Chewy Blondies with Cardamom and Nuts

These Indian-inspired fudgy cardamom-spiced blondies with chopped nuts and white chocolate are so easy and delicious!
5 from 1 vote

These chewy blondies have white chocolate, spiced, cardamom, and nutty peanuts. Indian desserts often combine sweet buttery flavors with spices and nuts, as in kesar pista kulfi (Indian-style ice cream with saffron and pistachios) or kaju katli (cashew fudge). I love fudgy blondies, so I was inspired to combine their sweet, rich goodness with Indian flavors.

Stack of cardamom blondies on a plate.
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The result is a blondie, adapted from my go-to (Smitten Kitchen’s recipe), spiced with cardamom, chopped nuts, and white chocolate. I sprinkle the tops with a bit of flaky salt to offset the sweetness. They are delight eaten at room temperature, or slightly chilled.

Love fudgy desserts? Try my greek yogurt brownie bites, chocolate orange pots de creme, or sticky toffee pudding tray bake!

Ingredients Notes & Substitutions

Ingredients laid out to make chewy blondies.
  • Nuts: Pistachios, peanuts, and cashews are all commonly used in Indian desserts so you can pick any combination as you wish.
  • Malted Milk Powder: You can substitute malted milk powder with milk powder, just keep in mind you’ll lose some of those toasty notes.

How to Make These Blondies

Bowl of brown butter next to a bowl of brown sugar.

Step 1 - Brown the butter.

Spatula mixing a bowl of browned butter with brown sugar.

Step 2 - Mix the browned butter with brown sugar, cardamom, and milk powder.

Whisk dripping blondie batter into a bowl.

Step 3 - Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Whisk for a minute until a thick, ribbony texture forms.

Bowl with blondie batter and nuts and a spatula folding it.

Step 4 - Fold in the flour until just combined, followed by the nuts and white chocolate.

Baking pan lined with parchment paper topped with nuts.

Step 5 - Transfer to your baking pan.

Blondies baked in a metal baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Step 6 - Bake until just set, golden brown at the edges, and crackly on top. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

TIP: One trick I use to get super fudgy blondies is to let the blondies cool until they’re just about at room temperature on the outsides, then let them chill in the fridge for a few hours. Once they’ve chilled, I’ll take them out and cut them. This seems to really help the insides “set.”

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Happy eating! Love, Karishma
The Recipe
Stack of cardamom blondies on a plate.

Chewy Blondies with Cardamom and Nuts

5 from 1 vote
Fudgy cardamom-spiced blondies with chopped nuts and white chocolate, adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s wonderful recipe.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yields 16 Blondies

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 2 tablespoons malted milk powder, or instant non-fat dry milk powder
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • cup toasted nuts, cashews, peanuts, or pistachios are all great here | roughly chopped
  • ½ cup white chocolate, roughly chopped
  • Flaky salt for topping

Instructions

  • Prepare the pan: Line an 8-inch by 8-inch square baking pan with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350℉ / 177℃.
  • Prepare the mixing bowl: In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup dark brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, and 2 tablespoons malted milk powder together.
  • Brown the butter: In a small saucepan, melt 1 stick unsalted butter over medium heat. Stirring frequently, continue cooking butter as it begins to foam up considerably. Once the foam subsides, the butter should smell nutty and toasty (and appear light brown in color).
    Immediately remove the butter from the heat, then stir into the brown sugar-cardamom mixture.
  • Add the rest of the wet ingredients: Check to make sure the batter is lukewarm (if hotter, the egg may curdle, so let it cool if needed), whisk in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk for about 1 minute until mixture lightens in color and becomes thick and ribbony.
  • Add the dry ingredients: Gently fold in ½ teaspoon sea salt and ⅞ cup all-purpose flour until just combined. Fold in ⅔ cup toasted nuts (chopped) and ½ cup white chocolate (chopped).
  • Bake: Pour the batter into your parchment-lined baking pan and sprinkle with flaky salt.
    Bake for 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of your baking pan) until the blondies feel set, the top is crackly and doesn't wiggle and the sides are golden brown. The blondies will still feel slightly soft (if they feel firm, they are overdone).
    Once done, remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Gently lift up the blondies in the parchment paper and set on a wire rack to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Cut into squares and serve, or, if desired, you can place the blondies (uncut and uncovered) in the fridge for a few hours before slicing and serving for a fudgier texture.
  • Keep blondies in an airtight container at room temp for 3 days and up to a week in the fridge.

Notes

Do note that blondies in general are sweet, and the white chocolate certainly makes them sweeter. This is intentional, as it mimics the sweetness of traditional Indian desserts. If you'd like to counter the sweetness, make sure to generously top with salt and/or serve chilled.
I recommend measuring all your ingredients in advance before proceeding with this recipe so that you are ready to add the melted brown butter to the brown sugar while it's still hot. If the brown butter cools too much to room temperature before you add to the brown sugar, it can negatively impact the texture of the resulting blondies.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 198IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Smiling cook chopping vegetables.
Welcome! I'm Karishma

I founded the Home Cooking Collective, which offers a diverse collection of cozy, flavorful, small-batch recipes made from scratch. Let's cook together!

Smiling cook chopping vegetables.
Welcome! I'm Karishma

I founded the Home Cooking Collective, which offers a diverse collection of cozy, flavorful, small-batch recipes made from scratch. Let's cook together!

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