Kinako Brown Sugar Blondies

In the past, I always chose brownies over blondies. I thought blondies were too plain. However, I realized blondies could be a great vehicle for rich, nutty, umami flavors once I tried Molly Yeh’s olive oil blondies and Ree Drummond’s blondies. And anytime I think of umami, I always think of kinako. Kinako is a roasted soybean flour that tastes similar to peanut butter. Every time I add kinako to a recipe, I think it’s the new best thing I ever made. My recipe for kinako brown sugar blondies is a mix of Molly Yeh and Ree Drummond’s recipes, with some kinako substitution. It’s got a buttery, toasty umami flavor, and it’s super easy to make.

Because this recipe uses melted butter, there’s no waiting for butter to soften. Just mix dry and wet ingredients separately and then combine. If you want to go dairy free, you can substitute a cup of olive oil for the butter.

I topped my blondies with a basic vanilla frosting and sprinkles just to make it look fun. But honestly, I think it might taste better just plain. Chocolate frosting would complement the kinako flavor well too.

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Hope you give these kinako brown sugar blondies a try!

If you’re interested in learning more about the Asian ingredients I use, check out my food glossary. And if you’re loving kinako as much as me, try my kinako brioche donuts!