Peanut Butter Blondies (No Sugar)

These easy Peanut Butter Blondies have a soft, chewy and buttery texture.  They're naturally sweetened with no added sugar, baked in the oven with peanut butter flavour throughout and peanuts for added crunch.

Recipe Highlights

• Made with simple ingredients in under 30 minutes
• They're healthy peanut butter blondies without chickpeas
• There's no added sugar, instead they 're sweetened with Monkfruit sweetener
• It makes 16 squares that are perfect with your morning coffee or after dinner snacks
• No food processor required, just electric beaters although you can make it without them too
• Dense and moist, yet light and filling and great with a little sea salt on top!
• Lots of ways to customise with different addins and variations (suggestions below)
• This dessert is under 200 calories per serve!

Ingredients

There are no chickpeas in these blondies, but i do love baking with chickpeas, and these Chickpea Brownies are not only super healthy, but also low calorie!

Ingredient Notes

• Butter:  Unsalted butter works best for this recipe, especially if you're adding additional salt sprinkled on top for the salted peanut effect.  However if all you have is salted butter that is fine too, the different is not very noticeable.  You may just want to be careful if sprinkling additional sea salt flakes on top.
• Sweetener:  Any type of granulated sweetener that measures like sugar will work in this recipe.  I like to use monkfruit, however granulated stevia will also work.  My preference is to use the "brown" variety as I find it has a little more caramel like flavour similar to real brown sugar.  Both monkfruit and stevia have granulated brown varieties in their range.  I buy mine from the supermarket in the baking aisle.
• Peanut butter:  A natural creamy peanut butter works best for these peanut blondies.  Make sure peanut butter is at room temperature (not straight out of the fridge).  If peanut butter is on the firmer side, microwave it on low to soften it a little, but don't melt it
• Vanilla:  vanilla extra helps to add flavour and complements the peanut butter flavours
• Eggs:  eggs at room temperature are always recommended and this recipe need 2 full eggs and 1 egg yolk
• All purpose flour:  can be substituted for Plain flour, or spelt flour
• Unsalted peanuts:  you can buy unsalted peanuts in bags already diced (granulated) or in halves.  Its really a matter of preference which you prefer.

How to Make

1. Mix Butter, sweetener and vanilla:  Soften Butter in microwave and add to a large bowl with granulated sweetener and vanilla, using electric beaters to beat on low until creamy. Add peanut butter and beat until mixed in.

2. Add Eggs:  Add one whole egg and mix until combined, add the second whole egg and mix until combined.  Add the third egg (yolk only)

3. Combine Ingredients:  Combine remaining dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.  Add the dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix on low until everything is combined. Fold through peanuts.

4. Add mixture to pan:  Spoon mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pan, lined with baking/parchment paper.  Scatter with additional peanuts on top.

5. Bake:  Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are golden and the centre is still a little "wobbly. Remove from oven and let it come to room temperature.

Recipe Tips

• Peanut Butter:  make sure peanut butter is soft and creamy, not firm as it willmake it hard to mix in with the other wet ingredients.  Microwave on low to soften if peanut butter is firm or straight out of the fridge.
• Sweetener:  It doesn't matter if you use a "white" or "brown" granulated sweetener, and both will work to create a naturally sweetened blondie.  The important thing is to use a granulated sweetener that measures like sugar.  I personally use Monkfruit and Stevia and I love the Raw Earth Monkfruit Brown Sweetener for this recipe.

• Peanuts:  Roasting the peanuts is an extra step in the process but adds an intensified nuttiness to the brownies that adds to the overall flavour and well worth the extra few minutes it takes in the oven.
• Salt:  Scattering a little sea salt on top (after baking) is a good way to add a salty hit to the sweetness of the blondies if you are a fan of sweet and salty snacks.
• Pan Size:  Either an 8 inch (20cm) or 9 inch (23cm) square pan are ideal.  An 8 inch will mean the blondies are slightly taller, and a 9 inch will mean they are a little wider.  You could also use a large loaf tin, however cooking times may be a little different and I would recommend checking at the 20 to 25 minute mark
• Storage:  Store in an air tight container in the fridge for 1 week
• Freezing:  They can be frozen for upto 8 weeks in an air tight container, or ziplock bags with air taken out.  Defrost at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.

