Even though it’s still warm here in the Midwest, it’s officially October, and that means fall baking is in full swing. These Apple Crisp Blondie Bars are a perfect autumn dessert: a nutty browned-butter blondie base, a spiced Honeycrisp apple pie filling in the middle, and a crunchy cinnamon-oat crisp on top. They’re comforting, decadent, and surprisingly easy to make.
Yes, these bars can be gluten free. This recipe uses Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, which swaps cup-for-cup with regular all-purpose flour for the same great texture. If you don’t need gluten free, ordinary all-purpose flour works just fine.
How to Make Apple Crisp Blondie Bars
Despite the three distinct layers, these bars are straightforward because each component is made in a single bowl or pan. Clean-up is minimal compared with how impressive the final result tastes. Below you’ll find concise steps for the apple filling, the cinnamon-oat topping, and the browned-butter blondie base.
Spiced Apple Pie Filling
The filling centers these bars with warm, spiced apples. Honeycrisp is my favorite for baking because it holds its shape, but any firm baking apple will work.
Peel and dice the apples into small cubes. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the apples with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften and a syrup forms.
Whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water until smooth, then stir the slurry into the apples. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens to a jammy consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly before assembling the bars.
Cinnamon Oat Crisp Topping
This crunchy topping adds texture and a classic apple crisp flavor. Use cold butter so the topping forms little pebbly crumbs instead of melting into the filling.
Cut the cold butter into small cubes. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to rub and pinch the mixture until pea-sized crumbles form. Set aside while you prepare the blondie base.
Browned-Butter Blondie Base
The blondie layer starts with browned butter for a deep, nutty flavor. This batter uses no chemical leaveners; whisking air into the eggs helps the bars rise slightly.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×9-inch square pan with parchment paper, spraying lightly with nonstick spray if desired.
Brown 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. The butter will melt, then foam and begin to darken; swirl the pan occasionally and remove the butter when it reaches a light amber color and you see small browned bits. Let the butter cool briefly.
Pour the warm butter into a medium bowl and whisk in 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar until it begins to dissolve, about a minute. Whisk in 3 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon salt. Add 2 large eggs one at a time and whisk vigorously for 2–3 minutes to incorporate air. Fold in 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour (or all-purpose flour) until the dough comes together. The batter may seem dry at first but will become cohesive as you fold.
Press the blondie batter into an even layer in the prepared pan. Spoon the cooled apple filling evenly over the blondie layer, then top with the cinnamon-oat crisp, spreading it into a uniform layer.
Baking and Serving
Bake the bars for 35–40 minutes. They’re done when the apple filling starts to bubble up through the topping around the edges and the top is golden. Allow them to cool until they are warm but stable, then lift from the pan using the parchment and transfer to a cutting board to slice.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel for an indulgent dessert. Alternatively, chill the bars in the refrigerator for a couple of hours; they firm up and slice neatly for portable, less-mess servings. Both ways are delicious.
Apple Crisp Blondie Bars
- Author: Elizabeth Buuck
Description
Apple Crisp Blondie Bars combine a browned-butter blondie base, a spiced Honeycrisp apple pie filling, and a cinnamon-oat crisp topping. They’re rich, comforting, and easy to make either gluten free or with regular flour.
Ingredients
For the Spiced Apple Pie Filling
- 4 Honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp water
For the Cinnamon Oat Crisp Topping
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour (or all-purpose)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For the Browned-Butter Blondie Bottom
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour (or all-purpose)
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Spiced Apple Pie Filling
- Peel and dice the apples.
- Combine apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until apples begin to soften and a syrup forms, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cornstarch and water together until smooth, add to the pan, and cook 2–3 minutes more until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cinnamon Oat Crisp Topping
- Dice the cold butter. In a bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add butter and pinch with your fingers until pea-sized crumbs form. Set aside.
Browned-Butter Blondie Bottom
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×9-inch pan with parchment and nonstick spray.
- Brown the butter over medium heat until it reaches a light amber color with small browned bits; cool slightly.
- Whisk the warm butter with brown sugar until the sugar begins to dissolve. Add vanilla and salt. Add eggs and whisk vigorously for 2–3 minutes to incorporate air.
- Fold in the flour until the batter comes together, then press into an even layer in the prepared pan.
- Spread the apple filling over the blondie layer and top with the oat crisp.
- Bake 35–40 minutes, until the apple filling bubbles up around the edges. Cool slightly before slicing, or chill for firmer bars.
- Serve warm with ice cream and caramel, or enjoy chilled for a neater, bar-like texture.
Notes
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour can be used cup-for-cup in place of all-purpose flour. Substitute all-purpose flour if you prefer.