Apple Pie Blondies {Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Option}
Published
Super easy gluten-free Apple Pie Blondies are a soft, blonde brownie topped with delicious cinnamon apples and maple vanilla glaze.
Recipe originally published September 2017, recipe updated and republished September 2018
I Love Apple Recipes
It’s still super hot here in North Florida, but that’s not keeping me from baking my favorite fall goodies. As soon as September hits, I am all about apples.
I love how versatile apples are in cooking. They can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, like the Apple Crisp or the Cinnamon Apple Fries.
My husband is a cake versus pie guy, so I decided to combine the best of both worlds. You get the apple filling goodness of pie and the sweet cakey flavor of a blondie.
Gluten-Free Apple Pie Blondies In A Few Easy Steps
Pro Tip:
- I always line the baking pan with parchment paper and coat the bottom and sides with gluten-free nonstick cooking spray or butter. It makes getting the blondies out of the pan a breeze. I just lift the blondies out of the pan carefully with the parchment paper, place on a cutting board and then cut them into slices.
- Always bake with ingredients that are at room temperature. Cold ingredients do not mix as well with room-temperature ingredients.
Peel, core and dice apples into small pieces. I like to use my apple slicer. (photo 1)
In a small pan add butter, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat until butter and sugar is melted.
Stir the diced apples to fully coat the apples in the butter sauce.
Allow the butter sauce to come to a slight boil for a few minutes. When the apples will become soft, remove from heat. (photo 2)
In a large bowl cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. (photo 3)
Add eggs and pure vanilla extract and beat with your mixer until ingredients are fully combined. (photo 4)
Add the cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend already has it) and gluten-free flour and mix until ingredients are fully combined. The blondie batter will be sticky. (photo 5)
Pour the blondie batter into the parchment-lined pan. (photo 6) Pour the apple filling on top of the blondie batter and spread to cover evenly. (photo 7)
Bake for 35-45 minutes. Please watch your blondies because all ovens are different.
The sides on the blondies will start to pull away from the sides and they will be golden brown. You can also check by inserting a toothpick into the center comes out clean.
Allow the blondies to cool for one hour before adding the glaze. If the blondies are too hot the glaze will just melt.
In a small bowl combine the ingredients for the vanilla maple glaze. Whisk until the glaze forms and is smooth. (photo 8)
Drizzle glaze on top of warm apple pie blondies. (photo 9)
Remove the blondies from the pan by carefully lifting them up with the parchment paper. Cut by rows. It will make 9 large slices. (photo 10) Enjoy!
Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate. I actually like them best cold.
Gluten-Free Flour
I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
Dairy-Free Baking
I have also included a dairy-free option to my gluten-free Apple Blondies recipe. My husband, my youngest son, and I are all dairy-free. I promise it is just as delicious made with the dairy-free butter.
Some of my favorite dairy-free alternatives that I like to bake with are almond, cashew or coconut milk. I also like baking with coconut oil or Earth Balance or Smart Balance butter.
Apple Pie Blondies are super easy to make. I like to bake with either Red Delicious, Honey Crisps, Gala or Granny Smith Apples, but any type of apple will work beautifully in this recipe.
The apple pie filling and blondies batter are quickly whipped together. The vanilla maple glaze complements the flavors of the Apple Pie Blondie perfectly.
All the flavor of apple pie combined with a soft blondie cake.
Looking for other gluten-free apple recipes? Check these out!
- Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts
- Gluten-Free Apple Dapple Cake
- Gluten-Free Easy Apple Cinnamon Muffins {Dairy-Free Option}
Apple Pie Blondies {Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Option}
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 cups diced apples (3 apples), peeled
- 1 tablespoon butter, ,dairy-free used Smart Balance butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, , packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Blondie
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for dairy-free use Smart Balance butter)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour flour , I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, leave out if your flour blend already has it
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F degrees
- Spray the 8x8 square baking pan with gluten-free non-stick cooking spray or line the baking pan with parchment paper and coat the bottom and sides with gluten-free nonstick cooking spray or butter.
- Peel, core and dice apples into small pieces. I like to use my apple slicer.
- Peel, core and dice apples into small pieces. I like to use my apple slicer. (photo 1) In a small pan add butter, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Cook over medium heat until butter and sugar is melted. Stir the diced apples to fully coat the apples in the butter sauce. Allow the butter sauce to come to a slight boil for a few minutes. When the apples will become soft, remove from heat. (photo 2)
- In a large bowl cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
- Add eggs and pure vanilla extract and beat with your mixer until ingredients are fully combined.
- Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend already has it) and gluten-free flour and mix until ingredients are fully combined. The blondie batter will be sticky.
- Pour the blondie batter into the parchment lined pan.
- Pour the apple filling on top of the blondie batter and spread to cover evenly.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes. Please watch your blondies because all ovens are different. The sides on the blondies will start to pull away from the sides and they will be golden brown. You can also check by inserting a toothpick into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the blondies to cool for one hour before adding the glaze. If the blondies are too hot the glaze will just melt.
- In a small bowl combine the ingredients for the vanilla maple glaze. Whisk until the glaze forms and is smooth.
- Drizzle glaze on top of warm apple pie blondies.
- Remove the blondies from the pan by carefully lifting them up with the parchment paper. Cut by rows. It will make 9 large slices. Enjoy!
- Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate. I actually like them best cold.
Notes
- I always line the baking pan with parchment paper and coat the bottom and sides with gluten-free nonstick cooking spray or butter. It makes getting the blondies out of the pan a breeze. I just lift the blondies out of the pan carefully with the parchment paper, place on a cutting board and then cut them into slices.
- Always bake with ingredients that are at room temperature. Cold ingredients do not mix as well with room-temperature ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did not work for me. Used the ingredients listed and the sides puffed up leaving the middle a wet, goopy mess that never baked. A sad waste of apples, sugar, and flour.
I usually have good luck using King Arthur gluten free measure for measure flour with your recipes, unfortunately, I experienced the same issue as Jen B., not sure I will attempt this recipe again.
I baked these over an hour – yes my oven is “correct” – and still the middle was raw. I suspect the apple mixture was too wet. Very disappointed. Won’t make again.
Hi Jen, what brand of GF flour did you use? Different brands require different levels of hydration, so if you used a different brand from the one we tested this recipe with (Pillsbury), your results may vary.
I want to make these ahead of time for an event. Can I freeze them after baking them? I would then get them out the day of the event.
Yes, you can freeze these!
super good!
I made this for a diabetic friend’s birthday. I substituted stevia sweeteners in the crumble and batter. Instead of making a glaze, I chopped up dark chocolate chips and scattered them on top before baking. it was delicious! My friend loved it. This recipe is going in my favorites!
Absolutely delicious. Thank you.
These are so delicious! I make them all the time now. My husband loves them as well.
These are awesome! I added a kids cup of apple sauce to my batter just because the first time I baked with the Pillsbury Gluten Free Flour, it was a little extra dry. This is only my second gluten free bake, I made it for my husbands co-worker. Easy and delicious! I also added a lot of extra cinnamon because it’s my favorite!
My wife and I made these last night, and they were amazing! Easily one of my new favorites, and finding this recipe leading into the holidays couldn’t have been timing! My wife has celiacs, and dairy allergy, so finding desserts that are so good is very difficult. I couldn’t be happier with the results!
These were so good! I added a bit of cloves and a little too much powdered ginger ti the apples and had some doubts when my battter was hard to spread but they came out beautifully! I used namaste GF flour blend from Costco and really couldn’t tell they were gluten free (I eat gluten but my roommate doesn’t). So moist and delicious! Thanks for the nice easy recipe!
Delicious! Easy to make. I love all of your recipes.
This recipe is amazing! A brownie and apple pie in one! This will definitely be a new go to recipe!
Hi Audrey!! I’ve been having a field day with your website and recipes, and I literally JUST finished this one!! My parents praised it, saying, “It tastes like something you could purchase from a bakery!” My dad immediately asked for seconds, and he’s a man of few words AND few second plates. That’s how you know you got a real winning recipe in your hands, isnt it?? I loved this, thanks for your recipe & keep em coming!
Thank you so much D for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my night! I am so happy that you and your parents loved the blondies. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes I make for my family. Thanks again!
Can you sub almond or coconut flour? Also can you sub erythritol? Trying to make it keto and gluten free
Hi Tonia! I have not tried this recipe with almond or coconut flour. Baking with grain-free flours like almond and coconut flour is a lot different than baking with rice flour blends. I do have several a Paleo cupcake recipe you could try with the erythritol. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.