Dulce de Leche-Bacon Blondies
By Morgan BollingPublished on June 21, 2026
Time
1¼ hours, plus 2 hours cooling
Yield
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
Before You Begin
To avoid over-baking, use a metal baking pan rather than a glass baking dish. We like milk chocolate chips in these bars, but feel free to use semisweet or bittersweet.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Lightly spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
- Whisk 2¼ cups (11¼ ounces) all-purpose flour, 1¼ teaspoons table salt, and ½ teaspoon baking powder in medium bowl. Whisk 10 tablespoons melted unsalted butter and 1¾ cups (12¼ ounces) packed light brown sugar in large bowl until combined. Add 3 large eggs, ½ cup corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Using silicone spatula, stir flour mixture into egg mixture until fully incorporated. Stir in ½ cup milk chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Bake until top is deep golden brown and springs backs when lightly pressed, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cool on wire rack while preparing topping.
- Arrange 6 slices bacon in single layer in 12-inch skillet and add just enough water to cover. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook until water has completely evaporated, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until bacon is crispy and well browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate and let cool slightly. Coarsely chop bacon.
- Combine bacon; 5 ounces salted cashews, coarsely chopped; 1 can dulce de leche; and 1 tablespoon water in large bowl and microwave until hot and dulce de leche has loosened, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently with silicone spatula. Pour evenly over bars and spread to edges of pan. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon flake sea salt, if using, and let sit until fully cooled, about 2 hours.
- Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Discard foil (use paring knife to separate foil from bars, if necessary). Cut into 24 squares and serve. (Bars can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)
Time
1¼ hours, plus 2 hours coolingYield
Makes 24 barsIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Adding bacon to a dessert is fun and surprising, and blondies—with their buttery, brown sugar backbone—make an ideal base. Corn syrup in the batter keeps the crumb tender and chewy rather than cakey, while a generous amount of vanilla deepens the flavor. To incorporate bacon, we rendered slices until crisp and then combined it with store-bought dulce de leche (a glossy coffee-colored milk jam) and spread it over the top of the bars. The dulce de leche delivers a deeply caramelized sweetness that sets into a gooey, fudge-like layer once cooled (plus it’s easier than making a homemade caramel). We added coarsely chopped salted cashews for crunch and a savory contrast that keeps these salty-sweet bars from tipping into cloying territory. A finishing sprinkle of flake sea salt ties it all together.
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