Recipe: Lightened Up Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies (Gluten Free!)

I know I told you in my last post that I'm definitely a chocolate lover - but there's another food that's always vying for the top spot... peanut butter. 

I have always been a peanut butter lover. So much so that my family joke my future children will be allergic to peanuts and I'll have to trade them on the black market for non-allergic children because I couldn't live without peanut butter. 

But luckily I'm not that mean and I'd simply have my own peanut butter eating shed outside instead with a decontamination shower. But I do love peanut butter.

I literally try to put peanut butter or peanut anything on every single food you could imagine. 

Peanut butter sandwiches? Love them. 

Peanut butter toast? Devoured. 

Peanut butter on carrots? Heaven. 

Peanut butter and apples? Brilliant. 

Peanut butter in stir fries? Genius.
Peanut butter in frostings? Divine. 

Peanut butter and chocolate? Delicious.
Peanut butter by the spoonful? Only when you're not looking...

So naturally, I'm always trying to add peanut butter to my latest recipe concoctions. 

A few weekends ago I really wanted something delicious. See how open ended that desire is? I could have made cupcakes or brownies or cookies or raw bites or chocolate truffles or a beautiful cake, but really, I was too lazy for all of those things.

What I really wanted was something easy - and delicious. I wanted to use just one bowl, just one pan and I didn't want to have to do anything other than slice and devour. Layers weren't happening, frosting wasn't cool and I was not washing my food processor for anything. 

So I went with the mixer. Why? Because I can stick it in the dishwasher and the tiny robots inside clean my dishes whilst I stuff my face. Lazy girl repping. 

When I got to the mixer I first thought about making cookies - but then I remembered that cookies have to be divided and that was not a part of my lazy girl plan. I ummed and ahhed for a while and decided on blondies. 

Jesse had no idea what blondies were - and preceeded to look at me like I had three heads when I told him "blondies are like brownies but not because they're not brown... they're like brownies without the cocoa.." (and I can't really blame him for that). 

I got that look of "errrrrrr, have you completely lost your mind or are you about to make the most amazing thing in the world?" so I promised a success and got to work (whilst praying I wouldn't end up with a total flop on my hands). 

Luckily, I ended up with the most amazing blondies ever. They're soft with chewy edges and delicious soft bursts of chocolate from the chocolate chips. They're filled with just the right amount of peanut butter flavour and even my fussy sister loved them (queue the angels' rejoicing!) - and now Jesse is definitely on team blondie. 

So now I have to share the recipe with you! >> 

Lightened Up Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies Recipe

makes 16 small squares or 12 medium sized pieces

low fat, lower sugar, gluten free, refined sugar free, clean eating friendly

1/2 cup (120g) peanut butter* (smooth or crunchy) 

3 tbsp (45g) butter 

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (75g) coconut sugar or brown sugar **

3 tbsp (45g) unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 cup (120g) gluten free plain flour***

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt 

~1/3 cup chocolate chips (use more/less depending on how much you want!) 

• Preheat your oven to 180C/355F
• Grease and/or line an 8" tin and set aside.
• In a mixer, beat your peanut butter, butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides to ensure everything is incorporated. 
• Add in your applesauce, eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth and scraping the sides to ensure everything is mixed through.
• Add in your flour, baking powder and salt and mix on low until incorporated.
• Stir through your chocolate chips and spoon your mixture into your prepared tin, smoothing out the top to ensure it's spread out evenly and sprinkling with extra choc chips if desired.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your blondies, or until your edges are firm and a skewer inserted into the centre removes clean. 
• Allow to cool before slicing into pieces and serving!
• These blondies will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days or will keep in the freezer in an airtight ziplock bag for months!

*You can also use almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter for a peanut/nut free version. 

**If you like things sweeter, use 1/2 cup sugar instead.

***We've also used half gluten free oat flour and half gluten free plain flour. If you're not gluten free, you can also use half wholewheat/half plain. 

But tell me, what food usually sits on your "top spot"? 

And what's your weirdest food combination?

As weird as I am, nothing will ever top nutella and goat cheese sandwiches.