Salted Cashew & White Chocolate Blondies with Tahini Drizzle
When I was a little kid, I had this habit — one that got me scolded more than once. Whenever we’d visit my grandmother’s or a friend’s house, I’d head straight for the nut mix box. I’d sift through everything, ignoring almonds, pistachios, walnuts… until I found the cashews. Always the cashews. Creamy, rich, and so subtle in flavour — no other nut came close.
That love stuck with me. Now, whenever I’m at the market, I’ll skip all the others and go right for salted cashews. A small bag feels like my guilty pleasure, salty and satisfying in a way that never gets old.
This recipe is born from that same craving: blondies packed with salted cashews and sweet white chocolate, finished with a drizzle of white-chocolate–tahini. A little salty, a little sweet — exactly how I love to eat.
Ingredients
180 g (about 1 cup) white chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided
50 g (about ¼ cup) white chocolate, melted and mixed with 1 tablespoon tahini (for drizzle)
135 g (about ½ cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter
200 g (about 1 cup, packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
175 g (about 1½ cups) all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅓ teaspoon salt
95 g (about ¾ cup) salted cashews, plus extra for topping
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Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Melt the base: In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 135 g butter with 90 g of the chopped white chocolate. Stir until smooth, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
3. Sweeten: Stir 200 g brown sugar into the warm mixture until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
4. Add eggs: Whisk in 2 beaten eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla until fully combined.
5. Dry mix: In a separate bowl, sift 175 g flour, 1¼ teaspoons baking powder, and ⅓ teaspoon salt. Fold into the chocolate mixture along with the remaining chopped white chocolate and 95 g cashews. Mix gently until just combined.
6. Bake: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Scatter extra cashews on top if desired. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centre is just set but still a little soft. Don’t overbake — they’ll firm up as they cool.
7. Cool: Let the blondies rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into 16 squares.
8. Tahini drizzle: Melt 50 g white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Whisk in 1 tablespoon tahini and drizzle over the cooled blondies.