Add-Ins

• Chocolate Chips:  white, milk or dark chocolate chips would all be great addins to these blondies.  There are a few different sugar free varieties of chocolate chips available in the baking aisle of supermarkets, or alternatively use a sugar free chocolate bar chopped up small and scatter through the mixture.
• Dried blueberries:  peanut butter and blueberries are a great match.  I love adding the small dried blueberries into peanut butter sweets as they fruit flavours work well with the nuttiness.  Find dried blueberries in the baking aisle of the supermarket.

The buttery sweetness, chewy texture and creamy peanut butter flavours all come together in one easy healthy blondie.  Making sweet treats without the added sugars is possible and if you love peanut butter, its easy to do as its often used as a base healthy energy balls, brownies, and even cheesecakes.

Peanut Butter Blondies

Kim MorrisKim

Buttery sweetness, chewy texture and creamy peanut butter flavours all come together in one easy healthy blondie. 

5 from 3 votes

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Course Dessert

Servings 16 bars

Calories 158 kcal

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

½x1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup granulated monkfruit sweetener - see note 2
• ▢ ¾ cup natural peanut butter, (room temperature)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 3 large large eggs (room temperature)
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour - or plain flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted granulated peanuts

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Preheat fan oven to 180 C or 350 F. Soften ½ cup unsalted butter in microwave on low/medium until only just soft (not melted)
• Add butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 ¼ cup granulated monkfruit sweetener to a large bowl. Use electric beaters to beat on low until creamy. Next, add ¾ cup natural peanut butter, (room temperature) to the bowl and beat together on low until mixed in. (If peanut butter is firm, it may splatter when using the electric beaters. To mitigate, microwave peanut butter first to soften, but don't melt.)
• Grab 3 large large eggs (room temperature) as follows - add one whole egg (yolk plus white), and mix until combined, add the second whole egg (yolk plus white and mix until combined. Add the third egg (yolk only)
• Combine 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder in a separate mixing bowl. Then, add the dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix on low until everything is combined. Add ½ cup unsalted granulated peanuts, and fold them through using a spoon (not beaters)
• Spoon mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pan, lined with baking/parchment paper. Scatter with additional peanuts on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes in fan oven at 180 C or 350 F. To test if they are cooked, poke a skewer into the centre and if it comes out with a few crumbs and the centre looks a little "wobbly", it is done. Let it rest on the counter, covered with a towel until it comes to room temperature.

Notes

1. Butter: Unsalted butter works best for this recipe, especially if you're adding additional salt sprinkled on top for the salted peanut effect.  However if all you have is salted butter that is fine too, the different is not very noticeable.  You may just want to be careful if sprinkling additional sea salt flakes on top.
2. Sweetener: Any type of granulated sweetener that measures like sugar will work in this recipe.  I like to use monkfruit, however granulated stevia will also work.  My preference is to use the "brown" variety as I find it has a little more caramel like flavour similar to real brown sugar.  Both monkfruit and stevia have granulated brown varieties in their range.  I buy mine from the supermarket in the baking aisle.
3. Peanut butter: A natural creamy peanut butter works best for these peanut blondies.  Make sure peanut butter is at room temperature (not straight out of the fridge).  If peanut butter is on the firmer side, microwave it on low to soften it a little, but don't melt it
4. Add Ins:  Sugar free white, milk or dark chocolate chips, or a sugar free chocolate bar chopped up and mixed through the batter.  Dried blueberries are also great mixed through the batter and add a little extra sweetness.
5. Pan Size: Either an 8 inch (20cm) or 9 inch (23cm) square pan are ideal.  An 8 inch will mean the blondies are slightly taller, and a 9 inch will mean they are a little wider.  You could also use a large loaf tin, however cooking times may be a little different and I would recommend checking at the 20 to 25 minute mark
6. Storage: Store in an air tight container in the fridge for 1 week
7. Ovens:  All ovens are different and I recommend checking on the blondies at 20 to 25 minutes as like with brownies, it is better to be slightly under than over baked.

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 6gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 1g

Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.

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