Apple blondies have been my favourite new discovery this autumn. These delectable squares have the shape and texture of brownies, but all the delightful flavours of a freshly baked apple pie! Cinnamon-tossed apples and brown butter really enhance this treat.
I really love the texture. They're so tender and flavourful. And I love how easy they are to make, too! Try my Irish farmhouse apple Cake for another scrumptious apple dessert.
Ingredients
- Honeycrisp apples
- Brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Confectioner's sugar
- Milk
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Brown Butter
All three parts of this recipe require brown butter. To save time, I brown all of the butter at once then separate it. If you are making the apple blondies with the glaze, you need a total of 1 cup and 1 tablespoon butter (240 g). If you omit the glaze, you need ¾ cup and 1 tablespoon butter (184 g).
In a medium-sized frying pan, heat butter over medium heat. Stir frequently for a few minutes. The butter will melt and then begin to foam. It is at this point that the butter begins to brown. You will see tiny brown specks and it should smell of toasted nuts.
Be careful not to overdo it. The brown butter can quickly burn and turn the specks black. As soon as you see a little browning and notice the nutty smell, remove the pan from the heat.
Leave 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan for cooking the apples. Divide the rest, ¾ into a large bowl for the blondies, ¼ into a small bowl for the glaze. I ladle out three spoons into one bowl, one spoon into the other bowl, and repeat until I have just 1 tablespoon left.
Blondies
Peel and chop the apples. Toss them with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Add them into the pan with the brown butter and toss them to coat. Cook for about 3 minutes or so, until apples have softened. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 177°C. Line a 9"x13" baking dish with parchment paper. It's helpful to have a little bit of parchment paper on the sides to assist with lifting the blondies out of the dish later.
In a small bowl, mix together all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until blended. Set aside.
Stir in brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into large mixing bowl with the ¾ cup (170 g) of brown butter.
Mix in the dry ingredients until just fully incorporated. Be careful to not overmix. The dough will be quite thick.
Gently fold the cooked apples into the dough.
Spread out the dough in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. Bake for around 20-25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out almost clean. Be careful not to overbake.
Cool the blondies in their pan set on top of a cooling rack. If you attempt to move them too soon, there is a risk of breaking them.
When cooled it is safe to lift the blondies out of the pan. Cut them into twenty-four pieces.
Brown butter glaze
The brown butter for the glaze has likely begun to solidify. Melt it if necessary. Mix in confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and milk, whisking until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk in ⅛ teaspoon increments until you achieve the desired thickness.
If dipping the apple blondies, once you have dipped them, set them on a parchment paper-lined tray and wait for the glaze to set before storing them. The thicker your glaze is, the longer it will take to set.
Substitutions
I used honeycrisp apples in this recipe. They are specially bred to have larger cells than other apples, giving them a distinctive crunch and the ability to hold up well when cooked. Plus, they have a lovely, sweet flavour. If you can't get honeycrisp apples, then I recommend using another apple that suits baking well, such as a granny smith.
Variations
I decided to dipped my blondies in glaze, however, you could just pour the glaze on top of the uncut blondies while they're still in the pan. Or, you could omit the glaze all together.
Equipment
You will need a good kitchen scale or a measuring cup set, as with most baking recipes.
Remember that if you are using a measuring cup for flour, you should spoon the flour into the cup until it is slightly heaped, then use a knife to scrape off the top. This will give you the most accurate measurement. Using the cup to scoop the flour will cause packing and result in too much flour.
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You will also need a baking dish. I use a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish.
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Storage
Store your apple blondies in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for a couple days or stored in the refrigerator for about a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, stack them in layers separated by parchment paper in an airtight, freezer-safe container. You can freeze them with the glaze, or add fresh glaze after they have completely thawed to room temperature.
📖 Recipe
Apple Blondies with Brown Butter Glaze
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 squares
- Category: Squares
- Cuisine: American
Description
These delectable apple blondies have the shape and texture of brownies, but all the flavours of a freshly baked apple pie.
Ingredients
Apples
2 cups (240g) honeycrisp apples (about 2 medium apples)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Blondies
2 ¼ cup (270g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter
1 ½ cup (250g) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Glaze
¼ cup (58g) unsalted butter
1 cup (130g) confectioner's sugar
1 ½ tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Brown Butter
All three parts of this recipe require brown butter. To save time, I brown all of the butter at once then separate it. If you are making the apple blondies with the glaze, you need a total of 1 cup and 1 tablespoon butter (240 g). If you omit the glaze, you need ¾ cup and 1 tablespoon butter (184 g).
In a medium-sized frying pan, heat butter over medium heat. Stir frequently for a few minutes. The butter will melt and then begin to foam. It is at this point that the butter begins to brown. You will see tiny brown specks and it should smell of toasted nuts. Be careful not to overdo it. The brown butter can quickly burn and turn the specks black. As soon as you see a little browning and notice the nutty smell, remove the pan from the heat.
Leave 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan for cooking the apples. Divide the rest, ¾ into a large bowl for the blondies, ¼ into a small bowl for the glaze. I ladle out three spoons into one bowl, one spoon into the other bowl, and repeat until I have just 1 tablespoon left.
Apples
Peel and chop the apples. Toss them with brown sugar and cinnamon. Add them into the pan with the brown butter and toss them to coat. Cook for about 3 minutes or so, until apples have softened. Set aside.
Blondies
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 177°C. Line a 9"x13" baking dish with parchment paper. It's helpful to have a little bit of parchment paper on the sides to assist with lifting the blondies out of the dish later.
In a small bowl, mix together all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until blended. Set aside.
Stir in brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into large mixing bowl with the ¾ cup (170 g) of brown butter.
Mix in the dry ingredients until just fully incorporated. Be careful to not overmix. The dough will be quite thick.
Gently fold the cooked apples into the dough.
Spread out the dough in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. Bake for around 20-25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out almost clean. Be careful not to overbake.
Cool the blondies in their pan set on top of a cooling rack. If you attempt to move them too soon, there is a risk of breaking them. When cooled it is safe to lift the blondies out of the pan. Cut them into twenty-four pieces.
Glaze
I decided to dipped my blondies in glaze, however, you could just pour the glaze on top of the uncut blondies while they're still in the pan. Or, you could omit the glaze all together.
The brown butter for the glaze has likely begun to solidify. Melt it if necessary. Mix in confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and milk, whisking until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk in ⅛ teaspoon increments until you achieve the desired thickness.
If dipping the blondies, once you have dipped them, set them on a parchment paper-lined tray and wait for the glaze to set before storing them. The thicker your glaze is, the longer it will take to set.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 198
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 60.5 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.8 g
- Protein: 1.9 g
- Cholesterol: 37.1 mg
Keywords: apple blondies
Jo-ann Pechet says
Wow I am so impressed with these squares. They melt in your mouth.
I made these for a family get-together this past weekend and there were none left by the end of the evening.
Asha says
Hi Jo-ann, that's so awesome! Thanks for sharing
Bernice says
I just happened to notice that the new crop of early apples is in and that means it's now baking with apples season too! Im saving this recipe to bake this weekend!
Asha says
That's great, hope you loved it! 🙂
Colleen says
I'm so glad to find this recipe just in time for the upcoming apple season. They look delectable. Thank you!
Asha says
Thanks so much
Kristen says
These blondies are incredible, we love apples at our house and it was so nice to have a new and different recipe to play with.
Asha says
Thank you! Appreciate it
nancy says
delish fall time recipe with my favourite apples. It goes really nice with a hot cup of tea in the mornings or as an afternoon treat !
Asha says
Thank you, completely agree!