These milk chocolate mocha blondies are filled with sweet chocolate and topped with a simple espresso glaze. They’re chewy, dense, and buttery without tasting overly greasy. From mixing bowl to oven in about 10 minutes, this is an easy bar dessert that packs big flavor.
In case you love to drink your coffee and eat it too, I have plenty of mocha or coffee desserts. Today’s recipe joins a handful of coffee-inspired favorites including this lovely espresso chocolate chip cake, these Baileys & coffee cupcakes, and the always lovely tiramisu.
Tell Me About These Milk Chocolate Mocha Blondies
- Texture: Sitting somewhere between a fudge-like brownie and crumbly cookie bar, these blondies are soft, chewy, and buttery all in one bite. Try one warmed in the microwave for 10-15 seconds alongside your coffee. It’s dessert divinity.
- Flavor: The blondies have 3 main flavors. In the forefront, you’ll taste sweet milk chocolate. Lots of it. After that your taste buds are hit with rich espresso flavor. Finally, you have alllllll the butter richness from the blondie base. What a trio.
- Ease: Easy like your Sunday morning coffee.
- Time: They’re thicker than a couple other blondie recipes I’ve published, so they’ll take a couple extra minutes. However, we’re still looking at a 30-35 minute bake time. After that, it’s best to wait at least 1-2 hours before cutting into squares. You can try cutting them warm, but they’ll taste pretty cakey. Give them time to settle because it will help improve their texture and flavor. (Easier to cut when cooled, too!)
Think of blondies as brown sugar brownies. They’re not cake, they’re dense. To help us achieve this special blondie texture, we use melted butter, an extra egg yolk, all brown sugar, and very little baking powder. Have you ever tried my coconut blondies? In that recipe, I spread the blondies into a large 9×13 inch pan. We’re starting with (mostly) the same recipe today, but squeezing the batter into a 9-inch square pan for thicker, denser bars. That’s how we prepare butterscotch blondies, too.
A Few Notes About These Milk Chocolate Mocha Blondies
- Use melted butter. Feel free to use brown butter if you have a couple extra minutes to spare. However with so much espresso and chocolate flavor, I felt the brown butter flavor got lost. I use 1 cup (2 sticks; 16 Tbsp) of butter in my butterscotch blondies, but reduced it down to 14 Tbsp here. With 2 full sticks, the blondies can sometimes taste greasy. Since I slightly reduced the butter, I very slightly reduced the sugar as well.
- Extra egg yolk: You need 1 whole egg + 1 extra egg yolk. The extra egg yolk promises a chewier, denser texture. Without it, the blondies taste a little dry and sandy. I know it’s a little inconvenient to have an extra egg white, but throw it into your morning egg scramble or use it as the egg wash on a pie crust.
- Add espresso powder: For concentrated coffee flavor, use espresso powder. Espresso powder isn’t simply ground coffee beans—it’s very dark and concentrated instant coffee that dissolves in warm liquid. You can find it in most major grocery stores in the coffee aisle or purchase it online. I love and usually use Ferrara brand. If you pick up a new jar, know that you’ll use it often your baking. It’s fantastic in recipes like chocolate cake because it helps bring out a rich chocolate flavor. Here are all of my recipes using espresso powder if you need ideas. You can substitute instant coffee if needed, see recipe note.
- Pick your chocolate: I originally tested this recipe with white chocolate—and the blondies were incredible—but I loved the milk chocolate version more. I used Guittard Organic Milk Chocolate Baking Wafers in the pictured blondies. Feel free to use milk chocolate chips or chopped Hershey’s bars. Instead of milk chocolate, use the same amount of white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate. Chips, chunks, or wafers. Whatever you love! You can take your pick of chocolate in these dark chocolate cranberry blondies, too. Give those a try next!
Success Tip: Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it much easier to remove the blondies before slicing and serving. I use the same tip when making rice krispie treats and M&M cookie bars, too.
Espresso Glaze
The glaze topping is optional, but I know you’ll love it. Honestly, glaze always looks and tastes fancy on cookies and bars, but takes 2 minutes to make. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder in 1 Tablespoon warm water. Mix this extra concentrated espresso with confectioners’ sugar and a little milk or cream.
When drizzled on lightly, the espresso glaze will eventually set, making these bars easy to stack, store, and transport if needed.
