It may still be 85 degrees here in the Midwest, but it’s October — and nothing will stop my fall baking. These Apple Crisp Blondie Bars are the ideal autumn dessert: a gooey browned-butter blondie base, a spiced apple pie filling in the middle, and a crunchy cinnamon-oat topping. They’re seriously addictive.
They’re also gluten free when made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, which can be swapped cup-for-cup for all-purpose flour if you prefer regular flour instead of gluten free.
How to Make Apple Crisp Blondie Bars
Although these bars have three distinct layers, they’re straightforward to prepare. Each component uses a single bowl or pan, and the steps are easy to follow. Prep the filling, topping, and blondie batter separately, then assemble and bake.
Make the Apple Pie Filling
The center layer is a spiced apple pie filling. Honeycrisp apples are ideal, but any baking apple that holds its shape will work.
Peel and dice the apples into small cubes. In a medium saucepan, combine the apples, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften slightly and a sauce forms.
Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water until smooth, then stir this slurry into the apple mixture. Cook 2–3 more minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Make the Cinnamon Oat Crisp Topping
For the crisp topping, cut 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter into small pieces. In a medium bowl combine the butter with 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 flour), 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Use your fingers to pinch and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until pea-sized crumbles form. Set aside.
Make the Browned Butter Blondie Bottom
Prepare a 9×9-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment and spraying with nonstick spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium saucepan, brown 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter over medium heat. The butter will melt, then foam and begin to turn a light amber with small browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Pour the warm brown butter into a medium bowl. Whisk in 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar until the sugar begins to dissolve, about a minute. Add 3 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk in 2 large eggs quickly so the warm butter doesn’t cook them, and continue whisking 2–3 minutes to incorporate air into the batter. This helps the bars rise since there’s no baking powder or soda.
Fold in 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour (or all-purpose flour). The batter may seem dry at first; keep folding until it comes together. Press the blondie batter into an even layer in the prepared pan.
Baking and Serving
Spoon the apple filling over the blondie layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon-oat crisp topping across the apples. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the apple filling bubbles up around the edges through the topping.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce for a decadent treat. Alternatively, chill the bars in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until they set; they slice more neatly and are delicious cold.
Apple Crisp Blondie Bars
Description
Apple crisp blondie bars pair a browned-butter blondie base with spiced apple pie filling and a cinnamon-oat crisp topping. They’re rich, comforting, and perfect for fall — and can be made gluten free by using a 1-to-1 gluten free baking 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 flour)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For the Browned Butter Blondie Bottom
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
For the Spiced Apple Pie Filling
- Peel and dice the apples.
- In a medium saucepan, combine apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes until apples soften and sauce begins to form.
- Whisk water and cornstarch until smooth, add to the apples, and cook 2–3 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the Cinnamon Oat Crisp Topping
- Dice the cold butter into small pieces.
- Combine butter with oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Use your hands to pinch the mixture into pea-sized crumbles. Set aside.
For the Browned Butter Blondie Bottom
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×9-inch pan with parchment and nonstick spray.
- Brown the butter in a medium saucepan until it reaches a light amber color with browned solids. Cool slightly.
- Pour the butter into a bowl, whisk in the brown sugar until it begins to dissolve. Add vanilla and salt.
- Whisk in the eggs quickly, then continue whisking 2–3 minutes to incorporate air.
- Fold in the flour until the batter comes together. Press into the prepared pan.
- Spread the apple filling over the blondie layer, then top evenly with the crisp topping.
- Bake 35–40 minutes, until the apple filling bubbles up around the edges through the topping.
- Serve warm with ice cream and caramel, or chill for a few hours and slice to serve cold.
Notes
- You can substitute all-purpose flour for the gluten free flour if you prefer.