Cinnamon Walnut Blondies (whole grain, dairy-free)

These 100% whole grain walnut blondies are a bit gooey, chewy and full of cinnamon! With a dairy-free option.

I shared the link to my upside down apple honey cake in a recipe sharing group on Facebook and just got this comment (from someone who doesn’t follow me): “Sounds great, but I got bored getting to the real recipe.” Lol. People crack me up. I’m sorry if I’m boring anyone by talking about what works and doesn’t work with the recipes. And here I thought I was being helpful. ;) I seem to be very lucky that my readers don’t leave me these kind of comments. So thank you, readers! I sure do appreciate it.

Cinnamon Walnut Blondies {100% whole grain, dairy-free}

I wanted these walnut blondies to actually be maple walnut blondies but I suppose when you add so much cinnamon, it overpowers the maple flavor. But that’s okay because they were still awesome. I brought these blondies and some regular chocolate brownies to a small get-together recently and people kept coming back for the blondies. I was kind of sad for the chocolate brownies but I just kept telling myself that people were feeling the warm, cozy flavors of the walnut blondies!

You’ll probably want to chop the walnuts a little finer than what you see in the pictures. The smaller they are, the easier the blondies are to cut.

Cinnamon Walnut Blondies {100% whole grain, dairy-free}

And definitely be sure to toast the walnuts a little bit first! That really brings out the nutty flavor. I admit that it adds an extra step, which can be annoying, but it’s worth it. Don’t have walnuts? I bet these blondies would be great with pecans!

These walnut blondies are a bit ugly without something on top so I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar over the batter. I love the little crunch it adds! Chocolate chips would also be nice.

Summertime and don’t feel like baking? This black walnut ice cream looks fantastic!

I hope you’ll enjoy the blondies! Happy baking. And for another cinnamony treat, check out these snickerdoodles without cream of tartar! These cinnamon cookies also look wonderful.

Gooey Cinnamon Walnut Blondies {100% whole grain, dairy-free}

Cinnamon Walnut Blondies (100% whole grain, dairy-free)

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Rated 4.8 by 4 readers
Cinnamon Walnut Blondies (whole grain, dairy-free)
  • Prep Time:
  • Cook Time:
  • Ready in:
  • Yield: 16 blondies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (132 grams) whole spelt or whole wheat flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted1
  • 2/3 cup (133 grams) light brown sugar or raw sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 cup (110 grams) chopped walnuts
  • Cinnamon sugar topping:

  • 1 tablespoon granulated or raw sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8"x8" (20cmx20cm) pan with parchment paper.
  2. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 5-8 minutes or until they smell toasty. Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour through salt). Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla until well combined.
  5. Beat in the egg, just until combined.
  6. Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir just until almost combined.
  7. Chop the walnuts (to about 1/4" pieces). Fold the walnuts into the batter, just until combined.
  8. Pour into the prepared pan.
  9. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
  10. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the topping is firm and a toothpick inserted 1" from the edges come out clean. They will still appear a bit gooey.
  11. Let cool for 10 minutes and then serve.
  12. Let cool completely and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Notes

  1. I used refined coconut oil, which doesn't have any coconut taste. If you use unrefined coconut oil in this cake, it will likely have some coconut taste to it.
  • Use coconut oil for a dairy-free version.

Recipe by  | www.texanerin.com

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62 comments on “Cinnamon Walnut Blondies (whole grain, dairy-free)” — Add one!

  • Miriam udy says
    May 17, 2018 @ 3:31 am

    Hey, this recipe looks amazing. I cannot have maple syrup though. Can I just omit that?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Miriam udy
      May 17, 2018 @ 4:13 pm

      Hi again. :) You can’t just omit it because it adds liquid to the recipe that’s needed. Can you use honey? Any other liquid sweetener should do!

      Reply
  • Kimberly Schmale says
    January 28, 2018 @ 7:19 pm

    Hi Erin
    Can you use coconut sugar or maple syrup in this recipe instead of raw sugar or brown sugar?

    Thanks!
    Kim

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Kimberly Schmale
      January 28, 2018 @ 9:37 pm

      Hi there! Coconut sugar would work fine but not maple syrup or another type of liquid sweetener. Hope you’ll enjoy the blondies. :)

      Reply
      • Kimberly schmale replies to Erin
        January 28, 2018 @ 11:43 pm

        I tried coconut sugar and they were great. Thanks for the amazing recipes!

        Reply
        • Erin replies to Kimberly schmale
          January 30, 2018 @ 7:42 pm

          I’m so happy that they came out well! Thanks for letting me know. :)

  • Christine says
    March 24, 2017 @ 4:30 pm

    I’m intrigued !! Has anyone tried this with plain white all purpose flour. I only ask cause I’m currently out of my whole wheat blend. TIA

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Christine
      March 24, 2017 @ 9:52 pm

      I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure they’d work. I’d love to hear how they come out!

