Apple cinnamon blondies are what happen when you take a classic chewy blondie and layer in the best parts of fall baking; grated fresh apple, cinnamon with a hint of nutmeg, and a brown butter cream cheese frosting. This is the kind of recipe you reach for when you want something homemade and special without spending all day in the kitchen. One bowl for the blondies, no mixer for the bars and you’ll have them in the oven in 15 minutes. The brown butter cream cheese frosting is the finishing touch that makes these blondies feel next level without much extra effort.
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As a busy mom, I am always looking for recipes that deliver big on flavor, but don’t take forever to make. These bars check every box. The apple sauce and grated apple keep the texture moist and soft, the brown sugar adds a caramel-like depth, and the cinnamon and nutmeg make your kitchen smell like fall as they bake.
If you love cozy, apple forward baking, my apple snack cake and apple cider sugar cookies are some other favorites worth adding to your fall baking list.
🍏 why you’ll love these blondie bars
- Grated apple bakes right into every bite for real apple flavor.
- Thick, soft and chewy with a fudgy center.
- Brown butter cream cheese frosting adds a rich, slightly nutty finish.
- Easy enough for a weeknight, but special enough for a celebration.
🍎 ingredient notes
I tested these bars a few times to get the texture just right. The ratio of sugars, butter, and applesauce creates a thick, fudgy base. The grated apple bakes down beautifully, giving apple flavor in every bite (I don’t know about you, but I don’t like apple chunks in my baked goods). I went back and forth on the frosting. A maple glaze? Cream cheese frosting? And in the end settled with the brown butter cream cheese frosting from my carrot cake blondies, since it pairs with the cinnamon in the most wonderful way.
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
Sugars ~ granulated and brown sugar is used in the bars and confectioners’ sugar for the frosting. The brown sugar brings a caramel-like depth that makes these bars taste rich and cozy. I prefer dark brown sugar, but light brown also works.
Applesauce ~ works alongside the egg to add moisture and keep the apple cinnamon blondies soft. Use unsweetened applesauce for the best results. I tested with both plain and cinnamon flavored.
Butter ~ the blondies use melted butter and the cream cheese frosting needs either solidified brown butter or room temperature butter.
Apple ~ one medium size apple is needed. I used Pink Lady and Cosmic Crisp in my testing. Grating the apple (rather than chopping it) means it melts right into the batter. You get all the apple moisture and flavor without big chunks that can make the bars uneven.
🥣 how to make cinnamon apple blondies
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. (If you want brown butter cream cheese frosting, brown the butter now. Instructions are in the recipe card.)
In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, packed brown sugar, and kosher salt until well combined.
Then add in the egg, applesauce, and vanilla. Scrape up and down the bowl as needed and whisk until combined.
Next add the cinnamon, nutmeg,and baking powder and whisk to combine.
Now add the all-purpose flour and mix with a spatula until some large flour streaks remain. Then add the grated apple and gently fold them into the blondie dough until combined.
Drop the batter (it’s thick) into the prepared baking pan and smooth to an even layer.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the edges have lightly browned and a tester in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
You do not want a clean/dry tester, which means the blondies are over baked. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack. (If you want to speed up the cooling process, place the pan in the refrigerator once you can pick it up with bare hands).
🧈 how to make the brown butter cream cheese frosting
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high until creamy.
Then add the solidified brown butter and beat on medium-high until combined and creamy.
Scrape up and down the bowl, then the confectioners’ sugar. Mix on low until the sugar is incorporated, then add the vanilla and beat on medium-high for until the buttercream is smooth.
Spread the frosting over the cooled apple cinnamon blondies.
💬 frequently asked questions
why does my tester need moist crumbs and not to come out clean?
Blondies are meant to be fudgy in the center, not fully set like a cake. A clean tester means they have baked too long and the bars will be dry once they cool. Pull them from the oven when a few moist crumbs cling to the tester.
can I use a different pan size?
I recommend a light colored 8x8 pan for this recipe. A 9x9 can be used, but the blondies will be thinner and need less baking time, check them around the 20 minute mark.
what kind of apple works best?
I tested with Pink Lady and Cosmic Crisp. Firm apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Fuji hold up well and release a good amount of moisture. I’d avoid soft apple varieties.
👩🏻🍳 tips for the best homemade blondies
Use a light colored metal pan. Dark pans absorb more heat and can cause the edges to over-brown while the center is still underdone. Glass pans can take longer to bake and can also cause the edges to over bake with an underdone middle as well. If glass is all you have, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F and keep a close eye on them.
Don't over bake. I know I say this a lot, but it matters so much with blondies! The center should look barely set when you pull them from the oven. They will continue to set up as they cool.
Grate the apple right before using. Once grated, apples start to oxidize and release liquid. Grating right before folding into the batter will give the best results.
Use a scale. I know I am a broken record here, but measuring your ingredients is my number one tip for consistent baking results. Weighing your ingredients is much more accurate than measuring by volume. I use a kitchen scale in all my baking and it has made me a much better baker! And gives you less dishes to wash too!
For even more easy bar recipes to add to your rotation, check out all the bars and brownie recipes on the blog. There are so many good ones!
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Apple Cinnamon Blondies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Apple Cinnamon Blondies with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe created and tested by:
I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Please note
When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.
Ingredients
apple cinnamon blondies
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted 170g
- 1 cup brown sugar packed 200g
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ cup applesauce 60g
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 219g
- 1 medium apple peeled and grated ~210 g before grating and 120g once grated
Brown butter cream cheese frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese room temperature 57g
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter browned and solidified 35g
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar 90g
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
apple cinnamon blondies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. (If you want brown butter cream cheese frosting, brown the butter now. Instructions are below)
- In a medium to large bowl, whisk together the melted butter (¾ cup/170g), granulated sugar (½ cup/100g), packed brown sugar (1 cup/200g) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon) until well combined.
- Then add in the egg (1 large), applesauce (¼ cup/60g), and vanilla (2 teaspoons). Scrape up and down the bowl as needed and whisk until combined, about 1 minute.
- Next add the cinnamon (1 teaspoon), nutmeg (¼ teaspoon) and baking powder (½ teaspoon) and whisk to combine, about 30 seconds.
- Now add the all-purpose flour (1 ¾ cup/219g) and mix with a spatula until some large flour streaks remain. Then add the grated apple (1 medium/~ 120g) and gently fold them into the blondie dough until combined.
- Drop the batter (it’s thick) into the prepared baking pan and smooth to an even layer.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the edges have lightly browned and a tester in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. You do not want a clean/dry tester, which means the blondies are over baked. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack. (If you want to speed up the cooling process, place the pan in the refrigerator once you can pick it up with bare hands).
brown butter cream cheese frosting*
- Place the cut cubes of cold unsalted butter (2 ½ tablespoons/35g) into a light colored sauce pan and place over medium heat and let it cook until small brown flakes form. You will want to stir or swirl the pan frequently after the butter has fully melted to keep it from burning. The butter will foam and bubble up along the process, just keep stirring/swirling and move the foam aside from time to time to check the color. The butter will turn an amber/brown color and will smell nutty and toasted when it's ready; it should take about 1-2 minutes. Pour melted butter and all the browned bits into a small heatproof bowl and set aside to solidify. You want the brown butter solidified before making the frosting.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese (2 ounces/57g) on medium-high until creamy, about 1 minute. Then add the solidified brown butter and beat on medium-high until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Scrape up and down the bowl, then the confectioners’ sugar (¾ cup/90g). Mix on low until the sugar is incorporated, then add the vanilla (1 teaspoon) and beat on medium high for another 1-3 minutes until the buttercream is smooth.
- Spread the frosting over the fully apple cinnamon blondies.
- Then use the parchment to pull the bars out of the pan and cut into desired sizes. For the cleanest slices, chill the blondies with cream cheese frosting before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
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