Caramel Apple Blondies

These caramel apple blondies are a quick and easy Fall treat you can make in a jiffy. Fresh apples get folded into a brown sugar blondie batter, then topped with a salted caramel icing. You can make these caramel apple blondies easily without a mixer and mix up in 30 minutes or less!

 

Apple season is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it: the crisp air, the changing leaves, and of course, the apples! And of course all the apple baked goodies. Like apple cider donuts, apple dapple cake, or my caramel apple cheesecake bars.

And these caramel apple blondies. These blondies are the perfect way to celebrate all things apple. 

They’re moist and chewy, with a delicious caramel flavor that pairs perfectly with the tart apples. And let’s not forget the icing! It’s rich and creamy, and it takes the blondies to the next level.

I love making these blondies because they’re so easy to make. You can make the blondie batter easily without a mixer. I fold in fresh apples to the batter. And after it’s baked an easy caramel icing gets mixed together on the stovetop and then spread on top. 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy Caramel Apple Blondies is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cold ice cream and the warm blondies are the perfect combination. It’s like heaven in a bowl!

You can also customize these blondies how you like. Try adding different warm spices to the batter, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice. You can also add other ingredients, such as chopped nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate chips.

If you’re looking for a delicious and easy-to-make dessert that’s perfect for apple season, I highly recommend Caramel Apple Blondies. They’re sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them!

See Also:

• Pucker up and enjoy one of these homemade lemon cookies with easy lemon glaze drizzled over them!
• Coconut macaroons are an easy gluten free chewy coconut cookie. Dip in chocolate for an easy chocolate treat!
• Grab a jar of peanut butter and make these wonderfully easy old fashioned peanut butter cookies with criss cross pattern on top!
• Make these brown sugar chocolate chips cookies made with 100% brown sugar making them wonderfully chewy!

Why You Will Love Caramel Apple Blondies

• Easy to make: This recipe is very easy to make, even for beginner bakers. All you need is a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time. You can whip these blondies up in no time, and they’re sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them.
• Versatile: You can customize this recipe to your liking by adding different spices, nuts, fruits, or chocolate chips to the batter. Experiment with different flavors and combinations to find your perfect combination. You can even make these blondies gluten-free or vegan by using different ingredients.
• Delicious: These blondies are moist, chewy, and full of flavor. The combination of caramel, apples, and Blondies is irresistible. You’re sure to love these blondies, and they’re sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

Ingredients Needed for Caramel Apple Blondies

For the full recipe scroll down to the bottom for the recipe card

Apples

• 2 cups (240g) peeled chopped apples (about 2 medium apples)–  I prefer tart Granny Smith apples because the caramel apple blondies are pretty sweet. If you love sweet, then you may want to use sweet apples. Peel and chop into bite-sized pieces before using. Read more here about which apples are great for baking.
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Blondies

• 2 and 1/3 cups (291g) all-purpose flour– Be sure to measure your flour correctly so you don’t end up with tough, dry, or cakey apple pie blondies by spooning the flour into your measuring cup and leveling off with a flat edge. You can also use a kitchen scale for best accuracy. 
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder– Make sure you are using baking powder not baking soda – they are not interchangeable.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 12 Tablespoons (1 ½ sticks, 170 g) unsalted butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter vs. salted butter so I can control the salt. If you salted butter reduce or omit the salt.
• 1 and 2/3 cups (330g) packed light or dark brown sugar- I used all brown sugar which gives us those fantastic caramel and toffee flavors, not to mention that delightful chewiness. But hey, if you’re out of brown sugar, you can make your own brown sugar.
• 2 large eggs – Use room temperature eggs for the best results so they don’t seize up the butter.
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract- Pure vanilla extract is used in this recipe, but you can also use artificial vanilla extract.

Caramel Icing

• ¼ cup (½ stick, 57 g) unsalted butter– You can also use salted butter but omit the added salt.
• ½ cup (107 g) light brown sugar – Or you can also use dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (80 mL) heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (114 g) confectioners sugar  – Or powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar). You can also make your own powdered sugar in a food processor.

How to Make Caramel Apple Blondie Recipe

Sauté the apples. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple chunks, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the apples have slightly softened. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Parchment paper makes clean-up easier.

Whisk the dry ingredients together. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Whisk the wet ingredients together. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Fold in the apple mixture. The batter will be thick.

Spread the batter into the pan and bake.

Evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the blondies. 

Remove the caramel apple blondies from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.

Make The Caramel Icing

Combine the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream. 

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and salt. 

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vanilla and salt. Stir until combined.

Cool for 5 minutes. 

Let the icing cool for 5 minutes.

Add the confectioners sugar. 

Add the confectioners sugar to the icing and whisk until smooth.

Spoon the icing over the blondies. 

Spoon the icing over the cooled caramel apple blondies and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• Measure your flour correctly. To ensure your blondies aren’t too dry, or cakey make sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off. Do not pack it down. For best results use a kitchen scale.
• Do not overmix the blondie batter. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, which will make the blondies tough.
• Use a toothpick. To check if the caramel apple blondies are done, insert a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, the blondies are done.

Recipe Variations

• Add Cinnamon–  Omit the caramel icing and add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the blondie batter. Sprinkle the tops of the blondies with cinnamon sugar before baking.
• Add Chocolate Chips – Fold in 1 cup of white chocolate chips to the blondie batter.
• Gluten-Free. To make gluten-free blondies, use a gluten-free flour blend.
• Drizzle On Caramel Sauce. Instead of making a caramel icing, you can make your own caramel sauce to add on top.
• Dust With Powdered Sugar Instead– Yes, you can make these blondies without the caramel icing. They will still be delicious! You can simply sprinkle the tops of the caramel apple blondies with powdered sugar before serving.
• Make Vegan –  You can make these blondies vegan by using vegan butter and eggs. There are many different vegan butter and egg substitutes available, so you can choose the ones that you like best.
• Add caramel chips – Instead of caramel icing, you can stir in 1 cup of caramel chips instead.
• Use brown sugar frosting – Instead of this caramel icing, you can make my brown sugar frosting and spread on top. 
• Make a maple syrup glaze – You can make a maple icing like I used on my maple bacon scones and drizzle on instead of the caramel icing.

Recipe FAQs

More Recipes to Try

If you’re craving more caramel treats then be sure to try my caramel layer cake recipe! It’s a vanilla cake with a decadent caramel icing.

And if it’s apple treats you’re looking for be sure to try my caramel apple cheesecake bars or apple crostata!