      Reply
  • Christine says
    March 24, 2017 @ 4:29 pm

    I’m intrigued ! Has anyone tried this with plain white all purpose flour? I only ask cause I’m out of my whole wheat blend. TIA

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Christine
      March 25, 2017 @ 10:10 pm

      I haven’t tried but I’m pretty sure that’d work. :)

      Reply
  • Lisa
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    February 1, 2016 @ 2:15 am

    Made these today. They are quite tasty. However they are rather flat – literally. There is no leavening. They also come out a bit crumbly. I felt that although good, not worthy of company as they wouldn’t look very nice. My husband felt otherwise.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Lisa
      February 1, 2016 @ 10:59 am

      I’m sorry you didn’t find them to look so nice! I’ve made these with and without leavening and I personally prefer the gooey and dense texture of the leavener-free version. But mine weren’t at all crumbly. Did you make any subs to the recipe? I’m happy that your husband enjoyed them. :)

      Reply
  • Kelly says
    October 2, 2015 @ 6:21 pm

    My comment on the ‘bored reader’ is that they must not be a true baker. Any true baker is interested in the ins and outs of all recipes. You tested something and it didn’t work for you. They may do the same thing and it not work for them either and if they had just read the blog, they would have known. And what are blogs for anyways!?!
    Recipe sounds great to me but I am out of walnuts (not a huge walnut fan but love pecans) so I might sub pecans.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Kelly
      October 3, 2015 @ 9:18 pm

      Thanks for your nice comment, Kelly! I agree with you. I actually like reading about the recipe process and what worked and didn’t work when I read other blogs! If I’m not in the mood for that, I can go to All Recipes. ;) I think these blondies would be great with pecans! I hope you’ll enjoy them if you try them. :)

      Reply
      • Kelly replies to Erin
        October 5, 2015 @ 9:02 pm

        I made them but I didn’t have the pecans that I thought I had so they were going to be plain and then I realized I had butterscotch chips. So I added those instead and they were AWESOME! With my first bite I thought the cinnamon was going to overpower the brownies but after second bite, I was definitely hooked! Thanks for a great blondie recipe. They are the best.

        Reply
        • Erin replies to Kelly
          October 7, 2015 @ 9:02 pm

          Yum! I bet these are amazing with butterscotch chips. I have some of those around so I’ll have to try that! Thanks so much for your feedback. :) I’m so happy that you enjoyed them!

  • Amanda @ The Kitcheneer says
    September 28, 2015 @ 8:47 pm

    Geez some people. Just scroll on down! And btw, my mouth is watering over these blondies. I seriously need a napkin over here

    Reply
  • Colleen (Souffle Bombay) says
    September 28, 2015 @ 4:15 pm

    These are gorgeous…You know since my kids are both allergic to nuts…I have kind of forgotten about so many ways I can enjoy them. Now that they are getting older and can be trusted to be careful about what they eat/touch when it comes to food. I can get back to enjoying some of what I’ve been missing and I think I will start with your blondies! Mmmm!

    Reply
  • Melissa from Hungry Food Love says
    September 28, 2015 @ 1:34 pm

    The look so moist! and I love any dessert with a walnut crunch!

    Reply
  • Gemma
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    says
    September 27, 2015 @ 11:55 pm

    These blondies look SO so good! I love cinnamon so much and haven’t baked blondies in ages…so no excuses! Time to turn on the oven and make your cute blondies. :-)

    xo

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Gemma
      September 30, 2015 @ 1:02 pm

      Haha. Well you do have cinnamon in your name! ;)

      Reply
  • Maris (In Good Taste) says
    September 27, 2015 @ 8:36 pm

    I always love a healthy sweet treat!

    Reply
  • Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
    September 27, 2015 @ 8:29 pm

    I am in love with blondies! These look perfect for fall!

    Reply
  • Heather | girlichef says
    September 26, 2015 @ 4:06 pm

    LOL, I had to giggle. Some people want the recipe, the whole recipe, nothing but the recipe! Hey, that’s what the scroll bar is for. ;) These look absolutely amazing. I do love a good brownie, but I can see how these would be the “favorite sister”.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Heather | girlichef
      September 26, 2015 @ 11:20 pm

      Haha. Thanks, Heather! That’s what gets me. People just have to scroll! Such an easy thing to do. :)

      Reply
  • Cookin Canuck says
    September 26, 2015 @ 5:51 am

    You are on a roll with gorgeous autumnal desserts. I’m trying to imagine the taste of cinnamon walnut blondies and already starting salivate.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Cookin Canuck
      September 26, 2015 @ 11:18 pm

