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Soft and gooey, Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodle Blondies. Made with nutty browned butter, salted apple butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then mixed with chunks of cinnamon that melt into wonderful swirls. Just before baking, sprinkle the blondies with a little cinnamon sugar for that classic Snickerdoodle finish. And the true secret here? Sweet apple butter. It’s what keeps these blondies incredibly flavorful, soft, gooey, salty, and so delicious. Great to bake throughout the holiday season!
I’m probably about to annoy many of you, but I’ve entered into my happy, excited holiday cooking and baking zone. These are the recipes I LOVE the most all year long. I work so hard to share only the most special ones each and every season. So I’m jumping up and down with excitement to share these!
And these cookies! Or blondies!! I love them. A mix between a chewy, sweet Snickerdoodle and a thick blondie bar.
Perfect for Thanksgiving, or for packing up to fill this year’s holiday cookie boxes!
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Apple butter or maple syrup
- Brown sugar
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Kosher salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cinnamon sugar
The details
Step 1: make the cinnamon swirl
This swirl is what makes these blondies so special. It’s just brown sugar mixed with butter and cinnamon. Exactly what you’d roll a cinnamon roll up with.
Now crumble the cinnamon into chunks and then freeze. It’s not fancy at all, but adds a sweetness that’s unique and special to this cookie.
Step 2: make the cookie dough
While the chunks freeze, make the cookies.
Start by browning the butter. This gives you the flavor of browned butter and leaves you with a cookie that has great texture too. Shocker, I know, I added browned butter, but it makes the cookies just that much better.
It’s worth the extra step.
Then add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix together, and add the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: swirl and bake.
At this point, the cinnamon chunks should be frozen and ready to use. Mix them into the cookie dough and spread the dough out into a baking dish. In classic Snickerdoodle form, sprinkle the top of the dough with cinnamon sugar.
I do a light sprinkle. I didn’t want the bars to be overly sweet. Bake them up until they are barely set on the edges and gooey in the center. A little underdone is best!
Step 4: slice, eat, and enjoy!
Not a traditional blondie bar, but so much better! The result is a perfectly chewy, gingery, blondie with rich notes of cinnamon and vanilla.
We couldn’t love these easy snickerdoodles more. The cinnamon swirl really makes them special. Hope you guys love these just as much as I do!
Looking for Christmas cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Chewy Frosted Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodles
Easy Slice ‘n’ Bake Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Chewy Brown Butter Pretzel Pecan Cookies
Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
Lastly, if you make these Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodle Blondies 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 Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodle Blondies
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 217 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
Cinnamon Swirl
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
blondies
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup ) salted butter
- 1/4 cup apple butter or maple
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. To make the cinnamon swirl. In a bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Line a small baking sheet with parchment. Crumble/tear the cinnamon mix over the baking sheet, creating small chunks. Freeze for 10 minutes, until firm.3. To make the snickerdoodles. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour the brown butter into a mixing bowl. 4. To the butter, add the brown sugar, apple butter, egg, and vanilla, Beat until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips and 2/3 rds of the cinnamon chunks. 5. Spread the dough into the prepared dish. Press the remaining cinnamon chunks into the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the edges are just setting and the center is still doughy. Let cool6. Cut into bars, snack, and enjoy!
This post was originally published on October 27, 2023
Could you use pumpkin butter instead of apple butter?
Yes, definitely! xT
Thinking about substituting the maple. Has anyone tried this yet? It must be syrup right?
What type of maple is used as a replacement for the apple butter? Maple syrup?
These look delicious but it is a very confusing recipe. How much butter and sugar are used for the cinnamon swirl? How much for the main part of the squares? You suggest substituting maple for apple butter. Maple what? Maple syrup? Wouldn’t that much syrup make it too sweet? Why is this recipe so unclear?
John, I am not miserable. I actually wanted to make these. Blondies with a cinnamon swirl? Who wouldn’t? Then I go to the recipe and I find it confusing and very unclear. I just wanted to make the flipping squares. I’m just confused and very disappointed. Shouldn’t a recipe make sense?
I can’t find any Ginger in the ingredient list. Do you mean Maple Syrup as an substitution for Apple Butter? Thanks for clarifying.
Sounds yummy, thank you for the recipe. Would you clarify which measurements go in which steps please? I’m afraid I’m going to use incorrect amounts or maybe split the swirl ingredients from the snicker doodle portion. Thanks, have a blessed day.
Sounds yummy, thank you for the recipe. Would you clarify which measurements go in which steps please? I’m afraid I’m going to use incorrect amounts or maybe split the swirl ingredients from the snicker doodle portion. Thanks, have a blessed day.
If I don’t have apple butter, is the replacement maple syrup? (It just says maple, so didn’t know if that is maple butter or syrup)
Do you have an easy apple butter recipe you could share as well?
Thanks
Hi Michelle! Yes, that’s correct! Here is my apple butter recipe! https://fett-weg.today/homemade-slow-cooker-maple-apple-butter/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
When you use browned butter for baking, does it need to cool before mixing with other ingredients?
I love your recipes! They are my go-to. Thank you!
HI Carol! Yes, the brown butter needs to cool for a bit before incorporating other ingredients so that the eggs don’t get cooked! xT
These sound yummy. It says 1/3 c maple as alternative to apple butter. Is that maple syrup?
Yes, maple syrup! xT
Would they bake up ok if the chocolate chips were omitted? Some family members don’t like chocolate but would love these otherwise.
Hi Janet! I haven’t tried these without chocolate chips but maybe you could add some nuts to replicate the texture to bake these! xT
Looking forward to making these! Just want to check, is there supposed to be ginger in the recipe? You mention “The result is a perfectly chewy, gingery, blondie with rich notes of cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger,” but I don’t see ginger in the ingredients or the steps.
Thank you!
Can a substitution be made for apple butter if I cannot find it?
You could use applesauce! xT
If I wanted to do pumpkin instead of apple, what would you suggest?
I would use pumpkin butter or pumpkin puree! xT
Would like to substitute the Apple Butter, noticed you suggested Maple (syrup?). Thanks for your help! Love your recipes… always my inspiration especially for food photography (which I love ❤️)