These Apple Cinnamon Blondies have sautéed apples and cinnamon chips for the ultimate portable fall treat! This easy recipe comes together quickly and tastes like apple pie.
I’m finally 21.
Which means, among other things, that it’s fall! (Oh, and also that now I can start posting boozy dessert recipes! And drink.)
My birthday, September 16th, always falls within the first few weeks of the school year, and is always my marker of when everything starts feeling a whole lot more like fall. Classes start to get into full swing. The air gets a crisp, chilly edge to it between the sunny days, and the leaves just start to change color around the edges.
And then, of course, fall baking starts, and the smells of pumpkin bread, cinnamon, and apple-y desserts dominate the kitchen. It’s a great time, especially for baking.
I love apple desserts, and would say that on most days, I’ll tell people that’s my favorite kind of dessert. Apple crisps, crumbles, pies…I looove it. Especially with cinnamon! The two flavors are a match made in heaven. However, because it’s my favorite, I try to make it less, because I’ll totally devour it embarrassingly quickly.
Most of my baking, I have pretty good self-control. Anything to do with apples? Powerless. Enter: Apple Cinnamon Blondies.
I paired my favorite blondie recipe with my favorite fall flavors, and the result was fantastic. The idea started when I found these cinnamon chips. I had never used them before, but had always been intrigued…so I grabbed ’em and decided they were gonna be made into something delicious with apples.
The blondies are the perfect vessel for the chunks of apple, which are sautéed in a tiny bit of butter and brown sugar. They stay just firm enough, and the blondies stay gooey and soft on the insides. The edges are chewy and caramelized, and the cinnamon chips leave swirls of cinnamon goodness veining through the blondies.
They are the epitome of fall.
(And they make your house smell awesome!)
If you’re like me and love apples, you’ll be in heaven. Enjoy!
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Remember to #bakerita if you try the recipe!
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 medium apple, diced into ¼” chunks (peeled if desired, I didn’t)
- ½ cup cinnamon chips
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cut apples. Stir to combine. Let simmer together on low heat for about 5 minutes, until apples are slightly softened. Set aside to cool while you prepare blondie batter.
- Melt ½ cup butter in the microwave. Combine remaining brown sugar and melted butter in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the egg, vanilla, and whisk to combine. Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix. Fold in the cinnamon chips and apples. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula or offset knife.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bars are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The edges will be slightly pulling away from sides of pan.
- Allow the blondies to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving into 16 squares. I like to refrigerate them before cutting to make them easier to cut.
- They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Ashley says
Happy birthday!!! Hope you had a fantastic day! These blondies look amazing lady – I loveee cinnamon chips!
Rachel Conners says
Thank you so much Ashley!
Deborah W says
Happy Birthday! The apple cinnamon bars look so yummy! I can hardly wait to try them.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Happy belated birthday! These apple blondies look like the perfect fall treat. I love the addition of cinnamon chips and how easy they are to make, too. Sounds delish!
Rachel Conners says
Thanks Gayle!! :)
Melissa Belanger says
Happy Birthday!! I hope you had a great time going out and getting carded :) I can’t wait to see those boozy dessert recipes. These blondies look amazing and I’m totally making them ASAP. I’ve actually never had a blondie before, but these have completely sold me.
Rachel Conners says
Thank you Melissa!! You NEED to try blondies. I haven’t been able to stop making them since I started :) so good and so easy!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
Happy happy birthday! Hope you had an amazing day! These blondies look incredible girl – totally drooling over the cinnamon chips and how fudgy these are!
Rachel Conners says
Thank so much!! And they totally are – too good!
Faith @ Pixie Dust Kitchen says
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And yay for boozy dessert recipes :)
Apples and cinnamon are one of my favorite desserts as well- I love the combo in blondies!
Rachel Conners says
Thanks so much, Faith!!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
Happy Birthday! Hope you had a great one. These apple blondies look amazing. So rich and moist!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Oh my. Forget cake from now on. I want these for my birthday too. Hope yours was happy!
Danielle says
Happy belated birthday! These blondies look insanely delicious. I love the addition of the cinnamon chips, they pair so well with the apples!
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
Girl, you lured me right over from Facebook. Happy Birthday! Mine is next week! I have always loved September, but I’m a teacher so it also means back to work :( I might just have to make a pan (or 3) of these to console myself with. And pin them about 1000 times.
Rachel Conners says
Thank you, Ashley! You should definitely make them – they’ll soothe all your fall blues :) thanks for the pin!
Ashley @ ashleymarieskitchen says
Happy Belated Birthday! Those blondies look amazing! I love the chunks of apple. Pinned :)
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
Happy birthday, Rachel! I, too, am powerless around the apple desserts. Which is why I need like a million of these blondies in my life ASAP.
Renee@Two in the Kitchen says
Happy 21st Birthday!! What a great time of life!! I love these apple bars! They are completely mouth watering!! :)
Meriem @ Culinary Couture says
I’ve been so caught up in pumpkin I forgot all about the apples! These look so good!
Tash says
Pinned! Rachel, these look ridiculously beautiful!
