Fresh local strawberries are in season and are the star ingredient in these blondie bars which make a delicious dessert for your 4th of July celebration! They were a big crowd pleaser last year and are sure to delight your friends and family too. I have also listed some alternative ingredients to accommodate vegan and gluten-free dietary needs.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup melted butter or Earth Balance
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (can sub with Sucanat, maple or date sugar)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs or equivalent using a natural egg replacer
- 1 cup organic white unbleached whole wheat flour (can sub with gluten-free flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup diced organic strawberries
- 1/4 cup white or dark chocolate chips (can sub with carob or vegan chocolate chips – or blueberries for a more patriotic effect!)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a strip of parchment paper, line the bottom and two sides of an 8 X 8 inch baking pan. Set aside.
- Combine the melted butter and sugar in a bowl. Add the pure vanilla extract and the egg or egg replacer. Whisk until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder.
- Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Note: the batter will be quite thick. If the mixture appears a little too thick, add another tablespoon of water.
- Gently fold in the chopped strawberries and vegan chocolate chips. Spread batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the blondies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a tooth pick inserted in the middle yields moist crumbs.
- Remove blondies from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove blondies from pan using parchment paper and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Once cool, cut blondies into squares.
These bars are delicious served warm with a scoop of ice cream or at room temperature with a cold glass of iced tea! Enjoy!