Apple Blondies

by Arman Liew

updated on Jul 31, 2024

102 comments

5 from 207 votes
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My apple blondies are soft and gooey, with warming apple pie spices laced throughout. Made with 5 ingredients, one bowl, and NO flour or eggs needed!

Love baking with applesauce? Try my applesauce brownies, applesauce cookies, and applesauce bread next.

apple blondies.

I’m obsessed with baking with applesauce. 

Seriously, not only does it add moisture and subtle sweetness, but it’s a foolproof, low-calorie swap for eggs and oil. Whenever I use applesauce to make my blondies, they don’t last long–just ask my family!

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Ingredients needed
  3. How to make apple blondies
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Storage instructions
  6. More apple dessert recipes to try
  7. Apple Blondies (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

  • Made in one bowl. So clean-up is done in seconds. 
  • Healthier. These blondies are naturally gluten-free, vegan, and oil-free. How can you beat that?
  • Perfect for apple pie lovers. When I don’t want to commit to making an entire apple pie, I make my apple pie blondies, and the results are just as satisfying. 
  • Easy to customize. Not feeling the apple flavor? Omit the apple pie spice, and you won’t notice it at all. 
caramel apple blondies.

Ingredients needed

  • Unsweetened applesauce. Make sure it’s 100% unsweetened. 
  • Almond butter. For richness and texture. Feel free to swap it for other types of nut butter or seed butter.
  • Maple syrup. Adds sweetness and keeps the blondies gooey and fudgy. 
  • Coconut flour. This helps to hold the blondies together. 
  • Apple pie spice. Use packaged apple pie spice or make your own (read my tip below for the recipe!). 
  • Brown sugar. Optional, but it adds a nice crunchy top when the bars are baked. 

How to make apple blondies

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Step 2- Mix the batter. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until a thick mixture is formed.

Step 3- Bake. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and top with sugar if using. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.

Step 4- Cool and slice. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing.

applesauce blondies.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Make your own apple pie spice by combining 1/4 cup cinnamon, 2 teaspoons nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger.
  • Once you remove it from the oven, it will still look undercooked. Allow it to cool completely, and preferably, refrigerate and enjoy cold. Trust me, it tastes best this way!
  • For thicker blondies, add a little extra coconut flour.

Variations

  • For added apple flavor, feel free to fold in some diced fresh apples into the batter. 
  • For less apple flavor, omit the apple spice. You won’t be able to taste the unsweetened applesauce. 
  • Drizzle the apple blondies with some caramel sauce for a delicious caramel apple flavor.

Storage instructions

To store: Store leftover blondies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. 
To freeze: Freeze blondies in a freezer-safe container for up to six months.

apple blondies recipe.

More apple dessert recipes to try

healthy apple bars

Apple Blondies

5 from 207 votes
My applesauce blondies are soft and gooey, with warming apple pie spices laced throughout. Made with 5 ingredients, one bowl, and NO flour or eggs needed!
Servings: 9 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
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Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix very well until a very thick batter is formed.
  • Transfer to the greased baking dish and top with the granulated sweetener of choice. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing.

Notes

* Depending on the brand of coconut flour you use, you may need to add an extra tablespoon of coconut flour OR maple syrup to have the batter ‘firm’.
TO STORE: Healthy Apple Pie Blondies need to be kept in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks.
TO FREEZE: Flourless apple pie blondies are freezer friendly and will freeze well for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1BarCalories: 105kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSodium: 8mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 3gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 3g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. O.M.G. You have just changed my life!!! I swapped a few ingredients. I was lacking in the spice dept. So I used cinnamon only and I’m embarassed to admit, but…no maple syrup in the house so I used agave syrup. And…boo ya! A little agave on top & they were uh-mazing!!! My sweet tooth is in love! Thank you!!

    Reply

  3. Hi Arman, I’m a new reader to your blog after finding you on Pinterest. First, everything looks delicious! Second, I’m gluten-free, but hate when other people think that all GF bake goods taste like cardboard–well maybe that’s just how I bake! lol Third, I’m so excited to try this 4-ingredient* (forget everyone who tries to tell you otherwise) apple bar recipe and so confident its going to be a crowd-pleaser that I’m entering it into my office’s healthy baking contest this week! Of course your site is getting all the credit! People who know me, know I’m not this innovative in the kitchen normally! I have many other recipes in the queue!
    Thanks!

    PS What’s the yield for this recipe above?

    Reply

    1. Hi Abigail- Thank you so much for your kind words, I appreciate it!

      This recipe- It depends on how big you slice them- They can be quite rich tasting so 9-10 small slices would be suffice 🙂

      Reply

  5. One thig I love about this recipe is that it is egg free. Not that I need to avoid eggs, but so many people do, and I’m terrible at coming up with egg free recipes. This looks like another great one from you, Arman.

    Reply

  6. Depends on the day! If I’m sick or SUPER hungry that day, then I probably cannot trust my tastebuds. Otherwise, I’m pretty on point!
    LOVE the way the topping just drips off the soft blondies! YUMMMM!

    Reply

  7. Hello , I’m a new readers but love already!!!! What flour would be a good substitute for the coconut? Would almond work? Or oat flour?

    Reply

  8. Spices totally count as an ingredient and since you used three different ones, you’ve got three more ingredients. Hey, I just call ’em like I see ’em. Either way, they look and sound delicious.

    Reply

  11. I’m going to go ahead and say that these are definitely FIVE ingredient blondies… But I won’t press the issue so much since you didn’t call them brownies this time around 😛 And I subject my family and friends to my food experiments. Sometimes I wonder how I still have friends 😆

    Reply