These Caramelized Apple Crisp Blondies are a real Fall staple to me. Something about the smell of sugary, sweet apples combined with a crisp/crumble topping is perfect for cozy weather. You could make these and eat them warm straight out of the dish, or wait to cool before adding glaze.
These blondie bars are also great for storing and transporting. The square shape of the bars makes them great to pop into sandwich bags or Tupperware to take for a grab-and-go snack. Alternatively, they’re a super cute option to drop off at a friends or to share with family at home! I once made these for a bake sale at work and they were super popular!
Simple Looking, Complex Tasting
The beauty of such recipes lies in their ability to impress both the eye and the taste buds. The harmonious combination of different flavors, textures, and colors can make a dish appear much more complex than it actually is. It’s like a culinary magic trick that never fails to amaze! I absolutely love a recipe that tastes and looks more complex than it is to put together!
If you want to keep it simple: A warm, gooey fruit crumble, topped with a velvety scoop of vanilla ice cream, is a perfect example. The combination of sweet and tangy fruits, buttery crumbly topping, and the cooling creaminess of the ice cream creates a dessert that is both rustic and elegant, comforting and indulgent. You can steal the caramelized apple recipe to use to make an array of crumbles, crisps or cobblers!
So, embrace the magic of recipes that are so much more than the sum of their parts. Revel in the satisfaction of creating a dish that looks and tastes complex, yet is delightfully easy to put together. It’s the kind of recipe that brings joy to your heart and puts a smile on your face, while leaving your guests in awe of your culinary prowess.
To make these blondies, we rely heavily on the melted butter and light brown sugar to give the fudgy texture and super shiny topping. The crisp topping gives a little texture contrast and combined with the blondie and caramel apples, makes for something diving. This recipe cuts neatly into 9 pieces, and the thickness means this is a perfect serving in my opinion. That said, feel free to cut into smaller bites!
Ingredients Required
There are no specialist ingredients or equipment required for this bake. I can find everything I need at my local supermarket or grocery store. Also, I use a standard 8 inch square tin for almost all of my traybake recipes for ease. If you do want to convert to 9 inch, you’ll need to play with the quantities a little or they will be too thin. To line a square baking tin, cut two pieces of baking paper that are just narrower than the width of the tin (less than 8 inches wide). Then place one on top of the other in opposite directions, so that all four edges of the tin are covered. This will make removing the bake so much easier!
- White Chocolate, Melted
- Unsalted Butter, Melted
- Light Brown Soft Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Medium Free Range Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Plain (All Purpose) Flour
- Apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith are great)
- Oats
Tips for the Best Caramelized Apple Crisp Blondies
- Brown Sugar: This is crucial to the perfect fudgy texture and deep flavour. You could use dark brown soft if you’re really in a pinch. Light brown is definitely your best friend in blondies.
- Melted Butter: This is what gives the bake that oh so Instagrammable shiny, crisp top. Don’t skip this step!
- Melted White Chocolate: This gives the bake its richness and sweetness. Be really careful melting the white chocolate as it is prone to burning!
- Caramelized Apples: This recipe includes a base recipe for caramelized apples. It only takes a few minutes and means the apple texture is soft but not too ‘mushy’.
- Crisp/Crumble: Whatever you call it, the crispy topping is the perfect texture contrast. It comprises of oats, brown sugar, flour and a splash of melted butter.
- Glaze: Simply stir together icing sugar and a splash of milk for the topping. Add the milk a teaspoon at a time (or less) as it can get runny quickly. Go until you reach your desired consistency. To me, this means pourable but not too thin.
For these Caramelized Apple Crisp Blondies I use a basic 8′ square pan (I like this one), and recommend using an electric or stand mixer to really combine the butter and sugars (with a mixer like this). If you want more traybake recipes try these Pop Tart Blondies. For videos and baking inspiration, head on over to my Instagram.
Caramelized Apple Crisp Blondies
Ingredients
For the Caramelized Apples
- 2 (2) Medium-Large Apples Honeycrisp or Granny Smith are great
- 50 g (¼ cups) Light Brown Soft Sugar
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Unsalted Butter
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Ground Cinnamon
For the Blondies
- 125 g (1 cups) White Chocolate Melted
- 170 g (¾ cups) Unsalted Butter Melted
- 125 g (⅔ cups) Granulated Sugar
- 75 g (⅓ cups) Light Brown Soft Sugar
- 2 (2) Medium Free Range Eggs
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 125 g (1 cups) Plain Flour
For the Crisp Topping
- 75 g (1 cups) Rolled Oats
- 30 g (4 tbsp) Plain Flour
- 75 g (⅓ cups) Light Brown Soft Sugar
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Melted Unsalted Butter
For the Glaze
- 5 tbsp (5 tbsp) Icing Sugar
- Milk
Instructions
For the Caramelized Apples
- Peel and slice the apples and place in a medium pan. Add the butter and cinnamon and cook on a medium heat. Stir until softened. Set aside.
For the Blondies
- Pre-heat your oven to 370℉/180℃. Line an 8″ Square Pan with greaseproof paper.
- In a small bowl, break up the white chocolate and melt in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between to make sure it doesn’t burn. Alternatively do this using a double boiler: Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl resting on a small saucepan with simmering water. Stir until melted.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and both sugars. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix again.
- Whisk in the melted white chocolate until fully incorporated. Add the flour and fold to combine. Pour into the lined dish.
- Pour the caramelized apples over the top of the blondie batter.
- In a separate bowl, make the crisp topping by mixing all the ingredients together until it resembles slightly wet sand. Sprinkle this over the apples.
- Bake 35-40 minutes until the topping looks just golden and the blondie looks firm (isn't wobbly). Let cool.
- Make the glaze by mixing the icing sugar with just a splash of milk (start with the smallest drizzle and add more until you reach a runny consistency). Use a spoon to drizzle this over the blondies. Slice and serve!
Hello, in this recipe you didn’t specify how much melted butter goes into the blondie batter, just wondering how much that would be?
Oh my goodness you’re right, I am so sorry! I’ve updated with the quantity – 170g!