These soft and chewy brown butter apple blondies combine cinnamon-spiced apples, brown sugar, and flavorful brown butter. We’ll top them with brown butter icing, a reader favorite icing that I also use for peach Bundt cake and pistachio cookies. If you love apple desserts like I do, these are a must-make!
Alternate title for this recipe: Butter
Let’s celebrate apples with immensely buttery blondies. The good news is that this recipe makes a large 9×13-inch pan, so there’s plenty to share.
But the bad news is… you have to share them.
These Brown Butter Apple Blondies Are:
- Cinnamon-spiced
- Soft and sweet
- Chewy, not cakey
- Flavored with brown sugar and brown butter
- Bursting with apples
How to Make Brown Butter Apple Blondies
Listen up because there’s a few steps to conquer before we take that first bite.
- Brown the butter first. We’ll use brown butter in the blondies and in the icing. Pour the browned butter into a heat-safe bowl, then return the pan to the stove. No need to clean the pan because we’re using it in the next step.
- Peel, chop, and gently cook the apples. You *could* stir the apples right into the blondie batter, but the apples taste much better if they’re slightly softened first. Cook the chopped apples on the stove for only 3–5 minutes. We’ll cook them with a little maple syrup (or brown sugar) and cinnamon. IT’S ALL SO GOOD!
- Make the blondie batter. There’s no electric mixer required for this recipe! Whisk the brown butter with brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, and the pre-cooked apples, then spread the batter into a lined 9×13-inch pan.
- Bake until lightly browned on top. The blondies take about 35 minutes.
- As the blondies cool, prepare the icing. Mix a little more brown butter with confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
Here are the gently cooked apples and the blondie batter:
Success Tip: Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it much easier to remove the apple blondies before slicing and serving. I use the same tip when making rice krispie treats and M&M cookie bars, too.
Best Apples for Brown Butter Apple Blondies
You can use your favorite variety of apples. I prefer tart Granny Smith apples because the blondies are pretty sweet. For a complete list of my favorite apple varieties to bake with, with a description of each, you can visit my post, The Best Apples for Baking.
The Magic of Brown Butter
Let’s talk about brown butter. I actually created a page for all things brown butter including the quick process, success tips, and a video tutorial. Brown butter is a one-ingredient wonder and vasty improves the flavor in any dish where it’s used, including these blondies and these marshmallow crispy cookies. Brown butter by gently cooking and stirring it on the stove until its milk solids toast and it has a nutty aroma. This takes anywhere between 5–8 minutes, so it’s a pretty quick step.
And well worth every single second. In less than 10 minutes, you’ll have liquid gold:
Brown Butter Icing
The blondies don’t *need* icing, just like we don’t *need* to binge-watch Netflix on a Sunday night. But we want it, so we’ll do it.
This is the same brown butter icing we use for pistachio cookies, skillet cornmeal cake, pecan sugar cookies, and brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies. It’s remarkable and readers have been raving about it on my peach Bundt cake. Try it on scones and cinnamon rolls too. (You won’t regret this icing, unlike the 4 hours of Netflix binge-watching.)
More Apple Treats
- Classic Apple Pie
- Homemade Apple Cider
- Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Caramel Apple Scones
- Apple Hand Pies
- Apple Bundt Cake
- Fresh Apple Cake
- Honeycrisp Apple Sangria
Brown Butter Apple Blondies
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 24 blondies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft and chewy brown butter apple blondies combine cinnamon-spiced apples, brown sugar, and flavorful brown butter. For extra flavor, top with brown butter icing. Read recipe Notes prior to beginning.
