Apple Blondies combine sweet cinnamon apples with toasted nutty brown butter for a decadent cookie bar that has the gooey texture of a classic blondie. It's easy to make and the perfect fall treat!
For those times you want pie, but have neither the time nor the patience to make pie, I give you these blondies. Because apparently, as of late blondies (the dessert, lol!) have become my thing.
It started back in October when my Salted Peanut Butter and Chocolate Snickers Brown Butter Blondies saved the day (or at least the moment!). They helped use up leftover Halloween candy.
The trend continued with my Flourless Pecan Pie Cashew Butter Blondies (which are soooo gooey and delicious, as well as gluten free!).
And now these Cinnamon Apple Bondies.
Truthfully, I’ve been sitting on this recipe for going on two months now. However, I couldn’t share this recipe right after I shared the Snickers Blondies, right? Lest you all catch on quick to the fact that apparently I am blondie-obsessed. (But I promise I’m not, lol. This batch went to a good friend who polished them off in a single day!)
If you want an easy fall dessert that you can whip up on a whim that everyone will love, this Cinnamon Apple Blondies recipe is it!
The Best Easy Brown Butter Apple Blondies Recipe
The really great thing and perhaps what I love most about blondies (other than their amazingly gooey texture) is the fact that once you come up with the perfect base recipe, you can change up the flavor seasonally or to suit your preference.
I had two lonely little apples in my fridge, and of course that’s not enough to make a pie. But it’s the perfect amount to whip up these apple bars.
This festive fallish apple treat might make you think twice before you take an entire afternoon to make an apple pie!
Apple Blondies Ingredients
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas. For the full recipe (including ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Apple Mix:
- Apples - you can use sweet/tart apples or tart apples, just make sure they're crisp so they don't get mushy
- Water - to help cook the apples down and form a sweet syrup
- Sugar - granulated white sugar
- Cinnamon and nutmeg - these warm spices are a classic pairing with apple
Brown Butter Blondies:
- Unsalted butter - we're going to brown the butter for these blondies to lend flavor notes of toasted nuts and caramel
- Brown sugar - this adds deep notes of molasses
- Egg - for the perfect texture
- Vanilla extract - for flavor and aroma
- All-purpose flour - the base of our apple blondies
- Salt - to pull out the flavor of everything else
Pro Tip: Don't Add a Leavening Agent
I didn't leave out the baking powder or baking soda by accident! Like many blondie (and brownie) recipes, this recipe doesn't contain a leavener - don't be tempted to add one, or the chewy, gooey blondie texture will be lost!
How to Make Apple Blondies
Make the Apple Mixture:
- Wash the apples, cut out the core, and chop them small (about .75cm-cubes). (No need to peel them!)
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer (uncovered) until the apples are tender and the liquid is evaporated, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.
Brown the Butter and Make the Blondie Batter:
- Add the butter to a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until it smells nutty and turns brown, about 5 minutes.
- Right after the butter is browned, in a large bowl, whisk together the hot brown butter and brown sugar until the sugar is well-dissolved and the mixture looks glossy. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Stir in the flour and salt until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
- Fold in the apples (they should be syrupy).
Bake the Blondies:
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread it out as evenly as possible.
- Bake until golden on the outside, but still a touch doughy in the center, about 30 to 32 minutes at 350F. Be careful not to overbake, as these are best gooey in the center. Cool completely before cutting.
Storage
Store Apple Cinnamon Blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that (if there are any left!), move them to the fridge for up to 3 days more.
Variations
- Pears. Use pears instead of apples and keep everything else the same, including pre-cooking the pears the same way as the apples.
- Figs. Use fresh figs instead of apples. Figs are softer than apples, so you can skip pre-cooking the figs (just chop the figs and add them). If desired, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the batter.
- Dried fruit. Add up to ¾ cup of chopped dried fruit instead of the apple mix. A few good choices are raisins, apricots, cranberries, blueberries, and cherries.
- Nuts. Add up to ¾ cup of chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts.
Tips for Making the Best Cinnamon Apple Blondies
- For this recipe, you can use Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith apples. Make sure your apples are sweet/tart or tart, and crisp.
- The apples have to be slightly precooked before being added to the blondie batter. Don’t skip this step; it results in perfectly tender and sweetly aromatic pieces of apple.
- Browning the butter adds an underlying toasted nutty richness to this recipe (don't forget to scrape up the brown bits from the pan, they have a ton of flavor!). However, if you're pressed for time you can skip browning the butter. If you don't brown the butter, just melt it fully before making the batter.
- Fully mix the brown sugar into the butter as soon as it's browned, while it's still very hot. This helps create a gorgeous crackle top that everyone loves on a good blondie or brownie!
- Be careful not to over-bake. Blondies are done when they're set along the outside, but still look a touch doughy in the center.
More Blondies Recipes to Make
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Cinnamon Apple Blondies Recipe
Ingredients
Apple Mix:
- 2 medium sweet-tart apples cored and chopped small (not peeled)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Brown Butter Blondies:
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Apple Mix:
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer (uncovered) until the apples are tender and the liquid is evaporated, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.
To Prep:
- Preheat the oven to 350F; line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides.
For the Brown Butter:
- Add the butter to a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until it smells nutty and turns brown, about 5 minutes.
For the Brown Butter Blondies:
- Right after the butter is browned, in a large bowl, whisk together the hot brown butter and brown sugar until the sugar is well-dissolved and the mixture looks glossy. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour and salt until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. Fold in the apples (they should be syrupy).
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread it out as evenly as possible. Bake until golden on the outside, but still a touch doughy in the center, about 30 to 32 minutes. Be careful not to overbake, as these are best gooey in the center.
- Cool completely before cutting.
Faith's Tips
- Total Servings and Serving Size: This recipe makes an 8 by 8-inch pan of blondies; to serve, cut it into 12 portions.
- Apple: For this recipe, I like to use Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith apples. Two medium apples is about 2 slightly heaping cups of chopped apple.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on December 4, 2017. I updated it with more information on August 21, 2023.
Mariana says
I have been playing around with brownie recipes recently, and you are so right pies can be a bit laborious so a blondie would definitely hit the spot!