These Paleo Chocolate Chip Blondies have amazing crispy edges, a soft, chewy center and tons of dark, melted chocolate chunks! You’ll go crazy for these paleo, gluten-free and refined sugar free blondies.
***2017 UPDATE!!!*** Since I first posted these on March 1st, 2015, they’ve been SO loved by so many of you. They’re incredibly gooey, rich, and delicious, and they come together so quickly and easily you won’t believe it. The original post photos were lackluster for how deliciously amazing these are, so I’m giving them a new 2017 update.
I’m keeping the original 2015 post written below though – for nostalgia’s sake, and all that. Throwback to my good old days living with all my best friends in college! ❤️ Hope you enjoy the new photos and delicious recipe!
I started doing something new in my house a few weeks ago. I grabbed one of my old notebooks, placed it next to the cake plate in the kitchen that holds whatever baked goods are around, and I listed sections for each of the baked goods that I had around at the moment. Then I told my housemates to go write their comments.
Even I can get bored of describing new recipes, because there’s only so many ways to describe a cookie or a cake. So now, I can bring you comments, straight from the voices of my housemates and the other various college-aged individuals who pass through my house and try the baked goods to come out of my kitchen. So far, results are good.
When I made these Paleo Chocolate Chip Blondies, I purposely left out any mention of the Paleo-friendly, gluten and sugar free, healthy aspect of these bars. I just wrote chocolate chip blondies and waited to see if anyone noticed. The first comment:
“HOLY CRAP THESE ARE GREAT”
With a heart next to it. I had mentioned to someone when I was making them though that they were healthy, so the next comment was, “I don’t believe that these are healthy…” which got an arrow pointing to it accompanied by a, “what she said.”
So, I would say they went over well. Now that you know these blondies are totally delicious and college-student approved, let’s talk about what’s in them.
To keep them super fudgy and chewy, I used a hearty dose of almond butter. You can’t even taste it, but it does so much for the texture – it adds so much richness, and makes the blondies totally melt in your mouth. They’re sweetened by coconut sugar which lends to their darker color and caramelly flavor, and gives them the most incredible crispy edges.
I used almond flour to keep these paleo and gluten free, and I love the nutty flavor it adds to these blondies. And of course, can’t forget about the chocolate! I chopped up 4 ounces of dark chocolate, but if you’re strict Paleo, try making your own Paleo chocolate chunks to use.
These Paleo Chocolate Chip Blondies got devoured incredibly quickly, and no one even realized they were made without any refined sugars or flours.
If you’re just venturing into the world of healthier baking or want to try it out, this is the recipe for you! These bad boys taste deceptively like cookie dough and you won’t be able to resist going back for more. Thankfully, you can do that relatively guilt free :) enjoy!
Want more paleo chocolate chip treats?! Check out these faves –>
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Grain-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
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Paleo Chocolate Chip Blondies
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz. dark chocolate chunks*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8” square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the almond butter, coconut oil, coconut sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined. Stir in the almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Spread evenly in prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Cool completely, and then cut into 16 squares.
Recipe Notes
To keep these strict paleo, make your own Paleo dark chocolate.
Mandie | Mandie's Kitchen says
I love finding new gluten free desserts! This one sounds awesome, and looks super gooey and just fabulous! Pinned!!!
Rachel Conners says
Thanks so much Mandie!
Marquita Fulford says
OMG!!! I didn’t know healthy sweet treats could taste so good. I’ve begun to eat less processed sweets and these blondies are a delicious alternative. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Rachel says
So glad you’re loving the blondies, Marquita! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback.
Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy says
I was craving something sweet and was just thinking what quick dessert I could do. These are perfect! I love that they are Paleo too, and no refined sugar! A winner! Thanks for sharing this recipe, Rachel! I m definitely making these today. :)
marcie says
I love the idea of these healthier blondies, and they’re full of ingredients I love! I definitely need to try these…pinned!
Ashley says
haha I love the notebook / comment idea!! And that one cracked me up – these must have definitely gone over well! :) They sure do look fantastic!
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Judging by your photos, I would never guess these are healthy! I am always in such awe of you baking bloggers who can create delicious food without gluten or refined sugar…amazing!
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog says
What a fantastic idea to leave a notebook out and ask for feedback on baked goods, I would totally have said the same thing, these sound (and of course look) fantastic! I can’t believe they’re paleo!