Ingredients
Apples
- 2 cups (240g) peeled chopped apples (about 2 medium apples)
- 2 Tablespoons (30g/ml) pure maple syrup (or brown sugar)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Blondies
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
- 2 and 1/3 cups (291g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 and 2/3 cups (330g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Brown Butter Icing
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30g/ml) milk
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Brown the butter for the blondies and the icing: Place all 20 Tablespoons of butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. (Light-colored helps you determine when the butter begins browning.) Stir or whisk the butter constantly as it melts. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Keep stirring. After 5–8 minutes, the butter will begin browning—you’ll notice lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan and it will have a nutty aroma. As soon as the butter has browned, immediately remove from heat and pour it into a heat-safe glass bowl or liquid measuring cup. Be sure to scrape out all the browned solids at the bottom of the skillet and include them as well. Transfer 3 Tbsp (43g) of the browned butter to a small bowl and reserve for the icing in step 7. The rest will go into the blondie batter in step 5. Because of moisture lost during the browning process, you will now have less butter than you started with—this is expected. Allow brown butter to slightly cool while you continue.
- Prepare the apples: Meanwhile, return the pan to the stove. (No need to rinse out!) Add the apples, maple syrup/brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir and cook over medium heat until apples have slightly softened, about 3–5 minutes. Set apples aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift out the cooled blondies (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
- Make the blondies: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the apples. Batter will be thick.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out *mostly* clean. Remove from the oven and allow the blondies to cool completely in the pan set on a cooling rack.
- Make the icing: If the brown butter you set aside for the icing has solidified, warm it in the microwave for a few seconds to melt it back into liquid, then whisk together with the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. If needed, add more confectioners’ sugar to thicken, or more milk to thin out. Drizzle or spread over cooled blondies.
- Lift the blondies out of the pan by gripping the parchment paper overhang; transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Iced or plain blondies freeze well up to 3 months. Arrange in even layers in a large freezer container between sheets of parchment. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then allow to come to room temperature before icing and/or serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Light-Colored Skillet or Stainless Steel Skillet (for browning butter) | 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Rubber Spatula
- Apples: Use your favorite variety of apples. I prefer tart Granny Smith apples because the blondies are pretty sweet. Peel and chop into bite-sized pieces before using.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Absolutely delicious. The icing was better on day 2 and 3 but next time I will skip the icing. It was too sweet for me and over powered the bar. The actual blondie part on it’s own was absolutely incredible. If you like icing you’ll love it. I just don’t like icing very much.
I’m not usually really into apple desserts but I had a few apples on hand that I wanted to use up. This recipe sounded quick and easy so gave it a try. These are seriously so good! I will definitely be making them again!
Could salted butter be used instead of unsalted?
Sure! Here’s the difference between salted and unsalted butter in baking.
Hey I made these for my family and work, and they were gone by the time I left! They were amazing! I do have a question, next time I’m planning on making 3 batches. Would I be ok to triple the recipe without compromising anything?
Hi Sophia! We would make separate batches for best results.
Can I half this recipe and put it in a 8inch pan?
Hi Jade, Sure can! We’re unsure of the exact bake time. Hope you enjoy them!
Of course, I loved this recipe and many of your others, however when I melted the cup of unsalted butter making it browned, I only got 8 oz of liquid altogether. I am a seasoned baker of 35 years and I do exactly what the recipes say. Please advise. Tnx Sally!
Hi Nancie, it sounds like more moisture evaporated during the browning process than usual. There are a couple things you can try for next time: add a little water to the blondie batter to make up for the evaporated amount; you can also try starting with an extra couple tablespoons of butter before browning. I hope this helps for next time!
Fabulous fall dessert! Another winner from Sally
Incredible! Stop reading the reviews and go make these now. They are the best apple and fall treat I’ve ever made!
I made this once for my husband’s mens group, and I’ve been making them weekly ever since. These are to die for!
Made these today and I’m glad my wife and child are eating them haha. They are riiiich!
This recipe was a huge hit with my family and friends!
These were the best apple blondes and I didn’t even add the icing. Will definitely be making these again.
This is amazing! It was simple to make and received rave reviews. Several friends went back to get more!
I want to make it for my family, but we have a few that don’t really like the flavor of nutmeg. Could I simply add more cinnamon or replace with ginger for a slightly different flavor? Has anyone tried this?
Hi Matt, you can certainly omit the nutmeg or replace with cinnamon or ginger.
Haven’t finished these yet and I’m sure they’ll be delicious, but can it be right that we’re browning 1 1/4 cups of butter and supposed to end up with the same amount after it’s browned? Browning reduces the amount so I ended up with around 1 cup only and have to make another batch of butter for the icing. Am I missing something?
just made and going to taste soon – it smells phenomenal. I came here to see other people’s experience because I feel like what you mentioned was the case for me. That the browning removed mass and I needed to add oil at the end to supplement for the very dry dough to get it near the batter shown in the video and my experience with blondie batter. I’m confident they’ll be delicious, but might be wise to brown 2 sticks of butter and measure out the amount you need. Can always freeze the extra to throw in something else later!
It says in the directions for the apples brown sugar but in the ingredients list it doesn’t have brown sugar with the apples. Is there supposed to be brown sugar with them and if so, how much?
Hi Jodi, the ingredients list “2 Tablespoons (30ml) pure maple syrup (or brown sugar)” so you can use maple syrup or brown sugar with the apples. Hope this helps!
HUGE hit at the office. Made for my coworkers birthday and they were gone so fast. I highly recommend straining the brown butter to remove the milk solids. I also added 1/4 tsp of clove which made these taste like Christmas. Used apple cider and maple syrup for the glaze instead of brown butter because I didn’t have anymore and it still tasted amazing. Another smash hit from Sally, will definitely be making these a fall baking staple!!
These bars are stellar! I make then every fall, and my friends go nuts for them. They’re like the most fudgy apple cake you’ve ever had.
These turned out amazing!
Hi Sally! Would this recipe work if I halved it? How could I modify? Thank you!
Hi L, you can definitely halve this recipe for an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time. Hope you enjoy them!
Thanks! I made 1/2 of the recipe in an 8×8 and baked for about 22 minutes. Delicious!
would this recipe work with gluten free all purpose flour?
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. Sally has never steered me wrong, and this recipe hits every note in the flavor profile. It’s a little spicy. Its moist and nutty. The apples add a little bit of bite and the texture of the crumb is soft and gooey with a shiny crust. It’s PERFECT!
Hi! This recipe is sooo good that I want to make it for my kid’s birthday, but in a cupcake pan to fit my decor. I tried a first batch, but the center sank… I then tried again at a lower temperature, 325. It was better, but not perfect. Do you have any other suggestions to solve this little problem? Thank you so much!
Hi Sara, how high are you filling the cupcake pan? Perhaps there is too much, making it difficult for the blondie to bake through in the middles. You might try a little less in each cupcake cavity and try increasing the bake time just a bit. Hope this helps!
Can you brown plant based butter to use in your blonde batter? My husband is dairy free. I have subbed in plant based butter for him in some of your recipes with success.
Hi Laura, we haven’t tested it, but please do let us know if you try it!
In my experience, plant based butter doesn’t brown as the browning is the toasting of the milk solids. What I’ve done as a swap in the past is melted plant based butter and mixed it with a small amount of nut extract (almond or hazelnut). You don’t get the pretty brown specks, but the butter retains the nutty/toasted flavour that way.
The flavor and texture of these bars are out of this world! Made exactly as written. Another winner from Sally!
SO freaking good.
I have almond milk on hand, and was wondering if I could use this in place of the milk?
Yes, you can use almond milk in the icing.
These turned out amazing- not dry but not raw/gooey either. Took them to a housewarming party and they were a hit.
These are AMAZING! I made two pans one weekend and brought a pan to work. The bars were gone with hours. The only things I did different was adding more cinnamon, nutmeg, and added pumpkin pie spice to the batter. I also added some pumpkin pie spice to the icing. And instead of using unsalted butter, I used salted butter for the entire recipe and turned out delicious.
If you want less sweet blondes, can some of the sugar be omitted or will it mess up the chemistry of the recipe?
Hi Joy, while you can certainly try reducing the sugar a bit, keep in mind that it plays an important role in the taste, texture, and overall structure of baked goods. We’d start small and that adjust more/less for future batches.
Has anyone ever scaled this up to a half sheet pan? How many batches and how long on cook time?
My friend served me a piece of the Brown Butter Apple Blondies at her house & I had to get the recipe from her & make them myself! So good!