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Apple Cinnamon Blondies With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple cinnamon blondies with a soft, moist crumb and tender diced apples, finished with a swirl of maple cream cheese frosting. Browned butter adds a nutty depth, while cinnamon and nutmeg bring warm spice to every bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For blondies:
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and browned
  • 1.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup apples, peeled and finely diced
  • 0.5 cup walnuts (optional) Optional, but adds texture.
For maple cream cheese frosting:
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Bake the apple cinnamon blondies
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 pan. Visual cue: the pan should be lightly coated so the blondies release easily.
  2. Brown the butter in a saucepan until golden and nutty-smelling, then cool slightly. Visual cue: you should see golden-brown milk solids at the bottom.
  3. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Visual cue: the dry mix should look evenly speckled with spices.
  4. Whisk browned butter and brown sugar until smooth, then whisk in eggs and vanilla extract. Visual cue: the batter will look glossy and thick.
  5. Fold the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture until just combined. Visual cue: stop when no dry streaks remain.
  6. Fold in apples and walnuts (optional). Visual cue: apples should be evenly distributed through the batter.
  7. Spread the batter into the greased 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Visual cue: a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Make and spread the maple cream cheese frosting
  1. Cool blondies completely. Visual cue: the surface should no longer feel warm to the touch.
  2. Beat cream cheese and softened unsalted butter until smooth. Visual cue: no lumps should be visible and the mixture should look silky.
  3. Beat in powdered sugar, then mix in pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. Visual cue: frosting should hold a thick, spreadable texture.
  4. Spread the frosting over the cooled blondies. Visual cue: create even coverage with light swirls across the top.

Notes

Pro tip: brown butter can go from golden to burnt quickly—remove it as soon as it’s nutty and amber, then let it cool slightly before mixing with sugar. Store frosted blondies covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze unfrosted squares for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost. For a simpler swap, you can replace the walnuts with extra apples for a nut-free version while keeping the apple texture.