These apple cinnamon blondies are chewy, buttery bars studded with tender spiced apple pieces and finished with a sweet cinnamon icing drizzle. They bake up with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, warm spice notes, and just the right amount of sweetness.
Think of these blondies as a cozy fall twist on the classic blondie. The cinnamon-sugar apples keep every bite moist and flavorful, while the cinnamon icing adds the perfect finishing touch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Soft, chewy texture: Brown sugar and apple chunks keep the bars tender and moist.
Cozy fall flavors: Cinnamon, nutmeg and dark brown sugar create warm, comforting notes.
Quick and simple: No mixer required — just a bowl, a whisk and under 45 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- Apples: Gala, Braeburn, Honeycrisp or Pink Lady work well — sweet-tart and firm.
- Spices: Cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg add warmth to the batter.
- Dark brown sugar: Gives a deep molasses note and chewy texture.
- Baking powder: Provides a light lift so the bars bake evenly.
- Powdered sugar: The base for the cinnamon icing.
See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and detailed measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap pears for apples for a softer, earthier flavor.
- Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
- Use apple pie spice instead of separate cinnamon and nutmeg for extra depth.
- Replace the cinnamon icing with a drizzle of salted caramel for a richer finish.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Cook the apples with a little sugar and cinnamon over medium heat until they soften. Set aside to cool.
Two: Whisk together melted butter, dark brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
Three: Fold flour, baking powder, salt and spices into the wet ingredients, then gently fold in the cooled apple pieces.
Four: Spread the batter into a prepared 8×8″ pan and bake until lightly golden at the edges and set on top.
Hot tip! Bake toward the shorter end of the time range for chewier blondies; bake longer for a more cake-like texture.
Five: Whisk the cinnamon icing ingredients until smooth, adjusting with milk or powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency.
Six: Drizzle the icing over completely cooled bars, then remove from the pan and slice into squares.
Expert Tips
- Cool the cooked apples before folding them into the batter — hot apples can alter the texture and temperature of the batter.
- Avoid overbaking: the edges should be set while the center remains slightly soft; carryover heat will finish the bake as they cool.
- For clean slices, chill the blondies briefly and wipe the knife between cuts.
- Adjust icing consistency with extra milk (thinner) or powdered sugar (thicker).
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Any firm apple works. Sweeter apples like Gala or Fuji make a sweeter blondie; Granny Smith will add tartness.
Yes. Double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch pan, adjusting bake time as needed.
Yes. Freeze iced or uniced blondies for up to 2 months, wrapped tightly. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
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Apple Crumble Bars
What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- Recipes use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton’s or another finer salt, reduce the amount by half.
- Switch between cups and metric using the toggle in the recipe card. Baking by weight with a digital scale yields the best consistency.
- Use the recipe scaling buttons to change ingredient quantities; adjust bake times as needed when changing batch size.
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📖Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Blondies
Callan Wenner
Equipment
- 8×8 inch pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
- Frying pan
Ingredients
Blondies
- 1 cup peeled, cored and chopped apples (½” pieces)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon (for cooking apples)
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar (for cooking apples)
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons milk (more or less to adjust consistency)
Instructions
Blondies
- Add the prepared apples, brown sugar and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon to a frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes until the apples soften. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8×8″ pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg.
- In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, ¾ cup dark brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold with a spatula until almost combined. Fold in the cooled apples and any juices.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake 18–22 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and edges are set. Do not overbake.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before adding the icing.
Cinnamon Icing
- Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and milk until smooth. Add more milk to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken.
- Drizzle the icing over cooled blondies, remove from the pan using the parchment overhang, and cut into squares.
Carbohydrates: 27 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 6 g
Nutritional information is an estimate per serving.