Fudgy and chewy maple brown butter blondies with a layer of sweet apples and maple cream cheese icing on top! These blondies are PACKED with warm and cozy flavor. They have the texture of a brownie mixed with a cookie and with the flavor of cinnamon rolls and apple pie all wrapped up in one delicious package.
the keys to a fudgy, chewy apple blondie
These apple blondies are deliciously dense and fudgy, but still tender and chewy. There are 4 main tricks we're using in this recipe to make sure these blondies bake up with the BEST texture:
- Brown butter - The brown butter serves 2 roles in this blondie recipe: 1) it adds warm and toasty flavor and 2) it makes the blondies extra fudgy! The process of browning butter reduces some of the water while simultaneously toasting the milk solids. Less water = more fudgy! Toasted milk solids = more FLAVOR.
- Extra egg yolk - Sticking to the theme of "less moisture = more fudgy" egg yolks contain less water than egg whites. Using an extra yolk adds richness and makes the blondie heavier (but in the best way possible) which creates a more chewy and fudgy texture.
- Maple syrup - Just like the brown butter, maple syrup adds flavor while also contributing to the dense and fudgy blondie texture. Maple syrup helps trap moisture and keeps the blondies moist. But wait: doesn't moisture = cakey? Not when it comes to maple syrup! You get a cakey texture when the water within the blondie evaporates and creates steam, thus aerating the blondies and making them fluffy. The maple syrup holds onto water and significantly slows down evaporation - leading to a moist yet fudgy texture.
- Sprinkle apples on top - Lastly, to get the flavor of apples without introducing extra moisture in the blondies, we're sprinkling chopped apples on top rather than mixing the apples into the batter. If the apples are folded into the batter, they can create steam and cause the blondies to bake up cakier. Sprinkling them on top allows the steam to easily escape and the apples also weigh the blondie layer down so it doesn't puff up too much.
choosing the right apples for baking
Not all apples are well suited for baking! When picking the variety, you want an apple that holds its shape enough so it doesn't turn to mush, but is still able to soften so it doesn't have too much bite. You also (obviously) want an apple that tastes great, with the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavor.
My personal favorite apples to use are Honeycrisp or Granny Smith. You can also use Fuji, Braeburn, or Pink Lady (to name a few). These all hold their shape well and have a perfect sweet yet tart flavor. You can also mix and match different types to lean more into tart or sweet flavor. I personally used Honeycrisp this time around.
Avoid varieties like Gala or Red Delicious. These break down a lot when they're heated and can develop a gritty or mealy texture.
how to make apple blondies with maple and brown butter
This blondie starts like any incredible recipe: with brown butter! The butter is cooked in a pot until it bubbles and eventually turns a rich brown color. For sake of ease, we're brown the butter for both the blondies and the icing at the same time and then dividing it up afterwards.
Once the butter is browned, 1 cup is poured over the sugar for the blondies. This is done while it's still piping HOT. The sugar helps rapidly cool down the butter (so there's not much wait time) and the butter partially dissolves the sugar (which contributes to the fudgy texture).
The remaining wet ingredients for the blondies are whisked into the butter mixture followed by the dry ingredients. Then it's ready to be poured into the pan.
For the apple portion of the blondie, all you need to do is toss together chopped apples with sugar and cinnamon to evenly coat. The apples are then sprinkled over the blondie batter and baked until golden.
how to make maple brown butter cream cheese icing
To make the icing, the remainder of the brown butter is chilled in the fridge until it hardens to the consistency of softened butter. The brown butter and cream cheese are then creamed together before the last of the icing ingredients are mixed in.
Then all that's left to do is ice the blondies and dig in! The icing is quite sticky when it's fresh - if you want a firmer consistency, pop the bars into the fridge for about 30-60 minutes or until it's firmed up slightly before slicing and serving.
tips & FAQs
Can you make these blondies gluten free?
I haven't personally tried it, but I think it should work just fine. Make sure to use a gluten free flour blend that has xanthan gum in the ingredients list as this will help the bars hold their shape. It's usually labeled "cup for cup" or "1:1" - meaning an equal amount of it can be substituted for all-purpose flour.
Can you use granulated or dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar?
You can technically use granulated sugar, but I found the blondies had a better fudgier texture with brown. An equal amount of dark brown sugar also works well. Either granulated or brown sugar will work for the spiced apple layer.
Can you use honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes! It also works, but it will slightly alter the flavor of the blondies.
Can you use other spices?
Absolutely. Feel free to use whatever spice / spice blend you like in place of the cinnamon. Apple pie spice also tastes really good here!
Can you use a different type of apple?
Yes - read the above section titled "choosing the right apples for baking" for alternative options.
How can you tell when blondies are baked through?
They should be lightly browned around the edges, evenly puffed in the center, and a skewer inserted into the middle should come out mostly clean but with a few moist, fudgy crumbs on the tip.
check out these other apple recipes!
• Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• Apple Fritter Cake
• Easy Apple Crisp
• Apple Crumb Muffins
• Apple Coffee Cake
• Apple Cider Donut Cake
• Apple Pie Cookies
• Apple Crumble Cheesecake
Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.
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Brown Butter Apple Blondies
- Total Time: 50 minutes + cooling
- Yield: 24 bars
Description
Fudgy and chewy maple brown butter blondies with a layer of sweet apples and maple cream cheese icing on top! These blondies are PACKED with warm and cozy flavor. They have the texture of a brownie mixed with a cookie and with the flavor of cinnamon rolls and apple pie all wrapped up in one delicious package.
Ingredients
For the maple blondies:
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups (260g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- ¼ cup (78g) pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (290g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the spiced apples:
- 2 cups finely chopped Honeycrisp apples (about 2 medium apples)
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 oz full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (110g) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1-2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
Apple Blondies:
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13" baking pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the butter for the blondies and for the frosting (a total of 1 cup + 5 tablespoons). Add them to a medium saucepan.
- Cook the butter on medium heat, while whisking, until it melts, sizzles, and eventually turns a rich brown color and smells toasted.
- Divide the butter again: pour 1 cup into a large bowl for the blondies and the remainder in a medium bowl for the frosting. The butter will have lost some volume after browning so the amount for the frosting will be around 3-4 tablespoons now.
- Place the bowl with the lesser amount of brown butter into the fridge so it can solidify for the frosting.
- To the large bowl with the 1 cup of hot brown butter, whisk in the brown sugar to moisten.
- Whisk in the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla to combine.
- Lastly, mix in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until you have a streak free batter. Take care not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and set aside to prep the spiced apples.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the apples over the blondie batter.
- Bake the blondies in the center of your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with a few fudgy crumbs.
- Cool the blondie completely to room temperature in the pan. You can leave it in the pan or use the parchment paper to pull it out and onto your serving tray once it's cooled.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Check on the butter for the frosting in the fridge. It should have solidified to the consistency of softened butter. If it's too firm, let it sit a room temperature for a few minutes to soften. If it's still liquid, keep it in the fridge for a few more minutes.
- Add the cream cheese to the bowl with the softened brown butter. Use an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment or a wooden spoon to cream together until smooth.
- Mix in the powdered sugar on low until dissolved. Finally, mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. If it's too thick, mix in another tablespoon of maple syrup to reach your desired consistency.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled blondies. You can slice and serve right away but the frosting will be quite sticky. You can also pop the bars in the fridge for a few minutes to allow the frosting to set if you want sharper cuts.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Bake Time: 30 minutes
Enjoy!
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