*Totally acceptable for breakfast.*
More Bar Desserts
- Scotcheroos
- Peanut Butter Blondies
- Mocha Cheesecake Brownies
- Salted Caramel Turtle Brownies
- Pecan Pie Bars
Milk Chocolate Mocha Blondies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 16 blondies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These milk chocolate mocha blondies are extra flavorful with espresso powder, butter, brown sugar, milk chocolate, and a hefty dose of vanilla extract. Add an extra egg yolk for the best texture. Review recipe notes before beginning.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 14 Tablespoons (196g) unsalted butter, melted + slightly cooled (see note)
- 3 or 4 teaspoons espresso powder (see note)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (1 heaping cup) milk chocolate (discs, chopped bars, or chips)
Espresso Glaze
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 Tablespoon warm water
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-inch square pan or line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished blondies out (makes cutting easier). Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and espresso powder together. Whisk in the brown sugar until combined, then whisk in the egg, extra egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk or stir until combined. Batter is pretty heavy and thick, so I usually use a silicone spatula. Fold in the chocolate.
- Evenly spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out *mostly* clean. A couple moist crumbs are ok, as long as it’s not wet. Remove from the oven and cool blondies completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Make the glaze: Using a fork, mix the espresso powder and warm water together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar and milk/cream. For thinner glaze, whisk in more milk/cream. For thicker glaze, whisk in more confectioners’ sugar.
- Drizzle over cooled blondies. Lift the blondies out using the parchment paper overhang on the sides. Cut into squares.
- Cover and store leftover blondies (with glaze) at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. Blondies without glaze are fine covered at room temperature for a week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: It’s easiest to freeze the bars without the glaze topping, then glaze before serving. To freeze, cool blondies completely. Cut into squares and layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before glazing and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Pan | Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula
- Butter: You need 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp of butter. I typically use 1 cup (16 Tbsp) in my blondies, but reduced it down to 14 Tbsp here. With 1 cup, the blondies can sometimes taste greasy.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder is like instant espresso. You can find it in the coffee aisle or purchase it online. Use it in both the blondie batter and glaze. Use 4 teaspoons (recommended) in the blondie batter for rich coffee flavor or 3 teaspoons (1 Tablespoon) for a milder flavor. You can substitute instant coffee granules (not ground coffee) if needed. If using instant coffee, I recommend using 4 and 1/2 teaspoons in the blondie batter and for the glaze, use 1 teaspoon dissolved in 1 Tablespoon warm water.
- Milk Chocolate: I used Guittard Organic Milk Chocolate Baking Wafers in the pictured blondies. I found them at my regular grocery store. Feel free to use milk chocolate chips or chopped Hershey’s bars. Instead of milk chocolate, use the same amount of white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate. Chips, chunks, wafers, or 2 chopped 4-ounce bars.
- Best Pan to Use: A 9-inch square pan is best. An 8-inch square pan is a little too small. You can spread the batter into a 9×13-inch pan for thinner blondies. Do your best to spread the batter to each edge of the pan. Bake time is around 28-30 minutes.
I love how trustworthy your recipes are. These are so good. Your blondies recipes never fail me.
These were outstanding!!! I love everything about coffee and chocolate AND I love chocolate chip cookies and bars. This was seriously the most perfect dessert, impossible to stop eating!
If anyone is interested in a small-batch version, I halved everything except for the egg (I used a whole egg) and the baking powder (which I omitted entirely). Baked in a loaf pan for 20-25 min. I haven’t made the original to speak to textural changes, but the half-recipe was very good (and means I won’t gain a million pounds over the next week, haha).
Hi! Were these tested with light or dark brown sugar? Thank you!
Hi Carolyn, I tested these with light brown sugar but you can use dark brown sugar instead. I use dark brown sugar in a similar blondie recipe. Works great.
This recipe is absolutely FANTASTIC! Honestly, it saved my Thanksgiving dessert. I was trying to make a pie and it was a disaster. I needed a new dessert and remembered how delicious this recipe sounded. It was super easy and absolutely DELICIOUS! I used 2 3/4 tsp of espresso powder and Hershey’s milk chocolate. Wonderful! Would recommend everyone make this recipe! Thanks for saving my Thanksgiving Sally 🙂
Thrilled these blondies were a Thanksgiving hit, Amanda!
