These Maple Glazed Apple Blondies are the ultimate autumn treat, layering a soft, buttery brown sugar cookie bar with sweet spiced apples. Topped with a rich maple glaze that sets into a crackly finish, they are like a handheld apple pie but even richer.
With a dense, chewy texture and warming notes of cinnamon and vanilla, these bars are perfect for cozy afternoons or a festive holiday dessert spread.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: The deep caramel notes of dark brown sugar and maple syrup perfectly complement the tart sweetness of the cooked apples and warm cinnamon spice.
- Texture: You get a dense, chewy blondie base and top, sandwiching a soft, juicy apple layer, all finished with a smooth, setting glaze.
- Time: 15 minutes prep/stovetop, 30 minutes bake time.
- Difficulty: Intermediate. It involves making a simple stovetop apple filling and layering batter.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need an 11×7 inch baking pan lined with foil or parchment paper. A small saucepan is required to cook the apple filling and later melt the glaze ingredients. You will also need a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the blondie batter. The ingredients rely on pantry baking staples, fresh apples, and pure maple syrup for that authentic fall flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- Apples – You need 2 large apples, chopped finely. Tart varieties like Granny Smith or crisp sweet ones like Honeycrisp hold up well. Pre-cooking them ensures they are soft inside the baked bar.
- Dark Brown Sugar – This gives the blondies their signature chewiness and deep molasses flavor.
- Butter – You will need butter for all three components: the batter (softened), the filling, and the glaze. It adds unmistakable richness.
- Maple Syrup – Use pure maple syrup for the glaze, not pancake syrup. The flavor difference is significant.
- Cinnamon – Used in every layer, cinnamon ties the dish together with warmth.
- Flour – All-purpose flour provides the structure. The batter will be quite thick, almost like cookie dough.
- Powdered Sugar – Sifted powdered sugar creates a smooth glaze that sets up firmly on top of the warm bars.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Nuts – Chopped walnuts or pecans added to the apple filling or sprinkled on top of the glaze add a wonderful crunch.
- Pan Size – If you don’t have an 11×7 pan, a 9×9 square pan works well, though the bars will be slightly thicker and may need a few extra minutes baking.
- Glaze – If you find the glaze too sweet, a pinch of salt helps balance it out.
How to Make Maple Glazed Apple Blondies
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 11×7 pan with tin foil (or spray the pan with cooking spray).
- Make Apple Filling: In a small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat, combine the chopped apples, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the apples soften slightly. Pull off heat and allow to cool.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a mixing bowl, cream the 1 cup softened butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar, and mix until well combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the salt and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon together. Add this to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Layer: In the bottom of the prepared pan, spread half of the blondie batter evenly. Use a spatula or your hands (the batter is very thick, so hands often work best). Spread the cooled apple filling all over this bottom layer. Top with the remaining blondie batter and spread it gently to cover the apples evenly.
- Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Make Maple Glaze: While the bars cool slightly, melt the 2 Tbsp butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon over low heat. Once melted together, pull off the heat. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk until fully combined and smooth. Allow the glaze to cool for 8-10 minutes so it can thicken.
- Finish: Allow the bars to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then pour the glaze over the bars. Allow it to set before slicing.
- Serve: Slice into squares and enjoy!
Pro Tip: Because the batter is thick and sticky, greasing your hands or the spatula with a little non-stick spray makes spreading the layers over the apples much easier without dragging the filling around.
Recipe Tips
- Finely Chop Apples: Keep your apple pieces small. Large chunks makes the bars hard to cut and can make the center too wet.
- Sift Sugar: Don’t skip sifting the powdered sugar for the glaze. Maple syrup doesn’t dissolve lumps easily, so starting with smooth sugar ensures a silky glaze.
- Cooling Time: Let the glaze cool slightly before pouring. If it is boiling hot, it will run right off the sides. If it cools a bit, it will sit nicely on top.
FAQs
- Do I need to peel the apples? It is recommended to peel them for the best texture, but if you enjoy the skin and chop them very finely, you can leave it on.
- Can I use light brown sugar? Yes, light brown sugar works, but the bars will be lighter in color and have a slightly less intense toffee flavor.
- How do I store leftovers? Store these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They stay very moist thanks to the apples.
Serving Suggestions
- Ice Cream: Serve a warm bar with a scoop of vanilla bean or cinnamon ice cream.
- Tea: These are sweet enough to pair beautifully with unsweetened black tea or coffee.
- Caramel: A drizzle of salted caramel sauce on top adds extra decadence.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Bake Ahead: These bars keep well and often taste better the next day as the moisture from the apples softens the blondie layers further.
- Freezing: You can freeze the baked bars (glazed or unglazed). Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Maple Glazed Apple Blondies
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12-15 Bars 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Maple Glazed Apple Blondies are the ultimate autumn treat, layering a soft, buttery brown sugar cookie bar with sweet spiced apples. Topped with a rich maple glaze that sets into a crackly finish, they are like a handheld apple pie but even richer. With a dense, chewy texture and warming notes of cinnamon and vanilla, these bars are perfect for cozy afternoons or a festive holiday dessert spread.
Ingredients
The Apple Filling
- 2 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
The Blondie Base
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
The Maple Glaze
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 11×7-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper and grease lightly.
Make Apple Filling
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the chopped apples, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the apples soften slightly. Remove from heat and let cool.
Cream Butter & Sugars
In a large mixing bowl, beat the 1 cup softened butter until fluffy. Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix until well combined.
Add Wet Ingredients
Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and salt.
Add Dry Ingredients
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add this to the wet mixture and stir just until combined. Note: The batter will be very thick.
Layer
Spread half of the batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. (Use greased hands or a spatula).
Spread the cooled apple mixture evenly over this bottom layer.
Top with the remaining batter, spreading gently to cover the apples.
Bake
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Make Glaze
While the bars cool, combine the glaze butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Let the glaze sit for 8-10 minutes to thicken.
Finish
Pour the thickened glaze over the warm blondies. Let the glaze set completely before slicing into squares.
Notes
Sticky Batter: The dough is thick and sticky, similar to cookie dough. Spraying your spatula or hands with non-stick cooking spray makes spreading the layers much easier.
Pan Size: An 11×7 pan is ideal. If you use a 9×9 square pan, the bars will be thicker and may require an extra 5 minutes of baking time.
Apple Chop: Chop the apples very finely. Large chunks make the bars difficult to slice cleanly and can make the center layer too wet.
Glaze Texture: Let the glaze cool slightly before pouring. If it’s boiling hot, it will run off the sides. Cooling allows it to thicken enough to sit beautifully on top.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bar
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 140mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: apple blondies, maple glaze recipe, fall dessert bars, apple pie bars, brown sugar blondies, autumn baking, chewy cookie bars
