Caramel Apple Blondies
Caramel Apple Blondies are everything you want in a fall dessert. Buttery, loaded with tart apples, melty white chocolate and ribbons of caramel swirled right through the batter. They bake up golden at the edges and soft in the center, then get a final drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of flaky salt before you cut them into bars. Is this perfection on a plate? I think it is!
The base is a classic blondie batter: butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla get whisked together and then mixed into a chewy, not cakey Base, mix in diced apples and white chocolate chips, then finally swirl some caramel sauce. These aren’t your regular blondies, they’re bigger badder and better!
Ingredients for Caramel Apple Blondies
The good news is that if you love to bake then you probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry. The one thing I INSIST to make these bars work is using firm and tart Granny Smith apples, they’re a must.
- all-purpose flour
- cornstarch
- baking powder
- salted butter
- light brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- Granny Smith apples
- white chocolate chips
- caramel sauce
- flaky sea salt, optional
You don’t need anything tools for this bake: a 9×13 inch baking pan, parchment paper, mixing bowls, a whisk, a peeler and knife for the apples, and a knife or toothpick for swirling the caramel through the batter.
My Best Tips For These Blondies
To make the best possible blondies here’s a couple of things worth knowing before you make them.
- Granny Smiths are best apples to use here the don’t turn into a runny mess when baked.
- And then patting your diced apples dry is the second way keep these from turning soft in the middle. Apples release a surprising amount of water as they bake so starting with good baking apples and then patting them dry. This won’t remove all the water and juice but it’s enough to keep them from ruining your bake.
- The tartness of the Granny Smith apple is what keeps this from tasting like straight sugar next to the caramel and white chocolate. You need a little tang to enjoy the sweet.
- Give the bars enough time to cool before slicing and the center goes from too soft to the perfect gooey yet sliceable texture.
Changes You Can Make To This Recipe
You can swap the white chocolate chips for butterscotch or milk chocolate chips if that’s more your speed or what you have on hand. But the white chocolate chips are mild and don’t have a strong flavor of their own so they really work with the apples and caramel.
Stir a half teaspoon of cinnamon or apple pie spice into the dry ingredients if you want more warm spice flavor.
You can also use your own homemade caramel sauce if you like. Or use this a salted caramel sauce to lean into the sweet salty combination even more.
Storing Instructions
Store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. They also freeze well. I wrap individual bars tightly and freeze for up to 2 months, then let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
Caramel Apple Blondies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup salted butter melted
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Granny Smith apples about 2 cups peeled and diced
- 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips
- ½ cup caramel sauce
- Optional: flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Peel, core, and finely dice the apples. Pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth and well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until fully incorporated
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing
- Gently fold in the diced apples and white chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan
- Drizzle ¼ cup of caramel sauce over the top of the batter. Use a knife or toothpick to gently swirl the caramel into the batter
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set but still slightly soft
- Allow the blondies to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before slicing. They will continue to set as they cool
- Cut into 12 bars, then drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce and sprinkle with flaky sea salt
Video
Notes
- Pat the diced apples dry before adding them to the batter. This helps prevent excess moisture from making the blondies too soft.
- Granny Smith apples add a delicious tart contrast to the caramel and white chocolate.
- For the gooiest texture, avoid overbaking. The center should look just set when you remove the blondies from the oven.