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says
Ahhh love these Rachel! When I’m recipe testing I usually leave off the “…and they’re healthy!” until after I get a review from my taste tester. Love your idea of the notebook!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I love finding new paleo recipes, especially ones like this! These blondies look amazing, Rachel! Love how thick and fluffy they are. I think I could devour these for breakfast!
[email protected] Whole and Heavenly Oven says
You have NO idea how flipping excited I am to try these, Rachel! I love love LOVE that they’re paleo. Which means I can have 10 and not feel the guilt. ;) Pinned!
Rachel Conners says
Haha, so true ;) Thanks so much, Sarah!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
These look absolutely fantastic! I need to try these because I need some gluten free options and I need to taste this coconut sugar business.
Rachel Conners says
Coconut sugar is quickly becoming a favorite! It substitutes so well for granulated sugar. You’ll love it :) Thanks, Jocelyn!
Abby says
I love that notebook-for-comments idea, Rachel!
And OMG these blondies look incredible. They don’t appear to be healthy at all… which is totally a good thing :D
Rachel Conners says
Thanks so much, Abby! And you’re so right…never good when something looks healthy, haha.
Cecilia says
Your pics and recipe make me so hungry. I would try them immediately.
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
Ok, this is amazing Rachel! I almost can’t believe these are paleo. I cannot WAIT to make these! And I love that you leave a notebook out for people to leave you comments. That is so fun!
Annie @Maebells says
Wow!! These look amazing! I love those giant chunks of chocolate! The almond butter and almond flour sounds great too, we use peanut butter ALL the time so this would be a nice change up!
Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates says
OMG these look awesome Rachel! I am still in shock that they are on the healthier side! Pinned!
Nicole - Coking for Keeps says
Your desserts KILL me, seriously….Always so insanely delicious looking.
Rachel Conners says
Thanks, Nicole!
Christina @ Bake with Christina says
Mmm those bars looks amazing!! So gooey and chocolate, and I can’t believe they’re paleo!! Pinned :)
Hope says
Love having alternates to baking healthy. I try to bake at dog gatherings to keep things fun and social but so many people have food restrictions it makes it difficult. These are going to be my next go to baked item for such an occasion, however I will have to try them out first. Yeah for a yummy recipe.
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert says
I would have never guessed that these are paleo. Blondies are my favorite and these look delicious, Rachel!
Monica says
Do you have nutritional facts for these?
Rachel Conners says
Hi Monica. I have not calculated the nutritional facts for these but there are a number of recipe nutritional calculators online that you can plug the ingredients into to get the information.
Danielle says
These blondies look so amazing, Rachel! I love everything you put into these, I always have most of the ingredients on hand. I’m definitely giving these a try!
Beth @ bethcakes says
What a great idea for your roommates to leave you comments about your baked goods! I’m jealous they get to eat all of your creations. I never would know any of your stuff is gf/paleo if you didn’t write it in these posts! These look fab! :)
olivia - Primavera Kitchen says
These blondies have my name written all over them. These are incredible DELICIOUS!!
Pinned!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I’m not one that follows the “paleo diet” and have alwasy tended to stay away from any paleo recipes but after seeing these blondies – you are making me reconsider my aversion! They look incredible Rachel.
Rachel Conners says
Thanks, Thalia! I was totally the same way until I started having to bake Paleo out of necessity for my sister, and now it’s so much fun to play with the ingredients and try to get them to taste like they’re regular baked goods.
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
What a great way to get some creative feedback. I used to do that with my housemates, too, and it ended pretty much the same way! And the fact that they passed the delicious test? Healthy or not, I want in!
Camilla says
You’re killing me! These look amazzzzing!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
What a cute idea with the comments! Love that! These blondies sound SO delish, and I love all the clean, healthy ingredients!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Oh gosh, there is nothing like a gooey chocolatey blondie. These look perfect!
Ruby Red Apron says
I can’t believe these blondies are guilt-free. They look so amazing!
Shikha @ Shikha la mode says
I’m having that “Holy crap these are great” moment just looking at the photos – so gooey!
Meriem @ Culinary Couture says
Oh man, those comments have me sold! Now I just need to get my hands on some coconut sugar!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
I seriously need to get some coconut sugar because I MUST make these blondies!! I love em!!!