Sally!!!!! These are fan FREAKIN’ tastic!!!! It’s been a dry baking season here with the pandemic and everything….I can’t do my usual charity baking, nor can I give goodies to the teachers at my son’s school. Tonight I caved, and made these for my older son to celebrate the end of his first college semester and give him a little pick me up….he’s a front line worker. These are unbelievably awesome! (Let’s just hope there are some left when he comes over for lunch after his last final tomorrow!) And a confession….my dishwasher broke a couple days ago, so lazy me did everything in one bowl, adding the dry ingredients to the wet. Worked out just fine….more than fine, actually! Thanks for the fabulous recipe, and I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving. Looking forward to cookie week and sending good wishes/gratitude from Boston!
OMG these are insane one of the BEST blondies I have ever had. I used instant coffee instead of espresso powder because I was too lazy to go out and buy some and it’s really good! The coffee flavour might not be AS strong as espresso powder but my boyfriend isn’t a huge fan of coffee anyways so maybe it’s an upside!! Besides that… WOW amazing. Thank you!!!
These blondies are sooo good! A perfect blend of flavors and great with a cup of coffee. I also like that they go together pretty quickly!
Would it work to double the recipe and put it in a 9X13 or would making 2 batches be better?
Thanks!
Hi Judy, so glad you enjoyed these mocha blondies. You can spread the batter into a 9×13 inch pan for thinner blondies. Do your best to spread the batter to each edge of the pan. Bake time is around 28-30 minutes. For a thicker 9×13 inch pan of blondies, you can 1.5x the recipe. I don’t recommend doubling it for that size pan.
Hi Sally and Team! I have made so many of your recipes this past year, and they are always phenomenal! These blondies are out of this world — everyone was raving about them, and my family of 4 devoured them within a day. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us, and bringing so many families together with the shared love of baked goods. All the best to you and yours this Thanksgiving!
SO GOOD. These are absolutely bonkers. Easy to put together and we devoured them. They are especially tasty with coffee!
So excited to try this recipe, thanks for posting it! Quick question – I don’t have espresso powder but I do have an espresso machine, so I was wondering if I could somehow substitute fresh espresso in the recipe?
We haven’t tested brewed espresso in the blondies, but you can definitely use it instead of water for the glaze. Let us know what you try!
I live in Denver, is there an adjustment for high altitude?
Hi Ellen, I wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. I know some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Hello
Can we replace the all purpose flour with oats flour in this recipe?? Also should we add the browned butter warm or at room temperature?
Thanks a lot
I don’t recommend using oats instead of flour. If using brown butter, it can be slightly warm but you don’t want it hot enough to accidentally cook the egg.
Hi Sally, I think i done something wrong. It’s turned out like really soft cookies. Is that how it’s meant to be ?
Hi Shaila, They should be soft and chewy, somewhere between a brownie and a cookie bar. Did you happen to make any ingredient substitutions or changes to the recipe?
I didn’t put the espresso powder in. I’ve never made bloodies before, so was unsure of the texture. They still tasted good though. I’ll try them again
1 Tablespoon of vanilla? I’m curious as to why so much. I’m running low on what I have in the house!
Hi JoAnn, for flavor. Feel free to reduce down to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons if you’d like.
I made them yesterday. The taste is unique and delicious!
Hi Sally, I have tried this recipe and it turns out amazing! I would say that this tastes and smells like caramel macchiato of Starbucks, which I like very much. However, I do feel this recipe uses a lot of butter and sugar, and turns out its too sweet for my liking. Do you have any recommendation on how to decrease the level of sweetness and make it ‘healthier’ by using less butter?
Thankyou!
Hi Michelle, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! I already decreased the butter and sugar in this blondie recipe, compared to my others, so I wouldn’t recommend decreasing either by much. If you do give it a try, know that the taste and texture will change. Did you use the glaze? You can always leave that off to reduce a bit of the sweetness 🙂 Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Hello! I am looking forward to trying this recipe (as every SINGLE recipe I have tried from your website has been nothing short of absolutely perfect!), and I was wondering whether you think I could double this recipe to fit in a 13×10 pan and, if so, what you think the baking time would be?
Hi Sara, doubling this recipe would yield a little too much batter for that size pan. I recommend 1.5x it instead. Unfortunately I’m unsure of the exact bake time, but keep your eye on it.
Hey Sally! I seem to always fail at making blondies!! For some reason they always end up greasy and uncooked in the middle. But I cook them for 40 plus minutes
All ovens are slightly different so don’t be alarmed if yours takes longer. You can loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to keep the tops from browning if you need to bake it longer. We always recommend using an inexpensive oven thermometer. You can see #7 in these Top 10 Baking Tips for details. Other things that can change the bake time are the pan you use (glass can take longer than metal, etc), and if you are using convection settings instead of conventional settings.
