As soon as September arrives I am so ready to start baking with all the fall flavors. These brown butter apple blondies were the perfect treat to satisfy my craving. It does not seem possible that it is September. Summer went entirely too fast, and although it is my favorite season and I am sad to see it go fall comes in a very close second. The food of fall is the absolute best. The warm fall spices, cozy soups and all the comfort food. I feel most inspired in the kitchen this time of the year.
These brown butter apple blondies have some of the best fall flavors including brown butter, cinnamon, apples and maple. All the flavors are irresistible when baked together in a soft and gooey blondie. When you take a bite you will have all the fall feels.
What type of apples are best for baking?
For this recipe I use Honeycrisp apples. They are my favorite eating apple, but also work well in some recipes for baking. Honeycrisp apples are crunchy with the perfect balance of sweet and tart. They are firm enough so they don’t cook down too much which makes them perfect for this recipe because we don’t want the apple to become mushy. A few other varieties of apples that are similar to Honeycrisp and would also work well in this recipe are: Sweet Tango, Ambrosia, Jazz, and Pink Lady.
Why use brown butter?
Brown butter is butter that has been browned on a stovetop until the milk solids are toasted and take on a nutty flavor and brown color. Browning butter is an easy extra step that transforms butter’s flavor. Brown butter gives baked goods rich, nutty, and caramel notes. It adds great flavor to almost any recipe.
Ingredients Needed for Brown Butter Apple Blondies
The blondies require simple ingredients but are SO flavorful!
Honeycrisp apples – or another crisp & sweet apple
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Butter- browned
Eggs
Vanilla
Flour
Maple syrup
Powdered sugar
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
Blondies
- 1 cup butter cut into pieces
- 2 1/3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 2/3 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
Apples
- 2 medium honeycrisp apples about 2 cups
- 2 T brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon Maple Icing
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Brown 2 1/2 sticks of butter (1 1/4 cups). To brown the butter melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. The butter will foam once melted, continue stirring. After 5-7 minutes the butter will begin browning and have a nutty aroma. Immediately remove from heat and pour into heat proof bowl.Once it's browned reserve 1/4 cup of it for the icing. The rest will be used in the blonde batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Peel and chop the apples into bite sized pieces, add them to the same pan you browned the butter in along with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook and stir over medium heat until the apples start to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk the 1 cup browned butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla together. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in the apples.
- Spread the batter into the pan. Bake for 30- 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let cool completely.
- To make the icing heat the 1/4 cup brown butter in the microwave to soften for a few seconds. Whisk in the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, powdered sugar, and salt. Spread on cooled blondies. Enjoy!
These brown butter apple blondies are the perfect dessert to compliment a cozy fall soup such as our Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice soup.