Beth Bond says
Vanilla extract is often not gluten free, really. It doesn’t naturally contain gluten, but if you are serving these to someone that has Celiac Disease, you should note that gluten free vanilla is available.
Claudia says
These bars sound great! What adjustments would I have to make if I bake these in a brownie pan??
Rachel says
Hi Claudia, what do you mean by a brownie pan? If you mean a regular 9×13″ pan, the recipe would have to be doubled to fit that size pan. Hope that’s what you meant!
Diana says
If I want to make this with stevia instead of coconut flour, what are the measurements I use? LOOKS SO GOOD! GONNA TRY THIS RECIPE OUT SOON :)
Rachel says
Hi Diana. Stevia is a sweetener, whereas coconut flour is used for absorption so you won’t be able to substitute one for the other. If you meant to ask how to substitute stevia for the coconut sugar, I’m actually not sure as I never use stevia in my baking and it depends what form your stevia is in – powdered or liquid. I would follow the instructions from the stevia company, or follow your tastebuds as your making the batter and just add it to taste. Hope this helps!
Lori H. says
So after making these for the fifth time I just had to comment – these are so delicious! Like, my husband’s favorite dessert of all time (I’ve only been eating paleo a few months because of my breastfeeding son’s food sensitivities so that’s saying something)!!! Thank you Rachel for helping me get through this year when I thought my beloved baked goods were out of the question! I’ll still be making these after I go back to my regular diet, they are that good!
Rachel says
Thanks so much! I’m so happy you took the time to comment – you totally made my day! I’m so glad this recipe is a hit with your family, Lori.
Melanie says
Finally! A comment from someone that made them! Thank you!!
Deidre Black says
Delicious! They have 173.5 calories and 11.8 carbs per serving when cut into 16 servings.
Sierra Glass says
So frustrating! I live in Utah where it’s high altitude and tried all the tricks , and mine still turned awful. Holes at the top and hard, and completely unbaked in the middle . Any suggestions? I also tried at 350 and 325 , and two different pans. One glass and one non stick.
Rachel says
Hi Sierra, I’m so sorry about that! I’ve lived pretty much at sea level for my whole life, and so I’m not too familiar with high altitude baking and I don’t know what could have gone wrong. Did you try adding some extra almond flour? I found this article online, too: agirlworthsaving.net/2015/07/making-high-altitude-baking-a-breeze.html – not sure which tips you’ve tried, but there might be a few new ones that are helpful on there! So sorry for all the trouble, I know how frustrating it is when recipes don’t work out right.
Diana says
These have been my go-to dessert for the past year. Yesterday, I made a double patch for a superbowl party and they were gone in minutes! No one could believe they were gluten-free and everyone kept raving about how amazing they were. Thanks so much for all your amazing recipes!
Rachel says
That puts a big smile on my face!! I’m so glad you’ve been loving them and that they were such a hit yesterday – thank you so much for sharing your feedback with me Diana!!
Vanessa Anton says
These are so sweet and delicious! I’m new to gluten free baking and Ive lost 10 lbs just from making the switch from eating processsed packaged junk to home made goods. My husband and I love these. I can’t wait to try your other recipes :)
Rachel says
So happy to hear that Vanessa! Thanks so much for your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try :)
Casey the College Celiac says
These look absolutely DREAMY! That melted chocolate…
Pamela (BrooklynFarmGirl) says
These look extremely addictive!
Rachel says
Thanks so much Pamela!
Elaine @ FoodParsed says
These look so rich, chocolatey, and delicious! I’ve never baked with almond flour before, and I’ve always wanted to try it out. :)
Lacey says
Could I sub multi purpose flour for the almond? Or what about oat? I’ve got like 4 boxes of King Arthur multipurpose and I don’t have any recipes to use it in lol :/
Rachel says
That should work out fine, but I haven’t tried it out so I can’t make any guarantees!
Violett says
Rachel, just made these and they’re delicious! i was wondering what the best way to store the leftovers (if you have any!). Can I leave them on the counter for a couple days or should I refrigerate right away?
Rachel says
I’m so glad you’re enjoying them, Violett! You can keep them at room temperature for a day or two, but I prefer keeping them in the fridge for longer storage – and I love the fudgy texture they get when they’re cold!
C. says
Can you use a dark GLASS baking dish in place of a metal baking pan? If so, is there a difference in the recipe, or in the cooking time, or the cooking temperature? THANK YOU!!!
