The Holidays won’t be complete without baking the ultimate fun cookies and desserts like this buttery Christmas blondies. It is loaded with dried cranberries, apricots, walnuts and chocolate. You can feed a crowd with a batch of this sweet treat. Wrap it with a pretty bow and it’s perfect to give to friends and neighbors, or as hostess gift.
All the flavors of Christmas are in these squares of deliciousness. Fresh orange zest and juice are the secret ingredients here. It blends well with the chocolate, nuts and fruit. When using walnuts, pick through it before chopping. Get rid of flat and dark-looking walnuts as they might be dry or rancid. Chop the walnuts and dried apricots roughly to about a quarter of an inch size. Leave the butter on the counter the night before to soften it and get it to room temperature. The eggs can be taken out of the fridge thirty minutes before mixing the ingredients.
Make the Blondies
I start with preheating the oven to 350F degrees. Butter the bottom and all sides of a 9 x 12 x 2 baking pan. Cream the butter and both sugars together using a stand mixer or hand mixer. Next, mix in the orange zest and juice. Then add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula. 
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this flour mixture slowly to the butter mixture, beating at low speed after each addition. I do this in three batches. scrape the sides and mix again. Now it’s time to stir in the walnuts, cranberries and apricots. Spread the batter into the buttered baking pan level the top. Bake the blondies in the preheated oven (in the middle rack) at 350F degrees for 30 minutes. When it’s done let it cool completely in the pan on a rack before slicing. It cuts well when it’s cold.
Try baking these blondies this holiday season and I’m sure it will be a keeper. Enjoy it with tea or coffee, or even hot chocolate.
Print Recipe
Christmas Blondies with Fruit, Nuts, and Chocolate
These buttery blondies are full of Christmas flavors, loaded with fruit, nuts and chocolate.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter + more for greasing softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 zest of 1 orange
- 1 juice of 1/2 orange about 2 Tbsp
- 3/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 cup dried apricots chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter + more for greasing softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 zest of 1 orange
- 1 juice of 1/2 orange about 2 Tbsp
- 3/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 cup dried apricots chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Butter a 12 x 9 x 2 baking pan. Cream together softened butter and both sugars using a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed.
Add in the orange zest, orange juice and 1 egg. Mix together and scrape the sides with a rubber spatula. Add in the second egg and mix again until well combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this flour mixture slowly to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed. Do this in 3 batches, scraping the sides once.
Stir in the walnuts, dried cranberries, dried apricots and chocolate chips. Spread the batter into the buttered baking pan and level the top.
Bake the blondies in preheated oven at 350F degrees in the middle rack for 30 minutes. When it’s done, let it cool completely in the pan placed on a rack. The blondies slice better when cold. Before serving, dust the top lightly with powdered sugar.
