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If there was ever a recipe that screams fall, it’s these soft and gooey Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze. Made with nutty browned butter, salted apple butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then generously glazed with a sweet, thick, and creamy cinnamon maple glaze. There’s really nothing not to love about these autumn spiced apple blondies. The true secret? Brown butter and sweet apple butter. They keep these blondies incredibly flavorful, soft, gooey, and so delicious. The added bonus is that these bars require almost no effort to make. They’re sweet, salty, heavy on the apple butter, extra cinnamony, and every last bite is truly delicious.
We’re going on a three-week roll of Friday apple desserts and I’m not seeing an end in the near future. Well, ok. I’ll probably switch it up next Friday, but my point is that I have so many fall apple recipes written on my “to make” list. I plan to make as many as I can.
I was worried you guys would be sick of apples, but after a quick poll on Instagram earlier this week, you all assured me that the more apple recipes the better. YES. I am so with you guys. I think I said this last week, but September is apple month, save the pumpkins for October and November, you know?
These blondies are easy. Here are the steps.
These are not your average blondie. They are so much better.
For starters, there’s browned butter, apple butter, and fresh apples too. So much apple happening, and it’s SO GOOD!
Second, these are truly the easiest to make, they don’t even require a mixer, just a bowl and skillet. We all have those.
Start out by browning salted butter on the stove. Browning the butter really adds a rich nutty flavor to these bars and makes them just a touch cozier. Perfect as we slowly head into the cooler days of autumn. Once the butter is browned, remove it from the stove, and dump in all the remaining ingredients.
You’ll first add the apple butter, eggs, vanilla, flour, and spices (lots of cinnamon). This makes up the dough. Simple. Simple. But trust me, it’s going to be good.
Spread the dough out into a pan. Now, take the chopped apples and toss them with brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the apples over the dough, then bake. As the bars bake away, you’ll have incredible wafts of cinnamon, sweet apples, and butter in the air. It’s the coziest.
The key to these bars?
The key lies within the browned butter and the butter.
Butter keeps the bars rich and flavorful, but the apple butter adds a concentrated sweet apple flavor while also adding moisture. Combined together they make the best blondie bar.
For the apple butter, I used my homemade apple butter, but of course, you can use a store-bought apple butter too. That said, if you’ve never made homemade apple butter, this is the fall to do so. This sounds dramatic, but if you LOVE apples and jammy type spreads, then this apple butter will be life-changing. It’s my favorite to use in both sweet and savory autumn recipes.
While the bars cool, make the glaze.
Most blondie recipes are not glazed, but I wanted these to be extra special and a little over the top.
I took inspiration from my Cinnamon Spiced Sugar Cookies and my Apple Scones, and decided on a buttery maple glazed with cinnamon throughout. It’s just some browned butter, maple, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Simple, but delicious.
I keep mine drizzly but still thick and creamy. That way it can really sink into all the nooks and crannies throughout these buttery blondie bars.
Buttery, apple filled, flavored with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, and topped with delicious and perfectly sweet maple glaze. Not much beats that, it’s autumn in a bar. Enjoy alongside a mug of steaming hot coffee, cider…or maybe even your favorite pumpkin spiced latte?!?
Total and complete perfection. Also…if you bake these up this weekend, your house is going to smell like fall, and trust me, it’s going to be amazing. Better than a fall candle. SO GOOD!
Looking for other sweet apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Spiced Pecan Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
Mulled Spiced Apple Cider Doughnuts
Double the Streusel Apple Butter Bars
Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter
Lastly, if you make these Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 218 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 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 (if desired), 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
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a medium pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown, until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and stir in the apple butter and 1 cup brown sugar. Let cool 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, mixing until just combined. Spread the dough out into the prepared dish. 3. In a bowl, toss the apples with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Evenly sprinkle the apples over the dough. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, just until set in the center. If there is liquid in the center, swirl it around the pan, then bake another 5 minutes. Let cool. 4. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Add the butter to a small pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle the glaze over the bars. Let set for 5 minutes. Cut into bars…snack and enjoy!
Notes
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Storing: these bars keep well for 3-4 days at room temperature or in the fridge.
To cool the bars quickly for frosting: place in freezer for 15 minutes. Remove and glaze.
