Description
Irresistible apple cinnamon blondies with a maple cream cheese frosting. This recipe offers a chewy, buttery blondie base filled with tender, caramelized apples and warm cinnamon spices. It’s a delightful seasonal twist on a classic dessert bar.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 medium apples (like Honeycrisp or Fuji), peeled, cored, and diced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (for caramelizing apples)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (for caramelizing apples)
- For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan, or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar until well combined.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the diced apples and granulated sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and slightly caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Let them cool slightly.
- Gently fold the caramelized apples into the blondie batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
- While the blondies are baking, prepare the maple cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated.
- Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract until the frosting is smooth and well combined.
- Once the blondies are baked, let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Spread the maple cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled blondies.
- Cut into bars and serve your irresistible apple cinnamon blondies.
Notes
- For chewier blondies, do not overbake.
- Ensure your apples are diced into small, uniform pieces for even cooking.
- If you prefer a stronger apple flavor, you can add more apples.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
- Store leftover blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg