Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies

Remember the peanut butter blondie I had at the Vegan BakeSale? I do! I can’t get it out of my head. And thus, knowing where the recipe came from, I did some tweaking and enjoyed some Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies of my very own! These are thick and rich and nobody would even guess that they’re dairy free. Seriously, you’ll want them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a big glass of almond milk… or both!

¾ cup creamy peanut butter*

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

2 Tbs. vanilla paste or extract

1/3 cup Splenda

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

1 cup flour (I use spelt flour)

¼ tsp. coarse salt for sprinkling (optional)

*For a lower calorie option, which I tried and loved, mix 1/3 cup PB2 with 3 Tbs. of water and ¼ cup natural creamy peanut butter. This drastically cuts the calories and fat while maintaining the integrity of the blondies. BUT, if you use all peanut butter, the dough may be thicker, so in the directions when it says to “pour” the batter, this step may be more of a transferring of the dough and pressing it into the pan, versus spreading it into the dish. 

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8” dish with nonstick spray.

~In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the peanut butter, almond milk, sugars, and vanilla vigorously with a fork until well combined. Then, add the salt, baking powder, and flour, and carefully stir until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle the coarse salt on top. Bake for 22-25 min or until golden and set. Let cool before slicing and serving; enjoy!

Strike up a conversation: What is your favorite way to lighten up a dessert for summertime?