Rachel says
Hi C, that should be fine. I don’t use glass baking pans so I’m not sure exactly how it would differ since I haven’t tested that way. I’d just start checking the blondies around 15 minutes to make sure they don’t overbake.
C. says
Hi Rachel
I just made these. I purchased a regular baking pan to avoid problems with the glass. The batter came out like HARD cement. I could barely fold in most of the chocolate chunks. A lot of the coconut oil also separated from the batter in small pools. I finally had to take the batter out by hand and form it into the pan. Do you know what I did wrong? I purchase unblanched organic almond flour. I did not sift the flour. Is this what I am missing. So sad and disappointed. Please help.
Rachel says
Hi C, that’s so odd! The only thing I can think of that would’ve made that happen is if your almond butter was really stiff and not oily…was that the case? That could’ve made the batter firm up like that. Let me know and I can help you troubleshoot.
C. says
Thanks! I used MaraNatha Organic Roasted Almond Butter (creamy) from a jar. It was not SUPER runny, after I stirred up all the separated oil. It seemed like a good creamy consistency. My blondies turned out pretty dark, probably because the almond butter was roasted. In the end, my spouse like the taste of the middle pieces, but found it too strong on coconut flavor. The edge pieces did not get any chocolate chips, so he found those not quite sweet enough. I used Trader Joe’s Organic virgin coconut oil. This was the first time I have baked with almond flour. Do you have tips on how to measure or if sifting is needed?
Rachel says
Hmm, how odd. For measuring almond flour, I pretty much always weigh it (96g per cup) and break up any clumps with a whisk. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, make sure you’re not packing the almond flour in the cup. I’d use the spoon and level measuring technique.
Sherry Eckert says
I have an issue with nuts right now due to mast cell and histamine issues, so though I love most of your recipes when you use almond flour I am wondering what I can substitute that will be a good replacement and still be gluten free and nut free. Is coconut flour the way to go, or should I look at something else, oat flour?
Thanks, your site has been so great for me as I deal with my food issues and find things I can eat.
Sherry
Rachel says
Hi Sherry! So glad you’re liking my site. Sorry you’re having issues with nuts! Coconut flour can be finicky and is hard to use as a replacement due to it being much more absorbent than other flours. Oat flour would be a better way to go, or if you can handle seeds, you could make a sunflower seed flour by pulsing sunflower seeds in a food processor until they’re similar in texture to almond flour. Hope this helps!
GiGi Eats says
The drool dripping down my face is not all that attractive BUT….. I am owning it! LOL!
Marta says
Hi Rachel, any recommendation on the chocolate to use (ideally refined-sugar free)? Can we make it ourselves? Thanks, Marta
Marta says
Ahhh… just realized the answer to my question was in the post ;-)
Rachel says
Hi Marta! I have a recipe for homemade chocolate chunks you can find here: https://www.bakerita.com/paleo-chocolate-chunks/. For bought chocolate, my current favorite is this coconut sugar chocolate from https://www.santabarbarachocolate.com/ – it’s SO good, although it is expensive for chocolate. Hope this helps!
Alex says
Hi Rachel! Is this a recipe of yours for which sunbutter would be an ok substitute? Looking for ways to make it nut-free for a celebration at my sons’ school! Thank you!
Rachel says
Hi Alex, sunbutter should work fine here, but they might turn a little green in the center as sunbutter treats tend to do!
Ashley says
THESE ARE AMAZING!!! I used a 9 inch cake pan and made a ‘cookie cake’ with the recipe. Phenomenal. Everyone LOVED it!
Rachel says
That sounds outstanding, Ashley! So thrilled the recipe was a hit. Thanks for your feedback!
OMG Chocolate Desserts says
Fantastic recipe! It turned out amazing. Thank you! This looks amazingly delicious and so simple to make!
Rachel says
Thanks so much for the love, so glad you enjoyed the blondies!!
kaylaa says
These were perfect! would make again!!
Rachel says
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for the feedback, Kayla.
Jeanette says
Hi! I just made these Blondies. They are absolutely fantastic!! I am wondering how many grams of fat is in a square if you cut 16 brownies?
Rachel says
Hi Jeanette, I don’t count calories but you can calculate on your own using myfitnesspal.com!
SC says
Recipe failed, just left with mush!
Rachel says
Hi SC, did you bake for long enough, and is your oven running at the right temperature? They should look golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean.