Today we’re making blondies.
But, not just any blondies.
These babies are thick, chewy, whole grain blondies studded with chunks of apple, flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, topped with dollops of melty caramel, and sprinkled with generous pinches of flaky sea salt.
They’re like a soft brown sugar cookie and a caramel apple had a baby, and I know that sounds almost too good to be true, BUT IT’S NOT.
The best part?
These cookies are:
- whole grain
- vegan-friendly (just swap out the egg for a flax egg- I’ve made it both ways and love them equally)
- made in just 1 bowl
- maple syrup sweetened
- made with store-bought caramels (I used these coconut sugar sweetened ones <— affiliate link)
- the very best vehicle for a scoop of vanilla ice cream
- totally dreamy on a chilly fall night
I seriously think you’re going to love them!
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, or take a picture of your Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars and share it with me on Instagram so I can see!
Salted Caramel Apple Blondies
Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 9-12 blondies
Ingredients:
- 1 large apple
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (spelt, einkorn, all-purpose, etc, all work here)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
topping
- 8-10 soft caramels
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper.
- Peel and dice the apple into small chunks, approximately 1/2 inch in size. Set aside.
- Whisk together the almond butter, maple syrup, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add all remaining blondie ingredients (including apple chunks), and stir well to combine.
- Transfer batter to the prepared pan, using the back of a spatula (or your hands) to press it out into a thin, even layer.
- Cut the caramels into small pieces (I divided each of mine into 4), then sprinkle over top of the blondies, pressing each one down into the batter. Sprinkle with a few pinches of flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden around the edges and just baked through. A slightly gooey center is never a bad thing, in my opinion, when it comes to blondies.
- Let cool in the pan before cutting into 9-12 squares and serving. Alternately, these can be served warm (preferably with a scoop of ice cream), but they won’t hold their shape as well and will need to be handled more delicately.
MAKE IT VEGAN: use a vegan egg (1 T flax + 3 T water) in place of the egg.
MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: swap in your favorite gluten free baking blend in place of the whole wheat flour
MAKE IT ALMOND or NUT FREE: use another nut or seed butter such as cashew or sunflower butter. Peanut butter will technically work here, but will add a more noticeable flavor compared to almond or cashew butter, which are both more neutral in flavor.