Instead of chocolate chips in regular fudgy brownies, use quality white chocolate chips brownies for the ultimate white chocolate brownies. Add a chai swirl, or just a cinnamon sugar swirl, for a twist on this delicious dessert.
Are you a white chocolate lover? Try white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies, white chocolate pistachio cookies, or chocolate-covered raspberries next.
I had this white chocolate brownies recipe slated for a few weeks from now to share for Christmas but I made them and I was so excited for it that I couldn't even stand waiting another day before sharing it with you. I didn't want to deprive you of all the deliciousness any longer. Holding this recipe from you for a few weeks just didn't feel right.
They have a are a spin off from my lemon poppy seed bars so I knew the texture and flavor from the blondie itself was going to be really good. The texture is thick and chewy.
BUT the real star of the show in these chai spiced white chocolate blondies is the cinnamon chai swirl in the center.
And I have a feeling if it showed up on your Thanksgiving table no one would be mad about it.
Reasons to Love White Chocolate Brownies
- They're the white chocolate cousin to a classic brownie.
- Simple too make (no mixer!).
- The fudgy center and rich chai spices are to die for.
- Easy to customize with your favorite flavors or filling.
For real. It's up there on top favorite recipes I've ever made on What Molly Made along with chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin streusel muffins, paleo pumpkin bars and brown butter coffee cake.
I tested a recipe about 6 months ago that was chai spiced muffins. I didn't love the chai spice I rolled the muffins in and ended up not sharing the recipe because I just didn't feel like it was good enough. But one thing I knew: I needed to share a chai-flavored recipe with all of you at some point.
Want more chai recipes? Try Taylor Swift chai cookies or chai whoopie pies.
White Chocolate Brownies vs Regular Brownies
- Any good brownie recipe, like these paleo brownies, starts with butter and melted chocolate. Regular brownies use semi-sweet chocolate or even dark chocolate while white chocolate blondies use white chocolate.
- There is no cocoa powder in white chocolate blondies. You will use all flour in this recipe.
Grab These Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients for these fudgy white chocolate brownies. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find in grocery stores. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Unsalted butter: for best results use a quality butter, like Kerrygold Irish butter.
- White chocolate bar: white chocolate is actually made from cocoa butter instead of cocoa beans like regular chocolate. Get good quality, real white chocolate, like Lindt or Ghirardelli for the best white chocolate flavor.
- Flour: or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour if needed.
- Baking Powder
- Salt: flavor enhancer
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness and helps give you a slight crinkle top.
- Eggs: to bind everything together.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
What's in the Chai Swirl?
There are 5 ingredients in this chai swirl that make it sweet and cozy:
- Brown Sugar is the base of the mixture and holds all of the spices together. It gets gooey and melty in the oven and adds sweetness to the spice.
- Cinnamon is a must-have in any chai combo. It's in so many fall recipes and is why I love this recipe for the holidays.
- Ground ginger is part of the traditional chai flavor combo. It adds depth to the flavoring and one teaspoon does the trick for this whole recipe.
- Ground cardamom is the signature chai spice and potent smell when you think of a chai latte. It's deep and spicy and will make your house smell amazing.
- Ground allspice adds another layer of spice texture and works really well with the other three. You need the least amount of it in this recipe. A little goes a long way!
How to Make White Chocolate Brownies
These white chocolate brownies (aka blondies) are easy to make, like traditional chocolate brownies. But here are the step-by-step instructions, with photos, to make sure they turn out perfect every time.
Melt butter and chocolate: Place the butter and white chocolate in a large bowl. Heat in the microwave on high heat in 30-second increments until smooth.v
Make the chai swirl: mix the brown sugar and chai spices together in a small bowl.
Dry ingredients: whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate medium bowl.
Make the batter: whisk the white sugar into the melted chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until no yellow streaks remain. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Assemble the blondies: spread half of the batter into the bottom of a parchment-lined square pan. Sprinkle the chai spices on top. Dollop and spread the remaining batter on top.
Bake: bake for 28-32 minutes or until they're golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool completely then cut into squares.
Make the glaze: Whisk the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat and dip each blondie upside down into the glaze. Place them on a cooling rack over top of parchment paper to set until the frosting is solid.
Recipe Variations
- Omit the chai spices and leave them as is.
- Omit the chai and stir in white chocolate chunks.
- Mix only cinnamon and brown sugar for the filling for a cinnamon roll or pop-tart flavor.
- Add macadamia nuts and chocolate chunks so it tastes like white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
Expert Tips
- Use a rubber spatula and spray it with nonstick cooking spray to spread the top layer over the chai spice. This way the batter won't stick to the spatula and you can easily push the batter to the edges of the pan.
- It's okay if the batter doesn't go all the way to the edges or there are a few holes in the batter where you can see the chai spice. The white chocolate blondies batter will spread in the oven and fill the gaps.
- Use a metal baking pan. Do not use glass or ceramic because the outsides will cook quicker so the inside won't be done before the sides are too brown.
Storage Instructions
Cover them individually with plastic wrap then store them inside a freezer bag or airtight container. They will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Brownies and Bars
- Smores cookie bars
- Snickerdoodle apple pie bars
- Fudgy paleo brownies
- Pumpkin pie bars with gingersnap crust
- Peanut butter cookie bars
- Lemon poppy seed bars
Chai White Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
White Chocolate Brownies
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8-9 ounces (2 bars) quality white chocolate
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour gluten-free if needed
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chai Swirl
- ½ cup packed light or brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Maple Icing
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk or half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Recommended Equipment
- 8x8-inch square baking pan (I love this one)
Instructions
- Add the butter and white chocolate to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 30 seconds then stop and stir with a rubber spatula. Repeat in 30-second increments until they’re melted and smooth. Set aside and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- While cooling, adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides for easy removal once baked. Set aside.
- Next, make the chai swirl. Mix the swirl ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the granulated sugar into the cooled butter and white chocolate mixture. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold gently until completely incorporated.
- Pour half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle and spread the swirl ingredients evenly on top-- it will be a thick layer of swirl! Cover evenly with the remaining batter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bars are lightly browned around the sides and on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before removing.
- Once cooled, make the glaze. Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and pour over cooled bars or dip each individual bar into the glaze after cutting into squares. The glaze will set after about 10 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or store unglazed bars in the freezer for one month. Make the glaze and dip thawed bars in the glaze prior to serving.
Nutrition
cakespy says
I can't even stand how wonderful this recipe is. I love it!!!