Sally, these were AMAZING! I made them after work and they were super easy. Thanks again for another wonderful recipe. I’ve had so much fun trying your recipes since I’ve found your site! They never disappoint.
Yesterday I made this recipe animated by ease, above all, and because I adore mocha. I wasn’t very convinced when I put it in the oven. But the smell it gave off as it baked was incredible. I made the frosting. And when I tried this delicacy … I closed my eyes to savor! Today I have returned to take another piece and it is spectacular. It is a wonderful Blondie that I will do many more times. Thank you for your recipes and for discovering amazing flavors.
Sorry about my English, but the translation is from the Google translator.
A hug from Galicia, Spain.
Im on diet and im gonna make this blondies on my cheat day. So excited!
Sally this was amazing!!! It tastes so similar to Milk Bar’s crack pie!! So fudgy, full of flavour, deliciously chewy… I think I have a new favourite breakfast/dessert ☺️
These were incredible! I used all 4 teaspoons of espresso powder and they had great flavor. I believe I used the same brand that you do. Thanks Sally! This is a keeper!
These are wonderful!
I used 4t. espresso powder as recommended, with dark chocolate discs. I used my glass 7 x 11 pan and timing was the same. These will be frozen so I didn’t glaze them and they were fabulous! Since I used dark chocolate they weren’t too sweet.
So much better than regular ol’ brownies!
Hi Sally, I love all of your recipes that I have tried and there have been alot. I look forward to your Christmas round of cookies. When using Expresso powder, do I first dissolve it in water before adding it or just add the powder as is. I tried to research this on line and don’t see a direct response. I think I just add the powder directly to the recipe without dissolving it first but wanted to confirm. Also love all the recipes in your cookbook Sally’s Baking Addiction… have made so many of the recipes during this pandemic and received a ton of complements so thank you for sharing your gift with us. Now I know I need to purchase your other two books..
Hi Bernice, what a thoughtful comment. Thank you so much for taking the time to write! Which recipes in Sally’s Baking Addiction cookbook are your favorites so far? I love the apple bread (1st recipe in the book). Anyway, no need to dissolve the espresso powder in liquid first for the blondie batter– just add it as a dry powder right from the jar. You do, however, need to mix it with a little water for the glaze but that’s worked into the recipe directions.
OMG Yes… Brown Sugar Glazed Apple Bread ( one of my nephew’s favorites too), the glazed lemon loaf, jumbo blueberry streusel muffins, Fudge ripple monster bars.. I am typically not a fan of oatmeal raisin cookies but yours are wonderful. My sister-in-law said they were bakery worthy… just delicious.
I could go on and on… but will stop there.. Thank you again.
I use King Arthur brand espresso powder, which is pretty strong. Would you recommend using the amount specified in the recipe, or a little less?
Hi Linda, I use a pretty strong espresso powder as well. You may want to reduce to 2 and 3/4 teaspoons or use 3 teaspoons. You certainly don’t want the flavor to be overpowering and bitter.
What can be used to replace the espresso powder? My family doesn’t drink coffee.
Hi Alexis, you can just leave it out. Add another Tbsp of milk/cream to the glaze and maybe a little vanilla extract, too. Or you can try my dark chocolate coconut blondies or butterscotch blondies.
I would definitely like to make this recipe, however, my grandchildren would not like the coffee flavor. Can I just eliminate the espresso powder?
Hi Ann, you can just leave it out. Add another Tbsp of milk/cream to the glaze and maybe a little vanilla extract, too. Or you can try my dark chocolate coconut blondies or butterscotch blondies.
I haven’t tried it yet but just looking at it, it’s 5 ***** for me. I am a huge fan of your dark chocolate coconut blondies, so I am certain this will be ab-so-lutely delicious, cannot wait to try it this weekend plus it will be great for Christmas too
Do you think almond flour will work well with this recipe instead of all purpose flour?
Thanks Abby! I haven’t tested it, but I have a feeling they’d taste pretty greasy. You may want to adjust the wet ingredients. For best results, I recommend following the recipe as written. Here are all of my gluten free recipes if you want to browse them.
Hi Sally, this recipe looks delicious! Any tips on scaling down the serving size?
Hi Emily, though I haven’t tested it, you could try halving the recipe for an 8-inch pan of thin blondies. Or even a 9×5 inch pan. I’m unsure of the best bake times for smaller sizes though.