Love Tash x
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
I love love love anything apple in Fall! And these apple cinnamon blondies look absolutely wonderful! I love the simplicity of the ingredients – can’t wait to try these! Pinned!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I’m late to the party, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
So these blondies, do you have any left? Now that you’re a drive away I’ll come eat them ALL! These sound FAB! Pinned!
Justine@CookingandBeer says
Yay! Happy belated birthday, Rachel! OMG, I feel so old! I can’t believe you are only 21! Go you, these blondies look amazing. Perfect for fall! Pinned!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
Wahoooooo for turning 21!!!! SO exciting! Now you can have ALLLL the cocktails and ALLL the restaurants!! These look absolutely fantastic!!! Definitely on my fall baking list!
Dedy@Dentist Chef says
Congratulations!!!
21 means you should be exploring and learn more, yet within responsibility underneath now…
fall and false a lot, but false better more and more…
btw, the blondies totally scrumptious!!!
Mary Frances says
Powerless = so so so accurate. The smell of baking apples also leaves me weak in my knees. And these are awesome thick and chewy and soft blondies! Pinning!
Christina @ Bake with Christina says
Oooh I love the combination of apple and cinnamon, one of my fav’s! These look awesome!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting says
Oh heck yes! These look awesome! And I hope you had the happiest of birthdays!
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says
I love apple desserts too, and these blondies look incredible. Happy belated birthday!
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
Oh my, those are amazing! Two of my favourite autumnal ingredients in a delicious morsel, yum!!
Jane says
Just made a pan of these blondies……yummy! I used apples from my own apple tree and added some walnuts. My knit night friends gobbled them up. They reeeaally made the house smell wonderful.
Jessie Wallace says
Hi! I have have search my area for cinnamon chips, no cigar :( :( Will this recipe work with out them!?
Rachel Conners says
Hi Jessie. Cinnamon chips can be difficult to find! I usually locate them at Target, but if you can’t find them, you can definitely leave them out. I would add about 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the recipe to replace the flavor, depending on how strongly you want to taste the cinnamon. Enjoy!
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
I know I’m a wee bit late on this, but Happy Birthday! 21! Woot! How exciting… and these blondies, uhm, I shouldn’t have looked at them right before lunch time. Now my lame rice cakes and PB+J are totally not going to quench my appetite… I need these blondies!
Lauren C says
these look ah-MAZ-ing!!! Where did you find the cinnamon chips?
Rachel says
Hi Lauren, I believe that I picked these up at Target! They can be a little tricky to find but they tend to be more common at big box stores (Walmart, Target, etc.). Hope you find them!! :)
Rana says
What kind of apples did you use?
Rachel says
Hi Rana. I used Honeycrisp but you can use your favorite. Granny Smith works well too!
Rana says
I would like to use a 13×9 pan, do you know if I need to dbl anything, time…
Thank you!
Jess says
I absolutely love this recipe! So much so I added it to my ultimate apple recipe roundup…I hope you will come by and take a look! Have a great week xo http://dreamingofleaving.com/2015/09/21/worlds-best-apple-recipe-roundup/
Susan says
These bars sound amazingly delish! But here in Canada, it will be even harder to find cinnamon chips. Do you think I could substitute chopped up candy melts in one of the special flavours like gingerbread or pumpkin spice?
Rachel says
Hi Susan! That would likely be a great substitution. I’ve never tried using candy melts in a baked good like that, but I presume it should be fine – the chunks just made be a little harder since candy melts harden more than the chips would when cool. Enjoy!! :)
sniffnbake says
If you love apple recipes, you should meet the baked apple’s other best friend – Ski Queen. It’s a superb Norwegian gjetost cheese that’s like a combination of peanut butter, salty caramel and cheddar. Sold in little blocks with red packaging. Although it’s a combo goat/cow cheese, you don’t notice anything goaty. I first tasted it cut into thin slices and melted onto an apple pie, and later in Norway in huge blocks, from which you peeled thin slices to put on your pumpernickel bread at the breakfast buffet. This stuff is seriously addictive. You should be able to find it in delicatessens, especially those with a ‘northern’ bent. I’m going to try some little chunks blended into your recipe. BTW, by ‘cinnamon chips’, do you mean the melts made by the big confectioner, or do you mean actual chips of cinnamon? (I’m going to have to improvise, regardless).
Rachel says
Hi there! Sounds delicious – I’ll definitely have to look into Ski Queen. I used Hershey’s brand Cinnamon Chips. I found them at Target. Hope this helps. Enjoy :)
Heather says
Hi! I am really exited to try this recipe! I saw that you recommend we use 1-2 teaspoon cinnamon if we can’t find cinnamon chips (which unfortunatly I can’t). Where in the recipe do you think I should add it? (to the apples or the blondie part).
2nd Question! I’m thinking of adding White Chocolate Chips to give it a little bit of an extra something, since I don’t have the cinnamon chips – do you think that would work well here?
Thank you!
Rachel says
Hi Heather – I’d add the cinnamon along with the flour in the blondie part. White chocolate chips would be delicious here! Hope you enjoy them.
Heather says
Great, thank you so much Rachel!
Krista says
These are very moist and crumbly. Delicious! Everyone that tried them loved them. I made them without the cinnamon chips but sprinkled cinnamon on top – I didn’t have the cinnamon chips. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing this one.