Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Blondies

I will choose a vegan blondie over a vegan brownie every single time.

Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate, love it, but I just feel like blondies are underrated and need more attention in this world.

I feel like everyone has a vegan brownie recipe. Except me. I don’t. Maybe one day I will, and that statement will be irrelevant. I don’t know. There are so many wonderful vegan brownie recipes out there, that I have never felt compelled to make my own.

Vegan blondies are another story all together. I love creating new variations of blondies and these vegan peanut butter and jelly blondies are easily a favorite.

Not just my favorite, but my kids, my husband, and anyone else I have ever shared them with!

They are gooey, chewy, buttery, and nutty. You can use any jam or jelly you or your family likes. I like raspberry. You can bake a big 9x13 pan or half the recipe and bake a smaller pan (but seriously, why would you do that?!?!?! they are too good for a half batch!) You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter, but I prefer crunchy!

I imagine, although I have not tired it, you could use sunflower butter as well if there is an allergy issue. I have baked SunButter cookies once for St. Patricks day because they turn green. The chlorophyll in the sunflower seeds reacts with the leavening and turns the baked good green. This is fun for St Patricks Day but maybe not everyday. So If you do use SunButter in this recipe and it looks like your blondies spent a little too much time at the pool this summer, don’t worry, they will still taste great. And if my chlorine/blonde/ green hair joke was lost on you, then you are one of the blessed few to never turned you hair green in middle school by swimming too much and not washing your hair enough.

These vegan blondies are fun and delicious. They are also easy to make. So that can be dangerous! I suggest going ahead and making a full batch, though. Even if you don’t want them for yourself, you will earn some real big neighbor or friend points by sharing these tasty vegan peanut butter and jelly blondies!!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups all purposes flour

• 2 cups brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• pinch of salt ( the vegan butter is normally pretty salty)

• 1 cup vegan butter, melted and cooled ( I used Earth Balance)

• 1 and 1/4 cup peanut butter, divided ( creamy or crunchy work fine)

• 3/4 cups any jelly you prefer, I used raspberry

• 2 vegan egg replacers ( I used Bobs brand) or flax eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Optional: chopped peanuts for the top. Coarse sea salt for the top.

*you can easily half this recipe and bake in an 8x8 pan instead for a 9x13 if you want a smaller batch of blondies

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In a small microwave safe bowl, heat 1/2 cup of peanut butter for a minute or so, just until it has melted. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl if using a hand mixer, add the peanut butter, brown sugar, butter, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix until well combined.

2. If using powdered egg replacer, mix according to package instructions. If using fax egg, mix 2 tablespoons ground flax with 6 tablespoons water. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes until it has a jelly like texture. Add the egg replacers and vanilla to the above ingredients and mix until combined.

3. Add the flour a little at a time and mix on low just until it’s all incorporated.

4. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, allow some paper to hang over the edges. If you do not have parchment you can prepare the pan by lightly coating in oil or vegan butter and giving the pan a dust of flour and shaking out any excess.

5. Add the batter to the pan evenly.

6. In a small bowl add the remaining 3/4 cups peanut butter. In another small bowl add the jam or jelly. If they jam is thin and spreadable already, you will not need to heat it. If not, pop the bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds or so. You just want it warm enough that it will spread easily. Do the same with the peanut butter. You just want it warm and spreadable, NOT melted!

7. Dollop peanut butter and jelly, alternating between the two over the top of the batter. Using the edge of a butter knife, drag through the top of the dollops in a swirl motion to create a marbled effect. If you wish to sprinkle added chopped peanuts or sea salt to the top, do so now.

8. Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 45 mintures to one hour, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

9. Allow the blondies to cool before cutting. Recipe yields 12 nice sized blondies. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake

Vegan Maple Pecan Blondies

Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Apricot Jam

Apricot jam is as easy as chopping dried fruit, mixing it with sugar and water, and heating it until it has tuned to jam! It is always cheaper than buying it already made and only takes about half an hour. I love apricot jam in hamantaschen cookies, on toast, or as a cake filling. It also works well to sweeten sauces when making things like stir fry, and makes a great addition to a vegan cheese board. With so many uses, and with it taking so little time to whip up a batch of this deliciously easy jam, what are you waiting for?

INGREDIETS:

• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 cups water

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• pinch of salt

INSTRUCTION:

1. Chop the apricots as finely as you can get them with a good, sharp knife.

2. Add the apricots, and remaining ingredients to a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat.

3. Once the water begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low.

4. Allow the mixture to simmer for around 30 minutes, stirring regularly. The Apricots will begin to break down, the liquid will cook out, and you should begin to get a thick, and sticky jam that will stick to the back of a spoon without sliding off.

5. Once the jam thickened, transfer to a mason jar and store in the fridge for several weeks.