These cinnamon apple blondies are soft, chewy dessert bars filled with warm cinnamon spice and chunks of juicy apple. Topped with a sweet cinnamon glaze, they're like a cross between apple pie and a gooey blondie. They're the perfect fall treat for apple season and come together with simple ingredients.
If you love apple cider donuts or apple crumb cake, you'll want to add these cinnamon apple blondies to your Fall baking list.
This blondie recipe has chunks of apples, warm cinnamon, and rich brown sugar, making them the ultimate cozy dessert. The texture is perfectly chewy, not cakey, with soft bites of apple in every square.
For moreย apple desserts, check out these apple cider muffins, apple butter bread, apple spice cupcakes, andย apple pieย stuffed cheesecake.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make- Unlike traditional apple pie, the blondies don't require rolling out crust or any complicated steps. You don't even need a mixer! Just stir, bake, and drizzle with glaze.
- Versatile for any occasion- Serve your apple cinnamon blondies warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, pack them up for a Fall bake sale, or enjoy them with your morning coffee.
Key Ingredients
- Unsalted butter- Provides richness and helps keep the blondies chewy. Make sure it's unsalted so you can control how salty the blondies are.
- Light brown sugar- Adds moisture and a deep caramel-like sweetness.
- Maple syrup- Adds a sweet richness and more moisture. Make sure to use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Cinnamon- The star spice that pairs perfectly with apples. Make sure it's fresh since expired cinnamon loses a lot of flavor.
- Eggs- Bind the blondie batter and add structure. Make sure they're room temperature so they mix in easily.
- Apples- The best apples for baking are crisp so they don't get mushy in the oven. I like honey crisp apples and Granny Smith apples! You can peel them or leave the skin on.
- Glaze- The blondies are topped with a homemade glaze made with powdered sugar, heavy cream, and cinnamon.
For the full ingredient list and quantities, see the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add nuts- Replace half of the chopped apples with walnuts for crunch.
- Caramel drizzle- Swap the glaze for salted caramel sauce.
- Pear blondies- Try diced pears instead of apples for a fun twist.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF and line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper. Make sure to use a light-colored metal pan! They conduct heat best for evenly baked blondies.
Step 1: Melt the butter in large bowl at 30 second intervals until fully melted. Allow it to cool slightly, then whisk in the granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
Step 2: Stir in the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla extract.
Step 3: Fold all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to wet ingredients until there a few dry streaks of flour left.
Step 4: Fold in the diced apples, then pour the mixture into the baking pan. Spread it evenly across the pan with a rubber spatula.
Step 5: Bake the apple blondies for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 6: Make the icing by whisking powdered sugar, cinnamon, and heavy cream together. Drizzle it over the cool blondies!
Expert Baking Tips
- Measure the flour correctly. Weigh the ingredients, especially the flour, in grams with a kitchen scale for the most accurate results! If you don't have a scale, gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off. Don't scoop it directly with the cup or you'll have too much, which can make any bake dry.
- Don't overmix. Stir the batter just until the dry ingredients are combined to keep the blondies chewy.
- Check early. Not all ovens are calibrated the same, so the blondies may take a little more or less time to fully cook. Start checking after 28 minutes and pull them as soon as the center is set.
- Cool before glazing. If the blondies are warm, the glaze will melt right off and make a mess!
Frequently Asked Questions
This usually happens if too much flour is added. Be sure to measure properly, and avoid overmixing the batter.
Absolutely. Bake in a 9x13-inch pan and add 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
I don't recommend making the batter and storing it in the fridge. It needs to be baked immediately. The baking powder is activated when the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated, so they won't rise properly if not baked right away.
Storage Tips
Room temperature: Store cooled apple cinnamon blondies in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Place parchment between layers to prevent sticking.
Refrigerator: Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days, though they may firm up slightly.
Freezer: Wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Fall Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Cinnamon Apple Blondies
Equipment
- 1 square baking pan 8X8 or 9X9
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
Blondies
- 113 grams unsalted butter
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- 50 grams light brown sugar
- 120 grams pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 150 grams all purpose flour
- ยผ teaspoon baking powder
- โ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 200 grams chopped apples Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
Cinnamon Icing
- 60 grams powdered sugar
- ยผ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 50 grams heavy cream
Instructions
Blondies
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line a 9x9-inch light metal pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, microwave the butter in 30-second bursts until melted. Let cool for a few minutes so it's warm, not hot.113 grams unsalted butter
- Whisk in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup until combined. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolk, then mix in the vanilla.100 grams granulated sugar, 50 grams light brown sugar, 120 grams pure maple syrup, 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until just combined with a few dry streaks left.150 grams all purpose flour, ยผ teaspoon baking powder, โ teaspoon baking soda, ยผ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Gently mix in the diced apples until the dry streaks of flour disappear.200 grams chopped apples
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Then bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the blondies cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cinnamon Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, cinnamon, and heavy cream until smooth.60 grams powdered sugar, ยผ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 50 grams heavy cream
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled blondies. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
- Use the right apples: Firm, crisp varieties like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith bake best and hold their shape.
- Check early: Oven temperatures vary, so start checking around 28 minutes so they don't overbake.
Heather
Perfect amount of cinnamon!! Love that there's maple in it too.
Liz
US Customary measurements are not present, please add, thanks.
Megan Weimer
Added! Thanks for catching that.