Hamdi Saidani Browning butter in a saucepan until it turns golden and nutty is the move that sets these Pioneer Woman Brown Butter Apple Spice Blondies apart from any regular bar recipe. Mixed with brown sugar, applesauce, apple pie spice, white chocolate chips, and crunchy walnuts, the whole pan comes together in about 2 hours and 25 minutes.
One 9×13 pan gives you 20 soft, chewy bars. They’re somewhere between Pioneer Woman apple pie bars and blonde brownies, with a caramel-forward flavor that works any time of year.
Why the Brown Butter Needs to Cool
It’s tempting to skip ahead once the butter is browned, but those 30 minutes of cooling make a real difference. Hot butter can melt the sugar too fast, scramble the eggs, or leave you with greasy, uneven bars.
Let it sit in a heatproof bowl until it’s warm but not hot to the touch. The batter comes together smoother, and the finished blondies bake up with that chewy, even texture you’re after.
What the Applesauce Does
The applesauce isn’t here for apple flavor. It replaces some of the fat and keeps the bars tender and moist without making them heavy. You won’t taste it in the finished blondies, but you’ll feel the difference in every bite.
Use unsweetened applesauce at room temperature. Cold applesauce can seize the brown butter and make the batter lumpy, so pull it out of the fridge when you start browning.
Brown Butter Apple Spice Blondies Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) salted butter
- Cooking spray, for the pan
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
How To Make Pioneer Woman Brown Butter Apple Spice Blondies
- Brown the Butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer it to a large heatproof bowl and swirl a few times to stop the browning. Let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Prep the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray, line it with parchment paper leaving overhang on two sides, and spray the parchment too.
- Mix the Batter: Stir the brown sugar into the cooled brown butter. Add the applesauce, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, and stir until smooth. Fold in the flour, apple pie spice, salt, and baking soda, being careful not to overmix.
- Fill the Pan: Fold half the white chocolate chips and half the walnuts into the batter. Scoop it into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and scatter the remaining chips and nuts over the surface.
- Bake and Cool: Bake until set and lightly golden on top, 32 to 35 minutes. Let the blondies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Use the parchment overhang to lift them out and cut into 20 bars.
How To Know When They’re Done
Look for lightly golden edges and a center that’s set but still looks soft. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Don’t overbake these. Blondies firm up a lot as they cool, so pulling them when they look barely done gives you that chewy, fudgy texture once they hit room temperature.
What Else You Can Mix In
The white chocolate and walnut combo is great, but you can swap things around next time. Try pecans or cashews instead of walnuts, or use butterscotch chips for a warmer, more caramel-like flavor.
Semisweet chocolate chips work too if you want something closer to a chocolate chip cookie bar. Just keep the total mix-ins around 1 1/2 cups so the batter can hold everything together.
How To Store
Keep blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, or warm a bar in the microwave for about 10 seconds to bring back that soft, chewy texture.
Nutrition
- Calories: 265 kcal
- Total Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 38 mg
- Sodium: 144 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 23 g
- Protein: 3 g
Try More Recipes
Pioneer Woman Brown Butter Apple Spice Blondies
Description
Browning butter in a saucepan until it turns golden and nutty is the move that sets these Pioneer Woman Brown Butter Apple Spice Blondies apart from any regular bar recipe. Mixed with brown sugar, applesauce, apple pie spice, white chocolate chips, and crunchy walnuts, the whole pan comes together in about 2 hours and 25 minutes.
One 9×13 pan gives you 20 soft, chewy bars. They’re somewhere between Pioneer Woman apple pie bars and blonde brownies, with a caramel-forward flavor that works any time of year.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer it to a large heatproof bowl and swirl a few times to stop the browning. Let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Prep the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray, line it with parchment paper leaving overhang on two sides, and spray the parchment too.
- Mix the Batter: Stir the brown sugar into the cooled brown butter. Add the applesauce, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, and stir until smooth. Fold in the flour, apple pie spice, salt, and baking soda, being careful not to overmix.
- Fill the Pan: Fold half the white chocolate chips and half the walnuts into the batter. Scoop it into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and scatter the remaining chips and nuts over the surface.
- Bake and Cool: Bake until set and lightly golden on top, 32 to 35 minutes. Let the blondies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Use the parchment overhang to lift them out and cut into 20 bars.
