Description
These Brown Butter Apple Blondies combine the rich, nutty flavor of browned butter with tender, cinnamon-kissed apples baked into a moist, chewy blondie bar. Finished with a sweet vanilla glaze, these bars are perfect for fall baking or anytime you want a decadent dessert with a fruity twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Batter
- 1 cup plus 4 Tbsp. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
- 12 oz. chopped apples (about 3 cups; from about 1 1/2 apples)
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
- 1 tsp kosher salt (divided as 1 tsp in batter, pinch in glaze)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
Glaze
- 3/4 cup (90 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tbsp whole milk
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp reserved browned butter
- Cooking spray, for pan
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: In a small pot over medium heat, melt 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the butter. Stir or swirl constantly for 4 to 6 minutes until the milk solids at the bottom become a deep golden brown and the butter foams. Carefully lift solids with a spoon if needed to check doneness.
- Cool Browned Butter: Pour the browned butter into a large heatproof bowl, scraping all browned bits from the pot. Let it cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Cook the Apples: While butter cools, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped apples and cook, stirring frequently, until fork-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare Baking Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 13″ x 9″ metal baking pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite long sides.
- Mix Batter: Transfer 2 tablespoons of the browned butter to a small bowl and set aside for the glaze. To the remaining browned butter, add brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs until fully blended. Add baking soda and whisk just to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour gently until just combined. Fold in the cooked apples evenly into the batter.
- Bake: Dollop the stiff batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are just brown and the top is deep golden. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Cool and Remove: Using the parchment overhang, lift the blondies out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
- Make the Glaze: To the bowl with reserved browned butter, add confectioners’ sugar, whole milk, pinch of salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until the glaze is thick but pourable.
- Glaze and Set: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled blondies evenly. Allow the glaze to set and harden for about 5 minutes, then cut into 15 to 18 bars and serve.
Notes
- Use firm, sweet apples like Honeycrisp or Fuji for best flavor and texture.
- Make sure browned butter cools to room temperature before adding eggs to avoid scrambling.
- Line the baking pan with parchment for easy removal and clean-up.
- Do not overbake to keep blondies moist and chewy.
- Store leftover blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Glaze can be adjusted for thickness by adding more milk or sugar as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 blondie (based on 18 servings)
- Calories: 260 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
