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Day 1 of Cookiemas 2025
Caramel Cuts—often called blondies—are extra caramel-forward thanks to a generous amount of brown sugar.
Hi, I’m Doug. This recipe comes from my mom and was a staple of my childhood. She says it originally appeared in her Hawai’i high school cookbook. I always preferred these to brownies and would get excited whenever she made them.
Jeanelle remembers when I baked these before we started dating; she was impressed I could bake. The truth is, the recipe is simple and uses pantry-friendly ingredients. Now that we’re married, we thought Caramel Cuts would be a perfect way to kick off Cookiemas 2025.
Fair warning: this recipe uses a lot of brown sugar. The batter is very thick and can be tiring to mix by hand—so thick my mom once worried it had broken the stand mixer. It didn’t. Jeanelle is still using the same mixer twenty years later.
I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as I do.
What Are Caramel Cuts?
Caramel Cuts are a simple baked bar with a deep brown color and a caramel-like taste derived entirely from brown sugar—there’s no actual caramel in the recipe. They’re chewy and soft with slightly textured edges, not crumbly like some blondies.
For me they’re nostalgia on a plate and the first thing I learned to bake. They’ve always been a crowd-pleaser with friends and family.
Ingredients
The ingredient list is straightforward: melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract. The caramel flavor comes from the brown sugar—not caramel sauce.
The recipe works with either light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses and yields a deeper, richer flavor; the photos here use light brown sugar, but I recommend dark if you prefer a more pronounced caramel note.
How to make step-by-step
For a full ingredient list and exact measurements, see the recipe section below.
Making Caramel Cuts is simple: combine the ingredients, press into a pan, and bake until golden.
Start by mixing melted butter and brown sugar until uniform in color.
Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until everything is incorporated and smooth.
Stir in the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt—until the mixture is uniform. It will be thick; keep mixing until fully combined.
Spread the batter into a greased or parchment-lined 9″x13″ pan and bake until golden brown.
Allow to cool slightly, slice into bars, and enjoy.
FAQs
No. There’s no caramel in the recipe—the sweet, caramel-like flavor comes from brown sugar.
Yes. Dark brown sugar has more molasses and will give the bars a richer flavor.
Yes. The method is straightforward: mix the ingredients and bake—no special technique required.
Recipe
Caramel Cuts
15 mins
25 mins
40 mins
16 bars
Equipment
Method
Ingredients
- ½ cup melted butter 1 stick
- 2 cups (400g) brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Equipment
-
1 9in x 13in baking pan
Method
-
Preheat oven to 350℉.
-
Melt the butter if you haven’t already. A microwave in short bursts works well—stir as it begins to melt.
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In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and brown sugar until uniform in color.
-
Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and any clumps are broken up.
-
Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. The batter will thicken and become tough to stir by hand—just keep working it until combined.
-
Press the batter into a greased or parchment-lined 9″x13″ pan.
-
Bake at 350℉ for 25–30 minutes until golden brown. The baked bars will deflate slightly as they cool.
-
Allow to cool a bit before slicing into bars.
Tools and Equipment
Ozeri Food Scale
A food scale is helpful for precise baking because it measures weight rather than volume. Use weight measurements when they’re provided.
KitchenAid Stand Mixer
A tilt-head stand mixer makes mixing thick batters much easier and is a favorite for frequent bakers.
Diamond Kosher Salt
A reliable kosher salt is useful in most recipes; use what you prefer for consistent seasoning.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
This is the first recipe for Cookiemas 2025!
- Explore recipes from Cookiemas 2024 and Cookiemas 2023.
- Ube Crinkle Cookies — Jeanelleats’ vibrant purple cookies with a loyal following.
- Vanillekipferl — A classic European holiday cookie made with walnuts.
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies — Classic chocolate cookies rolled in powdered sugar.