      Thanks, Dara! I’m definitely feeling all things apple, cinnamon, maple and nut butters. :D

      Reply
  • Tawny
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    says
    September 26, 2015 @ 3:08 am

    One of my favorite things about your blog, besides that the recipes turn out delicious, is your commentary! People say dumb things sometimes so I hope you stay the same and keep making yummy recipes with good commentary :)

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Tawny
      September 26, 2015 @ 11:18 pm

      What a nice thing to say! Thank you so much. :) I will definitely keep writing about the recipes in my posts. I wouldn’t know what else to write about. ;) I know I always like to read tips about what works and what doesn’t when I read blog posts, so I’ll continue doing that. Thanks again for your nice comment!

      Reply
  • Lana | Never Enough Thyme says
    September 26, 2015 @ 2:39 am

    I really like the flavors in these blondies! Of course, I like chocolate brownies, but at this time of year nothing beats a good cinnamon-y blondie. Yum!

    Reply
  • Lauren Kelly Nutrition says
    September 26, 2015 @ 1:10 am

    WHOA! You have outdone yourself! How could you possibly be boring?? I love all of these ingredients!

    Reply
  • Justine | Cooking and Beer says
    September 25, 2015 @ 6:39 pm

    These are whole-grain AND dairy-free?! Girl, you know the way to my heart. Pinning!

    Reply
  • Andi @ The Weary Chef says
    September 25, 2015 @ 5:21 pm

    Cinnamon and walnut sounds really amazing! And I love that its dairy-free! Perfect!

    Reply
  • Laura Bodenmann says
    September 25, 2015 @ 4:47 pm

    You are never boring! I had to stop reading immediately and make this comment! Your blog is one of the best baking blogs on the internet!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Laura Bodenmann
      September 25, 2015 @ 7:11 pm

      Wow, thanks. :) That’s awfully nice of you to say! You totally made my day. :)

      Reply
  • Charlotte Moore
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    says
    September 25, 2015 @ 4:34 pm

    YUM!!!! Another good recipe without chocolate. I need to look at the GF recipe for some family members.

    I love all the info you give. If someone gets bored… move on. No one is making them stay the course. Geez!!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Charlotte Moore
      September 25, 2015 @ 7:09 pm

      Haha. You’re the best, Charlotte! :) Thanks so much!

      Reply
  • Medeja says
    September 25, 2015 @ 3:20 pm

    Cinnamon and walnut! Yummy! These blondies both look and sound delicious!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Medeja
      September 25, 2015 @ 7:09 pm

      Thanks, Medeja! :)

      Reply
  • June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
    September 25, 2015 @ 2:50 pm

    That comment cracks me up…some people just have really short attention spans, I guess! lol. These blondies look amazing! Especially with the cinnamon sugar topping :)

    Reply
    • Erin replies to June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
      September 25, 2015 @ 7:08 pm

      Thanks! And yeah – people are just weird. It’s so easy to just scroll past text! It took her a whole lot longer to write that comment. ;)

      Reply
  • Deb@ Cooking on the Front Burner says
    September 25, 2015 @ 3:47 am

    What a great fall dessert – love the addition of walnuts!

    Reply
  • Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
    September 24, 2015 @ 11:14 pm

    I so want to try these! Love the cinnamon and walnut combo! Crazy good!

    Reply
  • Nora (A Clean Bake) says
    September 24, 2015 @ 10:39 pm

    Are you kidding? I LOVE your informative posts. Your attention to detail is what makes your recipes great and keeps me coming back for more. I’m glad you can see the absolute lunacy of that comment.

    And I can see why these blondies would have put the brownies to shame! I’ll usually always pick chocolate but I’d go for these first. Something about the chunky nuts and glistening grains of sugar. They’re irresistible!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Nora (A Clean Bake)
      September 25, 2015 @ 7:02 pm

      Aww, thanks! I’m so happy that you don’t find those posts boring. I wish I had a super exciting and interesting life to write about but since I pretty much just bake all day, it’s what I’ve got to write about. ;)

      Reply
  • Lauren @ Hall Nesting says
    September 24, 2015 @ 10:16 pm

    Some readers can be so funny about stuff. These blondies sound divine!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Lauren @ Hall Nesting
      September 25, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

      Thanks! And right?! How hard is it to scroll down to the recipe? I don’t get people sometimes.

      Reply
  • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
    September 24, 2015 @ 9:30 pm

    These look soooooo good!! And I LOVE spelt flour!

    Reply
  • Kristyn says
    September 24, 2015 @ 8:38 pm

    Such a yummy autumn treat! Can’t wait to try! :)

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Kristyn
      September 25, 2015 @ 6:59 pm

      I hope you’ll enjoy it! :)

      Reply

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