In the past, I always chose brownies over blondies. I thought blondies were too plain. However, I realized blondies could be a great vehicle for rich, nutty, umami flavors once I tried Molly Yeh’s olive oil blondies and Ree Drummond’s blondies. And anytime I think of umami, I always think of kinako. Kinako is a roasted soybean flour that tastes similar to peanut butter. Every time I add kinako to a recipe, I think it’s the new best thing I ever made. My recipe for kinako brown sugar blondies is a mix of Molly Yeh and Ree Drummond’s recipes, with some kinako substitution. It’s got a buttery, toasty umami flavor, and it’s super easy to make.
Because this recipe uses melted butter, there’s no waiting for butter to soften. Just mix dry and wet ingredients separately and then combine. If you want to go dairy free, you can substitute a cup of olive oil for the butter.
I topped my blondies with a basic vanilla frosting and sprinkles just to make it look fun. But honestly, I think it might taste better just plain. Chocolate frosting would complement the kinako flavor well too.
Hope you give these kinako brown sugar blondies a try!
Kinako Brown Sugar Blondies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, melted (1 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup kinako (roasted soybean powder)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease and/or line an 8 inch square pan.
- Mix dry ingredients (flour, kinako, baking powder, salt, sugar) and wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla, melted butter) separately.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.
- Pour into your prepared 8 inch pan and smooth out the top. Bake until the middle is set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, around 35-45 minutes.
- Optional: Let blondies cool, top with your favorite frosting and pour sprinkles on top as desired.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Asian ingredients I use, check out my food glossary. And if you’re loving kinako as much as me, try my kinako brioche donuts!