Sourdough Discard Gingerbread Blondies
These brown butter sourdough discard gingerbread blondies are chewy and packed with the perfect amount of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg! Topped with a drizzle of white chocolate, they make the best Christmas treat!
Oh my goodness, these gingerbread blondies are awesome! If you’re heading to a holiday potluck or a Christmas party, or just feel like baking something other than cookies, these blondies are IT!
The meld of the molasses with ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg is peak holiday flavor! I felt that these sourdough blondies needed some sort of added decoration, so the white chocolate drizzle was a last-minute addition that worked beautifully.
The secret ingredient in this recipe is the browned butter! I did quite a bit of recipe testing and tried both melting the butter and browning it. Of course, the browned butter won!
It adds a nutty and caramel flavor, but more than that, it removes excess liquid which is helpful since we are already adding liquid with the sourdough discard.
Looking for more sourdough discard goodies?
- Sourdough Discard Chocolate Cupcakes
- Sourdough Discard Cheesy Garlic Bombs
- Sourdough Discard Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins
- Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- browned butter – This makes all the difference in these blondies! The caramel and nutty flavor that browned butter provides complements the sweet spices beautifully.
- molasses – Make sure you use mild-flavored molasses, *not* blackstrap molasses!
- brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar here. Dark brown sugar will add a richer, deeper flavor, but either works well!
- egg and egg yolk – This is important! As I said above, we are looking to reduce some excess liquid, which is why we removed one of the egg whites in this recipe. Adding only an extra yoke also makes the blondies chewier.
- sourdough discard – I used unfed sourdough discard. Alternatively, you can add fed, active sourdough starter.
- vanilla extract – What’s a baked good without vanilla extract? I wouldn’t know. Okay, except for my almond coffee cake. 😉
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon – This complements the ginger and nutmeg beautifully.
- ground ginger – Perfect to go along with the cinnamon and nutmeg and it *is* GINGER-bread, right?
- ground nutmeg – Just enough to sing the praises of *gingerbread*!
- salt
- vanilla-flavored white chocolate melting wafers – This is optional but totally recommended! Melt the wafers in the microwave and drizzle over the top of the blondies.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Brown the butter. Cut the butter up into tablespoon-sized cubes and melt over medium heat on the stove.
As the butter melts, it will foam and then start to bubble.
Stir or swirl the pan occasionally. You’ll notice a nutty aroma as the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown.
Once the butter reaches a warm golden-brown color, immediately take it off the heat to prevent burning.
Transfer the browned butter to a large mixing bowl.
Add the wet ingredients. Add the molasses, brown sugar, egg and egg yolk (minus the egg whites), sourdough discard, and vanilla extract. Whisk together.
Add the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 25 minutes.
The blondies are done when the edges begin to move away from the sides of the baking dish but the middle is still a bit undercooked and jiggly.
Remove from the oven and let them come to room temperature.
In the meantime, microwave the white chocolate wafers in 15-second increments, whisking each time until the white chocolate is melted and smooth.
Drizzle over the blondies. Cut into squares and serve!
Tips for Making The Best Blondies!
- Blondies should actually be a bit underbaked. So you’ll know they are ready when the edges are pulling away from the side of the pan, but the middle is still soft. The blondies will set as they sit in the pan as they cool down.
- A light metal pan works best for blondies to bake evenly.
- Let the blondies cool completely before cutting to get nice, even lines!
- Make sure not to overmix the batter. This results in a cakey blondie (still delicious, just not the classic blondie texture we’re looking for).
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter browned (see note in instructions below)
- 1/4 cup molasses mild flavored, not blackstrap
- 1 cup dark brown sugar light brown sugar is fine too
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk egg whites removed
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 ounces white chocolate vanilla melting wafers optional to drizzle over the blondies
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Brown the Butter: Cut the butter up into tablespoon-sized cubes and melt over medium heat on the stove. As the butter melts, it will foam and then start to bubble. Stir or swirl the pan occasionally. You'll notice a nutty aroma as the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown. Once the butter reaches a warm golden-brown color, remove it from the heat to prevent burning. Transfer the browned butter to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the Wet Ingredients. Add the molasses, brown sugar, egg and egg yolk (minus the egg whites), sourdough discard, and vanilla extract. Whisk together.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 22-25 minutes. The blondies are done when the edges begin to move away from the sides of the baking dish but the middle is still a bit undercooked and jiggly. Remove from the oven and let them come to room temperature.
- Melt the White Chocolate Wafers: Microwave the white chocolate wafers in 15-second increments, whisking each time until the white chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle over the blondies. Cut into squares and serve!
This is such a great holiday season sourdough blondie! Let me know what you think about them if you make the recipe!