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