Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Glaze

These Brown Butter Apple Blondies are chewy, buttery, and packed with warm fall flavor. The apples are lightly cooked with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then folded into a rich blondie batter made with nutty browned butter.

A simple brown butter glaze goes on top for even more flavor. This easy fall baking recipe feels a little special, but it’s still simple enough to make anytime you have a couple of apples on hand. And if you’re in the mood for more cozy apple baking, my Apple Cinnamon Bread recipe is another easy fall favorite.

Why You’ll Love These Chewy Apple Blondies

• Chewy, not cakey: The texture is soft, dense, and moist instead of fluffy like cake.
• Nutty brown butter flavor: Browned butter gives the blondies a deeper, toasted flavor that works perfectly with apples and warm spices.
• Warm fall flavor: Cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and apples make these feel like classic fall baking.
• Easy to make: The recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together in one 8-inch pan.
• Brown butter glaze: A simple glaze on top adds extra flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.

Ingredients for Brown Butter Apple Blondies

• Butter: You’ll brown 10 Tablespoons of unsalted butter and use it in both the blondie batter and the glaze. Browning the butter gives these bars their rich, nutty flavor.
• Apples: Peeled and diced into small pieces. You’ll need about 1 1/4 cups, or roughly 160 grams.
• Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and helps keep the blondies soft and chewy. A small amount is also used with the apples.
• All-purpose flour: Just one cup gives the blondies enough structure while keeping them dense rather than cakey.
• Egg: One large egg binds everything together without making the blondies too light or cake-like.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: Warm spices that pair perfectly with apples and brown butter.
• Vanilla extract: Used in both the blondies and the glaze.
• Powdered sugar and milk: Combined with some of the reserved brown butter to make the simple glaze.
• Baking powder and salt: Just a little baking powder for lift, while salt balances the sweetness and brings out the brown butter flavor.

How to Make Brown Butter

Browning butter is easy, but once it starts changing color, it can go from perfectly toasted to burned pretty quickly.

Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan or skillet over medium heat. It will begin to foam and sizzle as the water cooks off. Keep stirring and watch the bottom of the pan. After a few minutes, you’ll see small golden-brown specks forming and the butter will start to smell rich and nutty.

As soon as it reaches that point, remove it from the heat. Don’t leave behind those browned bits on the bottom of the pan—they’re packed with flavor, so scrape them out along with the butter.

For this recipe, reserve about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the browned butter for the glaze and use the rest for the blondie batter.

How to Make Apple Blondies

1. Start by cooking the diced apples with brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg for just a few minutes, until they begin to soften. You can skip this step and fold the apples directly into the batter, but I prefer the extra flavor and slightly softer texture you get from cooking them first.
2. Whisk the brown sugar into the slightly cooled browned butter, then add the egg and vanilla.
3. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined. The batter will be thick, which is exactly what you want for chewy blondies.
4. Fold in the apples, spread the batter into the prepared 8-inch pan, and bake at 350°F for about 25–30 minutes.
5. Let the blondies cool completely before adding the brown butter glaze.

Tips for the Best Apple Blondies

• Don’t overbake them. For chewy blondies, take them out when the center is set, and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• Expect a thick batter. Blondie batter should be much thicker than cake batter, so don’t be tempted to add extra liquid.
• Cut the apples small. Small, even pieces soften more easily and spread throughout the bars instead of leaving large wet pockets.
• Cooking the apples is optional. You can fold them straight into the batter, but cooking them for 3–5 minutes first gives them a softer texture and a little more flavor.
• Keep all the browned bits. Those toasted milk solids at the bottom of the pan are where much of the nutty brown butter flavor comes from.
• Let them cool before glazing. If the blondies are still warm, the glaze will melt and soak into the top instead of setting nicely.

What Are the Best Apples for Blondies?

Use firm apples that hold their shape well during baking. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, or Fuji are all good choices.

I like using an apple that has a little tartness because it balances the sweetness of the brown sugar and glaze. Avoid very soft apples, since they can release too much moisture and disappear into the blondies.

How to Store Apple Blondies

Store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

If refrigerated, let them sit at room temperature for a little while before serving for the best soft and chewy texture.

You can also freeze the blondies, preferably without the glaze, for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then add the glaze before serving.

More Apple Recipes to Try

If you’re in the mood for more easy apple baking, try one of these favorites:

1. Apple Cinnamon Bread – soft, moist, and packed with warm cinnamon flavor.
2. Easy Apple Dumplings – a simple old-fashioned dessert made with tender apples and a buttery sauce.
3. Copycat McDonald’s Apple Pie – crispy, golden hand pies filled with warm cinnamon apples.
4. Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars – creamy cheesecake, spiced apples, and a buttery oat topping in every bite.
5. Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake – a cozy apple cake with plenty of cinnamon and crumb topping.
6. Easy Apple Cobbler – a simple baked apple dessert that’s perfect served warm.

Print

Brown Butter Apple Blondies

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Description

Chewy Brown Butter Apple Blondies loaded with cinnamon-spiced apples and rich, nutty browned butter, then finished with an easy brown butter glaze. A cozy fall dessert that’s simple to make and full of warm apple flavor.

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Ingredients

For the Apples

• 1 1/4 cups peeled and small-diced apples (about 160 g)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Brown Butter Blondies

• 10 Tablespoons (140g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes (divided)
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (160g) light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Brown Butter Glaze

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons reserved browned butter
• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1–2 Tablespoons milk, plus more if needed

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Instructions

1. Brown the butter: Place all 10 Tablespoons of butter in a light-colored saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, as the butter melts, foams, and begins to sizzle. Continue cooking until it turns golden brown, brown specks appear on the bottom of the pan, and it smells nutty. Remove from the heat and pour the browned butter into a heat-safe mixing bowl so it doesn’t continue cooking in the hot pan. Scrape in all of the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
2. Measure out and reserve 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the browned butter for the glaze. Set the reserved butter aside and let the remaining browned butter cool slightly for the blondie batter.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan, line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides, and lightly grease the parchment.
4. Cook the apples: Return the same skillet to the stove (there’s no need to wash it). Add the diced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften but still hold their shape. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
6. Add the brown sugar to the slightly cooled browned butter and whisk until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
7. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. The batter will be thick.
8. Fold in the cooked apples until evenly distributed.
9. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
10. Bake for about 25–30 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake.
11. Let the blondies cool completely in the pan. Using the parchment paper overhang, lift them out of the pan before glazing.
12. Make the brown butter glaze: If the reserved browned butter has solidified, warm it briefly until just melted. Whisk it together with the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 Tablespoon of milk. Add more milk, a little at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired consistency. If it becomes too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
13. Drizzle or spread the glaze over the completely cooled blondies. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
14. Store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Browning butter removes some of its water, so the final volume will be less than the original 10 Tablespoons. Simply reserve 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the finished browned butter for the glaze and use the rest in the batter.