I have a friend who once joked I should start a blog called “Preheat to 350” – not only because that was my go-to temperature, but also because I frequently had something baking in the oven. Every week I would make gluten-free, dairy-free, and usually egg-free baked goods – crackers, breakfast muffins, flat bread, and other treats.
Then I moved to Arizona. And there were many reasons to love the heat of the Arizona desert. However, most of the year we kept the house at around 82°F which did not instill in me a desire to add even more heat by turning on the oven to bake. So while I would occasionally make flat bread, most of my former go-to recipes languished in a binder waiting to be rediscovered.
And then we moved to Missouri and winter came. And all of the sudden I longed to be baking again. To preheat the oven; to stir together various flours that combine to create unique, nutritious and wholesome recipes. As I started pulling out my old go-to recipes, I had to remember where I might have made adjustments in the past. Regularly baking these recipes meant I didn’t take careful notes when I made changes.
All dry ingredients mixed together
I also realized that I wanted to tweak some of the recipes to reduce the fat and oil content and bring a little more nutrition to them – if I am going to have a blondie for breakfast, it needs to give me the energy to get through my morning. (And let’s be honest – if there are baked goods in the house, especially this time of year, they are my go-to for breakfast.)
Never return a tupperware empty
I had a friend’s tupperware as she hadbrought over something to contribute to a dinner we hosted recently. (Actually it was a glass Snapware container – which I had never used but fell in love with while it was in our fridge and I would highly recommend if you are in the market for new food storage containers.)
My mother taught me that you never return a tupperware empty – you always put something delicious in it upon return. Since this friend is also gluten- and dairy-free, I knew this was a great opportunity to dust off my Breakfast Blondies recipe – it can be made in two 8”x8” baking dishes so it is easy to have some to share and some to keep for yourself!
The inspiration for these breakfast blondies
This is what your dough will look like before you add your mix-ins.
Inspired by the original version from Karina’s Kitchen which I printed off many years ago (the original is no longer available – she has also updated the recipe which is available here)I whipped up these breakfast blondies. I wanted to reduce the oil and sugar content from the original recipe as well as simplify the recipe. And since these were for breakfast I needed to add in extra protein and fiber by packing in more healthy mix-ins (while still keeping some of the chocolate chips – because well – I have trouble saying no to a chocolate chip).
If you are having trouble finding some of the ingredients listed locally, you should be able to purchase most of the dry ingredients through Thrive Marketfor delivery right to your front door.
The art of gluten-free baking
This is what your breakfast blondies should look like right before putting them in the oven.
If you are new to gluten-free baking, I want to emphasize that this is a little more art than science when compared to traditional baking. Different flours (and different brands of the same type of flour) absorb liquid at different rates.
I have provided measurements in both traditional measuring cup amounts as well as the weight. Regardless of the measurement method you use, you will still need to add in the milk in small amounts until you reach the proper consistency. I have included a few photos in this post of the dough to give you an idea of what you want it to look like. If in doubt, I always err on the side of adding a smidge more liquid (you can always add a dusting of flour if you go to far) to prevent the blondies from becoming too dry during baking.
Storing the blondies
Fresh out of the oven and ready to enjoy with a cup of tea!
The original recipe suggests you cut and individually wrap the bars in foil after baking then place in a freezer bag and keep in the freezer pulling them out to thaw as needed. I have never done this. It would probably be good for my self-control. But both Adam and I have a sweet tooth so these never last long enough in the house to need to be frozen.
I also have a tendency to share these as I find they are enjoyed by people even those who don’t usually eat gluten-free or vegan. I do however keep these in the fridge. Just make sure you remove them from the baking dish once cooled but before placing in the fridge. Since coconut oil becomes solid in the fridge, they are much easier to get out of the dish at room temperature than they are cold!
I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!
