have some oil sitting at the bottom of mine as they cool but tried the edge anyways. These could definitely be problematic. Absolutely delish!!!
My fiancé and I started the Keto diet 2+ months ago, as well as my parents with much success. this is my fifth time making these blondies, absolutely wonderful! Also very quick to whip up! Perfect for those cravings. Thank you much.
It makes me very happy that you enjoy the recipe so much. All the best to you and yours on the keto journey!
Would this work with almond meal or does it need to be blanched almond flour? These look amazing and I have always loved Blondies, but haven't had in years....
Hi, Sandra. Almond flour would work better with this recipe because it's defatted. If you decide to use almond meal, it would not absorb as much cocoa butter as the flour would. So, I'd say you could try using almond meal but with less amount of cocoa butter. Unfortunately, I can't say how much less before trying it out. Maybe adding a couple of T additional coconut flour would help with the batter not ending up too greasy.
I used coconut butter instead of cocoa butter and heavy cream in place of coconut cream and chopped walnuts in place of chocolate chips. They came out AMAZING!! Thanks for the recipe!!
My daughter is on a strict Candida diet and we are currently only using Stevia to sweeten her food. Do you think i can sub a bit of stevia for the sweetness or does the large amount of Erythitol powder help bind the recipe?
I think erythritol does help the binding to a certain degree. In your case, I'd still try with only stevia if you don't mind the possibility of failing the texture but still getting a nice flavor.
I am searching for cocoa butter and everything that I am finding is for hair and skin- I am not a baker by trade or even for hobby, except that I am just a trying to find new recipes for my Keto diet. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated- maybe a brand or website I can order from?
Hi Amanda.
At the moment I can only help you with an Amazon link. If you want to search further on the Amazon, try looking in the Home & Kitchen section.
Bests
Search for 'Food Grade Cocoa Butter', that might help you find the kind you need for this recipe.
do a search for "cacao" butter instead of cocoa butter. The cacao should bring up the correct product.
Ditto Rebecca. Holy cats. "Let cool down." Hahahaha! Yeah right. Settling into a keto coma right now ....
For the coconut cream, is that just the thick part after separating, or are the thick and the watery parts blended together?
You use the thick part. 🙂
You can also find cans of just cream
I made these yesterday. They are gone. Even my 4 year old was crazy about them. I'm angry that they exist and that I'm going to basically give up all other food and just subsist on these from now on. They are amazing. I can't wait to explore more of your blog!
Thank you, Rebbeca! Means a lot to me that you like the blondies. But do not give up other food, though. 😉
I am allergic to almonds. Can you offer a substitution? I NEED these in my life!!!
Hi, Jessica!
It is great to see you're showing interest in these recipes and constructively looking for solutions.
Sometimes I run out of almond flour which is not a quick buy. What I usually do in such a case is use coconut flour, pumpkin seed flour, or hemp seed flour. These all behave a bit differently, absorb liquid differently, and taste and look a bit "off", especially the pumpkin and hemp seed.
With the blondies, you could try a couple of tbsp of additional coconut flour in place of almond flour. It might take a try or two to find the perfect balance of ingredients when replacing them, but I encourage you to try and share the solution with us! 🙂
I made this and the texture is nothing like what yours was. Very liquidy. Is this because I hadn whisked it? So disappointed they look amazing I wanted them so bad!
Hi, Brooke!
I am very sorry the blondies didn't turn out well for you. It is hard to say why without much additional information.
Did you use full-fat coconut cream? At what point did you skip the whisking? As seen from the procedure pictures, the batter should be quite dense when put into the oven. When done baking, the blondies are buttery and very fragile, but when well cooled down, they can be cut and held because all the fat becomes solid again.
Question! Is cacao butter and cocoa butter the same thing? Can I use cacao butter for this recipe?
Hi, Sierra!
In a way, yes. The butter is usually called "cocoa" butter and the powder "cacao powder" but the two "kinds" of butter, even if called differently, should still be the same thing. Enjoy the recipe! 🙂
These came out delicious, but mine came out super buttery. Is that the same with yours?
Hi, Bailey,
It could be that there are slight differences in dry ingredients' absorption or butter consistency since we buy stuff at different parts of the world and from different brands. Using the same ingredients, try adding less butter or more of the dry ingredients the next time. Am glad you still loved the taste, though!
OMG!! I just made these. DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much. I can see why you put the warning on them!
Hi, Michelle!
Comments like yours lighten up my days, make me happy, smiley, and inspired to create new delicious recipes.
Thank you very much for your feedback! Wish you all the best and keep following. 🙂
hi..i am thinking to make this recipe as i have untouched cacao butter waiting to explore..
I arrive to read this baking soda ingredient, and just want to make sure that it really is baking soda instead of baking powder and why?
I've been told that baking soda in baking need something acid to be working.
By the way, i have fallen in love with your orange ricotta cheesecake..make a combine with your fudgy brownies as a base..its simply heaven...i keep experimenting now with other ingredient with those 2 recipes as basic...looooooveee it...
Hello, YenYen!
Thanks for your constructive comment/question. I am happy you have found to enjoy a couple of recipes on this site! I love to see people experiment and be creative in the kitchen.
I tend to experiment myself to come up with the recipes on the site. In this process, I keep learning about ingredients and their combinations. My current knowledge (as I am not a chemist or a professional baker, obviously) has led me to choose baking soda instead of baking powder in this recipe. That is because cocoa is supposedly quite acidic, and the baking soda as the base helps the dough kind of rise during baking which results in soft (less dense) blondies. I've tried baking powder in this recipe but had better results with baking soda. I cannot remember, though, if I tried combining baking soda with baking powder, which might work just fine, as well (I shall try!). FYI, one always has to be careful with baking soda as you can easily add too much and end up with kind of a metallic/soapy aftertaste. So, here's my reason. Who knows, in one year time, I might give you a better answer as I strive to gain more knowledge and experience in the chemistry behind baking. 😉
By the way, while you're in love with the recipe you mentioned, if you ever wish to guest post the recipe you've been experimenting with (orange ricotta cheesecake with the brownie base sounds awesome!), give me a shout (click on the "contact" in the top menu). 🙂
Hi! Don't have cocoa butter, but do have coconut butter. Any idea if that would be an okay replacement? Thanks!
Hi, Nova.
I guess it could be a replacement, but I figure the coconut butter will act a little bit differently, moister probably. Try using a less overall amount of butter in the recipe. On the other hand, I do not guarantee the as tasty results (but you never know) since the whole point of these blondies, at least to me, is the cocoa butter. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!