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Review RecipeApple Brownies With Maple Glaze
Apple Brownies are moist and chewy blondies stuffed full of spiced apples, topped with a sweet maple glaze. The most delicious way to enjoy apples all year long!
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These apple brownies are buttery, chewy, and filled with apples that have been gently caramelized in cinnamon and sugar. The whole pan is finished with a silky maple glaze that sets to a sweet, delicate crust. They’re the kind of dessert that makes your kitchen smell incredible. It’s safe to say apple pie has competition.
Apple Brownie Ingredients
The addition of apples takes these brownies to a whole new level, making them a must-try for anyone looking to mix up their usual dessert routine.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Apples:
- 2½ cups peeled & diced (½-¾-inch pieces) Honeycrisp apples
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Brownie Batter:
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
For the Maple Glaze:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
Ingredient Swaps
Apples: If you prefer a sweeter flavor, you can substitute Honeycrisp apples with Gala or Pink Lady apples. For a tart taste, Granny Smith apples are a great alternative.
Ground Cinnamon: Experiment with different spices to customize the flavor profile of your brownies. Nutmeg, ginger, or allspice can add a warm and spicy kick, while cardamom or cloves can bring a unique and exotic twist.
Nutty Add-in – Chopped walnuts or pecans would add a nice crunch and flavor to these apple brownies.
Directions For These Blondie Brownies
Make The Apple Brownie Batter
Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl. In another, beat the brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and maple extract, then mix in the eggs until fluffy. Be careful not to overmix your batter. The gently mixed batter is what gives your brownies their perfect chewy texture.
Fold in the dry mixture and set batter aside. In a skillet, stir together apples, sugar, and cinnamon until softened. Add cooled apples to the batter and gently fold.
Tip – If you cut the apples a bit ahead of time, stir your apple pieces with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
Baking The Brownies
- Spread evenly into a parchment-lined 9×13 pan. Spraying your pan well and using parchment paper will prevent your apple brownies from burning and help them bake up with chewy edges.
- Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let cool completely in the pan. Near the end of the bake time, stay close to your oven. These brownies need to come out of the oven promptly. That’s what gives them their moist brownie base, and prevents them from becoming dry.
- Pour frosting over cooled brownies, spreading evenly to the edges. If your maple glaze is too thick to pour over the brownies, you can fix it by stirring in a bit more maple syrup to thin it out. If it’s to thin, you can whisk in a bit more powdered sugar.
- Once the glaze has set, lift the brownies from the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into squares and serve.
Serving Apple and Maple Flavored Brownies
Maple flavored brownies are definitely a fall favorite, but they’re easy to enjoy any time of year. Here are our favorite ways to serve them:
- with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
- alongside freshly brewed coffee or spiced apple cider.
- add a drizzle of caramel sauce.
How To Store Dessert Bars With Frosting
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to three days. Keep them in a single layer or separate layers with parchment paper so the glaze stays intact.
Refrigerator: For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week. The brownies will firm up when cold — they’re delicious chilled or brought back to room temperature before serving.
Freezer: Wrap individual brownies in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
More Apple Dessert Recipes
These apple brownies are a welcomed twist on traditional brownies, blending the sweetness of apples with the sweetness of maple syrup. Easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy! If you’re looking for more apple dessert ideas, here are some of our favorite recipes:
Apple Brownies
Apple Brownies are moist and chewy blondies stuffed full of spiced apples, topped with a sweet maple glaze. The most delicious way to enjoy apples all year long!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
For the Apples
- 2½ cups Honeycrisp apples, peeled & diced into ½ to ¾-inch pieces
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Brownie Batter
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
For the Maple Glaze
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with baker’s spray and line with parchment paper. Be sure to leave enough of the parchment paper overhanging the sides to make lifting the apple brownies out of the pan easier once cooled.
To Make the Apples
- Add the diced apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon to a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir to combine. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often so the sugars don’t burn, until the apples have softened but still hold their shape and the sugars and cinnamon have caramelized and made a light, sweet coating on the apples. Remove from the heat and allow the apples to cool to room temperature while you prepare the brownie batter.
To Make the Brownies
- In a small bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the light brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and maple extract to a large mixing bowl to make the brownie batter. Using a electric mixer, on medium-low speed, beat for 1-2 minutes or until the butter and brown sugar are fully incorporated.
- Add the eggs to the bowl and beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fully combined and the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Add the flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients, and using a rubber spatula, gently fold all the ingredients together just until all the flour is incorporated and no lumps of flour remain in the batter.
- Remove the cooked and cooled apples from the skillet using a slotted spoon. Make sure you leave as much of the excess liquids in the pan as the excess liquid will alter the texture of the baked apple brownies if added to the batter.
- Add the apples to the brownie batter and carefully fold them into the batter, making sure that they are evenly distributed. A large rubber spatula works great for this.
- Spread the apple brownie mixture into an even layer in the prepared 9×13 baking pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a couple of moist crumbs.
- Remove the apple brownies from the oven and let them cool completely on the counter while preparing the maple glaze.
To Make the Glaze
- Add to a 3-quart saucepan, over medium heat, the unsalted butter, pure maple syrup, maple extract, cinnamon and salt. Heat for 2-3 minutes while whisking constantly, just until the butter has melted and the ingredients are fully combined. The mixture should just start to lightly bubble around the edges. Remove from the heat.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar to the saucepan and whisk until all the powdered sugar has been fully incorporated and the glaze is smooth.
- Slowly pour the maple glaze evenly over the cooled apple brownies. Be sure to spread the glaze so that it evenly covers the entire surface of the brownies.
Notes
- Allow the brownies to sit at room temperature until the glaze has firmed up and set completely before slicing and serving the apple brownies
- If you cut the apples a bit ahead of time, stir your apple pieces with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- Be careful not to overmix your batter. The gently mixed batter is what gives your brownies their perfect chewy texture.
- Near the end of the bake time, stay close to your oven. These brownies need to come out of the oven promptly. That’s what gives them their moist brownie base, and prevents them from becoming dry.
- If your maple glaze is too thick to pour over the brownies, you can fix it by stirring in a bit more maple syrup to thin it out. If it’s to thin, you can whisk in a bit more powdered sugar.
Nutrition
Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 620IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
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