Description

These Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze are a decadent, soft, and moist treat perfect for fall or any time you crave a sweet, spiced dessert. The browned butter and apple butter create a rich base with warm cinnamon and nutmeg spices, complemented by fresh chopped Honeycrisp apples baked throughout. Finished with a luscious cinnamon maple butter glaze, these blondies offer a perfect balance of sweet, buttery, and fruity flavors with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Ingredients

Scale

Blondie Batter

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter
1/2 cup apple butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled (optional), and chopped (about 2 cups chopped apples)

Cinnamon Maple Butter Glaze

3 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 – 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch flaky sea salt

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Instructions

Preheat and prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy removal of the blondies once baked.
Brown the butter and make batter: Place the salted butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir often as you let the butter brown for about 2-3 minutes until it smells toasted. Remove from heat and stir in the apple butter and 1 cup of the light brown sugar. Allow this mixture to cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Next, add the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt, mixing gently until just combined. Pour and spread this dough evenly into your prepared baking dish.
Prepare and add the apples: In a bowl, toss the chopped Honeycrisp apples with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to coat evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar coated apples evenly over the blondie batter in the baking dish.
Bake the blondies: Place the baking dish in your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the blondies are just set in the center. If you notice liquid in the center after this time, gently swirl it around the pan, then bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Make the cinnamon maple glaze: While the blondies cool, prepare the glaze. Add the butter to a small pot over medium heat. Let it brown lightly for 2-3 minutes until it becomes fragrant and toasted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of flaky sea salt until smooth and combined.
Glaze and serve: Drizzle the cinnamon maple glaze evenly over the cooled blondies. Let the glaze set for about 5 minutes before slicing into bars. Enjoy these delightful blondies as a snack or dessert!

Notes

Using Honeycrisp apples provides a nice balance of sweetness and tartness, but any crisp apple variety will work.
Peeling the apples is optional; leaving the skin on adds texture and nutrients.
Browning the butter adds a rich, nutty flavor essential for this recipe’s depth.
Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep the blondies tender.
Allow the blondies to cool fully before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting and running off.
Store leftover blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 2x2 inch)
Calories: 210
Sugar: 25g
Sodium: 110mg
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Unsaturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 32g
Fiber: 1.5g
Protein: 2g
Cholesterol: 35mg