This post was originally published on September 18, 2020
This was AMAZING! I also made your slow cooker apple butter because I couldn’t any at the store and that was awesome. My husband (who is not a sugar fanatic whatsoever) was in love with these blondies! He said it’s the best thing I’ve ever baked (and I bake a lot!). Thank you so much for all of your recipes!
Hi Caroline! I am so happy you both loved this recipe! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! If I don’t have a metal baking pan, can I use a 9×13 enameled cast iron dish instead? Not sure if that would adjust the temp or baking time. Thanks!!
Hey Emily,
That would be totally fine to use! No need to adjust anything, just keep an eye on them:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
OH MY GAWD, these were so good. I grew up loving brown butter. My family would brown butter and pour it over egg noodles. My grandma would made brown butter icing for cakes. Needless to say, I knew this would be a hit. The apples were still a little raw which I didn’t mind. They added a nice texture to the soft blondie. I think I’ll try making these next time but maybe omit the apples because I’m a total sweet tooth right now and just love to focus on the blondie and glaze.
Hi Katherine! I love that your family loves brown butter! It is the BEST! Thank you so much for giving these a try! I am glad they turned out well for you! xTieghan
I baked these bars this morning, and everyone in my family LOVES them! The browned butter amplifies the spicy fall flavors. Simply delicious!
Thank you so much Rachel! I am really happy to hear that! xTieghan
Just made these and they are amazing!! Super simple to make and the flavors delicious. Already planning on making these 5 more times ?
Hi Katie! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you! xTieghan
the most amazing blondies! first fall item I baked this year and I can’t wait to make them again! The glaze makes these extra special!
I am so happy you have been loving these, Rosie! Thank you! xTieghan
Hmm, I’m not sure what happened but I had to add 20 minutes to the cook time. This also happened to me with your crinkle top brownies! Not sure what I’m doing wrong! These look amazing, wish they turned out better for me.
Love to hear that! Thank you for trying these, Mallory! xTieghan
I think this is my favorite recipe I’ve made from half baked harvest so far. And possibly my favorite thing I’ve ever made. It’s fall and all things happy and I could literally eat half a pan without stopping. I’m making my second batch tomorrow cause the first one only lasted 24 hours!
Love to hear that! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Frannie! xTieghan
The smell of my kitchen the entire time baking these was soooo good. But my glaze separated, and I’m not sure why! Should I have sifted the confectioners sugar?
I wound up adding the clumpy mixture on top while it was still in the oven since I didn’t have the ingredients to remake it. Still delish.
Hey Kayla,
So sorry you had issues with the glaze, I am thinking your butter was too hot. Please let me know if you have any other questions, thanks for trying the recipe! xTieghan
This is an apple cake. Super disappointed.
Hi Danielle! I am sorry this did not turn out as expected! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
I bought apple butter to make this recipe, but the apple butter isn’t very thick and it’s more apple sauce consistency. Therefore, I’m worried about the overall consistency if I use it. Any suggestions? Should I use less of it than the recipe calls for?
Hey Tina,
I would just follow the recipe as is:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These came out perfect and the apple butter made them truly unique! I have a smaller pan so end up halving most of your recipes and they turn out great as well. I used some leftover aquafaba that I had for this recipe and no one noticed! I don’t really like cinnamon, but I think you’re changing that.
Thank you so much Thy! I am really glad this turned out so well! xTieghan
Yes.
Made these today, I had to make two adjustments, I only had about a teaspoon of cinnamon left, so I subbed in some cardamom (a favorite in our house) and it’s amazing. AMAZING. I’m about to cut my second piece… the second adjustment was adding some vanilla paste and about a tablespoon of milk to my glaze, this helped it really come together. This is a winning recipe! (As always 😉
Thank you so much Katie!! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
So yummy, glaze makes the whole recipe!
I am so happy you like this, Charlotte! Thank you! xTieghan
Loved this recipe, especially the brown butter in both the bars and the glaze, and the glaze is amazing! I also love how easy & quick it was to make. The only issue I had was that it came out more cake like and not blondie. I followed the recipe as written except for a jarred apple butter. I used the 9×13 pan, and cooked for 30 minutes and swirled and cooked for another 5 minutes. I used the 1 teaspoon baking powder as written. Is it possible it needs less baking powder? Or perhaps cook for less time to get a fudgie texture?
Hey Katria! So happy you loved these! I would recommend cooking for less time. Try 25 minutes. This will give you a nice fudgy blondie I would imagine. Always best to under bake in my opinion! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you!! xTieghan