3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: These heavenly Apple Pie Blondies scream fall with three impressive layers! You get all of the cozy flavors of your favorite harvest-season desserts together in one bite! Without a doubt, it’s the perfect autumn treat, and I’m sure you’ll  find yourself wanting to enjoy it all year long!

I’ve shared this before in my Best-Ever Blondies, but it bears repeating—I actually prefer blondies to brownies! What I love more about this is that the streusel topping is very similar to Apple Crumble, which is the first thing I baked with my mom at the age of seven. It gave me unforgettable fond food memories and I’ve loved the scrumptious caramelized, deep, rich flavor of baked apples ever since.

Table of Contents

• What are 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies?
• Tools You Need to Make 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies
• Can I Make 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies in Advance?
• How to Store 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies
• FAQs
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• More Apple Recipes

What are 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies?

• 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies are a mash-up of blondies, everyone’s favorite butterscotch-flavored apple pie filling, crowned with buttery streusel topping.
• Blondies first appeared as molasses-flavored bar cookies in the Fannie Farmer Cookbook 1896. They exploded in popularity in the 1980s, and now there’s even a National Blondie Day on January 22.
• You can enjoy 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies as is, like a bar cookie, or in a bowl with Vanilla Ice Cream, whipped cream, and Apple Cider Caramel Sauce.

Tools You Need to Make 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies

• 9×13-inch baking dish and parchment paper
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Whisk
• Silicone spatula

Key Ingredients and Why

• All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour is the base of these blondies with a protein content of around 11%, so the blondies will be tender, not tough.

• Brown Sugar

  • Brown sugar sweetens the blondies and gives them a lovely hint of caramel.
  • It has more moisture than white sugar to create a gooey center for the blondies.
  • Not only does it cook with the apple juices to make a rich sauce, but brown sugar also creates a pleasant crunch in the topping once baked with the butter, oats, and nuts.
  • Make your own or enrich it using my recipe How to Make Brown Sugar.

• Quick-Cooking Oats

  • Oats give the 3-Layer Apple Pie Brownies an irresistible crispy, crumbly layer of texture.
  • Quick oats are old-fashioned oats that have been rolled even thinner and broken into smaller pieces.  Since the pieces are smaller, they cook much faster than old-fashioned oats.
  • Learn about the different types of oats in Baking with Oats: A Complete Guide

• Cinnamon

Cozy, spicy, and sweet cinnamon gives the apple pie and streusel layers their distinctive, comforting flavor.

• Butter

  • Butter enriches the flavor of the blondie base.
  • It cooks with brown sugar and apple juices to make a luscious thick syrup. And it’s kneaded into the brown sugar to form the crispy oatmeal top.

• Pecans

Chopped nuts add crunch, and they offset the recipe’s sweetness perfectly.

• Granny Smith Apples

  • Use Granny Smith apples for the best flavor and texture.
  • Bramley apples will be your go-to cooking apples in Ireland or UK, which are very sour to eat but work beautifully in baking, such as Apple Crumble.

• Eggs

  • Eggs give the blondies moisture and rich flavor without a mushy texture.
  • Beaten eggs retain air to help blondies rise and make them lighter.

• Baking Powder

  • Once mixed with liquid, baking powder causes a quick chemical reaction that creates carbon dioxide, creating bubbles in the batter and forming an airier crumb and an overall light, fluffy texture.
  • Make your own with Learn How to Make Baking Powder and Baking Soda Explained and you’ll never run out.

How to Make 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies

• Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter pan and line with parchment paper.

• Make the Topping

  • Whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Mix the cold butter in with your fingers, or use a pastry blender.

• Make the Apple Layer

Combine the chopped apples with the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and lemon juice.

• Make the Blondie Base

  • Whisk the brown sugar with melted butter, and then whisk in the egg and vanilla.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add in the brown sugar and butter mixture. Take care not to over-mix.
  • Check out Why Do You Mix Dry Ingredients and Wet Ingredients Separately? to understand the science behind mixing separately, and why it gives you a better result!

• Assemble and Bake

  • Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan.
  • Follow with the apple mixture, and then sprinkle on the streusel topping.
  • Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the apples are soft and the topping is crisp.
  • Let cool completely before cutting.

Can I Make 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies in Advance?

• Yes, you can make them partly in advance.
• Prepare the apple filling and the streusel a day ahead, and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Let the apple filling come to room temperature before baking.

How to Store 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies

• The 3-Layer Apple Blondies are best enjoyed the day they’re made.
• If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

FAQs

• Can I make 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies egg-free?

Yes, you can make this recipe egg-free. Use my guide to 12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking and How to Use Them to see specific egg substitutes for brownies, which will also work well well in blondies.

• Can I make 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies gluten-free?

I’d suggest using my Gluten-Free Blondie Recipe as a base in this recipe. It uses almond flour and coconut oil and has a crisp outside and a moist, rich center.

• I made blondies once before and they came out greasy. How do I avoid this?

  • Be sure not to over-mix, which will separate fat from oil or butter to yield a greasy result. Also, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
  • Overheating butter would separate fat from it or adding eggs to the HOT butter and sugar mixture would cook eggs to cause lumps which led to overmixing. Both would lead to an oily result.
  • DO NOT REMOVE the blondies too early from the pan. Let them cool completely to room temperature in the tin. The remaining heat will yield a perfect fudgy center without overcooking it. Removing it too early will also lead to a raw result.

• How do I keep my blondies from getting too dry?

  • Do not over-cook! This is important to remember when making blondies
  • Bake the 3-Layer Apple Pie Blondies just until the apples are tender and the streusel is browned.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• For the streusel, if you don’t have quick-cooking oats, just lightly chop regular old-fashioned oats.
• You can replace the pecans in the streusel with walnuts or hazelnuts. Toast the nuts for extra flavor.
• We like tart Granny Smith apples that retain their shape for baking but you can replace them with any variety of apples that you like. Keep in mind that some apple varieties will break down more than others when baked and that may affect the final texture.
• For an extra sweet treat, make Gemma’s Signature Salted Caramel Sauce and drizzle some on top of the cooled blondies just before serving.
• You can serve these blondies warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, just like you would for a pie!
• Serve with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and Apple Cider Caramel Sauce on top.

More Apple Recipes

• Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin
• The Perfect Classic Apple Pie Recipe
• My Mum’s Irish Apple Cake
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake
• Classic Irish Apple Tart
• Apple Cider Donut Cake
• Microwave Mug Apple Crisp

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