The change of seasons brings out the best in me, especially creatively. By the end of summer, I find myself feeling ready for something new! The change of seasons brings about a new energy and sparks my inspiration and brings in so many new recipes ideas. These apple cinnamon blondies with maple cream cheese frosting are just the beginning of my fall-focused recipes.

This recipe has 3 of my all time favorite autumn flavors – apple, cinnamon, and maple. They are for sure the starter pack for fall-inspired desserts. I wish I could bottle this recipe up and turn it into a candle because the SMELL that was permeating through my apartment during this process was so magical. I never used to consider myself a baker, but lately I’ve been getting into it more and that’s DEFINITELY the best part of baking – the way it makes the space around you smell. The worst part? Letting shit cool before enjoying. My patience, especially when waiting to try food is MINIMAL.

WHAT IS A BLONDIE?

It’s the opposite of a brownie – which I don’t know why, but I find that to be the cutest thing ever. It’s essentially everything that goes into a brownie, minus the cocoa, so it’s a white brownie – AKA a blondie! They have the same chewy, dense, and moist texture minus the chocolatey flavor. They are equally as good, in my opinion. Especially when lathered in maple cream cheese frosting.

TIPS FOR STORING OR MAKING AHEAD

If you are making these ahead of time for an event or gathering, my suggestion would be to make the blondies, and make the frosting, but keep them separate. Leave the bars out at room temp and keep the frosting in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, frost the blondies and cut up!

If you’ve already frosted your blondies and you’re looking to store leftovers, keep them in the fridge. Because there is cream cheese in the frosting, you’ll want to keep them cold to avoid them spoiling.

TIPS FOR MAKING THESE BARS PERFECT

1. WEIGH YOUR FLOUR (in grams)- baking is PRECISE. That is why I’ve always felt resistance when baking. It is scientific and if one component is being measured improperly, the dish can be thrown off. When measuring flour, using a scale will be your best chance for accuracy. If you don’t have a scale and have to use measuring cups, DO NOT PACK YOUR FLOUR. This will add more flour than the recipe calls for. Instead, try using a spoon to spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off, keeping it fluffy and airy. Too much flour will make your dough thick and dense.
2. LET THEM COOL FULLY – I knowwww, this is the worst part of baking. Allowing them to cool will let them set, be easier to frost, and then be easier to cut. There is butter in the frosting, so if your bars are hot, or even warm, the frosting will get a little melty. They will still taste great, they just won’t be as aesthetically pleasing.
3. CHOOSE YOUR APPLE – I used Honey Crisp apples for these, and really any apple will do! I think Honey Crisp are nice and sweet, but choose your adventure here. If you have an apple allergy or do not like apples, you can omit them entirely – your bars will just have a different flavor and no chunks of apples throughout!

As always, let me know if you make these!

Apple Cinnamon Blondies with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

megan sheley

The perfect segue from late summer into early fall. These apple cinnamon blondies with maple cream cheese frosting will absolutely blow your mind. A must-make for a fall themed dinner's dessert, or the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving

4.54 from 13 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Rest time 2 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Equipment

• 1 hand mixer

Ingredients

  

FOR THE BLONDIES

• 1 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly browned
• 290 grams all-purpose flour (2 1/3c) spoon into a measuring cup and level off, DO NOT PACK. This will change the consistency of your dough.
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 2/3 cup 330g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

FOR THE APPLES

• 2 cup peeled and chopped apples I used Honey Crisp
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp butter

FOR THE MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 8 oz cream cheese softened and room temp (take out of the fridge a few hours before using)
• 1 stick butter, unsalted softened – take out of the fridge a few hours before using
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan on LOW heat, melt 1 cup of butter (2 sticks).
• In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk together until combined and set aside.
• Once your butter is melted, turn the heat up slightly (low – medium) and get the butter slightly browned. This should just be a few minutes – stir frequently to avoid burning.
• While your butter is browning, peel 2 apples and chop into small pieces. Saute in a large pan with 1 tbsp of butter for 10 minutes. This is to cook the apples slightly before baking. Add in 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and stir well. Remove from heat.
• Add melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla to a large bowl and mix well with a hand mixer. It should be sort of a caramel consistency. Add in your dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula.
• Add in your cinnamon apples and fold in. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper and bake for 35-45 minutes (keep an eye on this as every oven is different). The tops should be golden brown and the center should be firm (not jiggly).
• While your blondies are baking, make your cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl add your SOFTENED cream cheese and butter. Use a hand mixer to fully combine. Add in your powdered sugar and maple syrup, mix again. Place in the fridge.
• Remove pan from oven and let cool for 1 hour before removing. After 1 hour, lift from the parchment paper and transfer to a cooling rack, let cool for another 1-2 hours. You want this fully cooled because your frosting will melt (from the butter) if placed on too warm of blondies.
• Spread your frosting on your blondies, top with cinnamon, and cut into squares and enjoy!

Keyword blondies, desserts, fall recipes