DIY Bakery Recipe #4: Chewy Blondie Bars

A few months ago, I listened to a podcast interview with Adeena Sussman- a cookbook author who recently published a book of recipes inspired by Israeli cuisine. In the interview, Adeena said her chewy tahini blondies were one of the book’s most popular recipes. Recalling some excellent tahini pastries I had in Tel Aviv, I immediately made them.

Her blondies were moist, had the perfect chewy texture, and hit just the right mix of sweet and savory (due to the tahini), which inspired me to search the internet for a gluten-free recipe that was similar. I tested almost ten, but none of them quite matched the texture of Adeena’s. Thus, I decided to modify her version to make it gluten and sugar-free, and the eventual product was delicious. I highly recommend this recipe for people who love the taste of seeds and nuts- as the flavor of the tahini (or cashew butter) is front and center. 

These blondies are the last installment of the DIY Healthy Bakery project, so this recipe can be made with just a few simple, nourishing ingredients! If you haven’t tried the other recipes (scones, chocolate chip cookies, and savory bread), what are you waiting for?

The Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Liberally grease an 8-inch square baking pan with coconut oil or cover with parchment paper.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the lemon juice, Monkfruit sweetener or maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just mixed.

4. Fold in the tahini or cashew butter until the whole mixture is smooth. 

5. Mix in 1/2 the chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds (if using).

6. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips. If using, sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sesame seeds on top as well. 

7. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the outside is golden and the center no longer jiggles when you shake the pan back and forth a little (though the center may still be soft). Allow to cool in the pan for at least an hour before slicing into squares. 

8. Store at room temperature or in the fridge (these taste great cold!)

The Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan

  1. 1 1/4 cups almond flour

  2. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  3. 1/2 teaspoon Kosher or Himalayan pink sea salt

  4. 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

  5. 1 cup Monkfruit sweetener*

  6. 2 large eggs

  7. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  8. 1/2 cup creamy tahini or cashew butter 

  9. 1/4 cup chocolate chips 

  10. 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds (optional), divided

  * You can replace this with 3/4 cup maple syrup, but if so, reduce the coconut oil to 1/3 cup. I recommend using granulated Monkfruit if possible, however, to get the best texture. If you do not have it or don’t like the taste, replacing the Monkfruit with coconut sugar is another good option.