Brown butter brings depth of flavor to these Brown Butter Apple Cider Blondies with warm nutty notes. Boiled apple cider is the secret ingredient that amplifies the apple flavor.

Here’s something I can’t get enough of lately – Brown Butter Apple Cider Blondies. They’re are filled with lightly spiced tender shredded apples and loads of chopped pecans. Brown butter adds a craveable toasty note. Although browning butter requires an extra step, it’s so worth it!
One of my favorite ingredients to use in fall and winter months is boiled apple cider. I always purchase Vermont Boiled Cider from King Arthur Baking (or you could try making your own.). It is truly a wonderful addition to this recipe. Nobody’s paying me to say that! As an avid baker I use it in everything from apple pie to apple fritters. You can absolutely still make this recipe if you don’t have boiled cider on hand. See the recipe notes for my suggestions and substitutions.


Browning butter is easy!
Brown butter will elevate nearly any baked good. It’s a special ingredient. When making it, butter solids can change fast from light to brown on the stove top. So watch the butter carefully as it cooks. It has several bubbly/foamy stages, beginning with big shiny soapy bubbles. Then, that will subside to smaller bubbles followed by foam that will start to look golden. And that’s when you need to remove the saucepan from the heat.
Pour the browned butter into a bowl with the milk solids that have browned and fallen to the bottom of the pan. Let it cool before using it in the batter.

Get cookin’!
Next, fry shredded apples in butter. How could that ever be a bad thing? Raw apples give off juices during baking, so cooking off some of that liquid in a saucepan just makes good sense. It also give you the opportunity to spice things up with a little cinnamon.

Mix up the batter.
All the best blondie ingredients are accounted for here. Such as lots of brown sugar. And this is the stage to add in a little boiled cider to give the apple flavor a boost! Next, mix in the dry ingredients and the pecans.

13×9 love.
Spread the batter evenly into a 13×9 inch pan. This recipe makes a big pan of blondies that is made for sharing! Then, you’ll bake it until golden and puffy. And all the while you can enjoy the fragrance that fills your kitchen (which beats any fancy seasonal candle, if you ask me).

Creamy glaze flavored with boiled cider adds yet another layer of apple flavor. Spread it on and scatter the top with more chopped pecans.

It’s recipes like this that really make me feel present in the season. And there’s plenty to share! I hope you’ll enjoy making them (and eating them!) as much as I have.
This blog post is sponsored by Go Bold With Butter! View their other fall recipe right here.

Brown Butter Apple Cider Blondies
Equipment
- 13×9 inch baking pan
Ingredients
Fried Apples
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup grated apple about 2 medium apples
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Blondies
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons boiled cider
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Toppings
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon boiled cider
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Fried Apples
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add grated apples and cinnamon and cook while stirring for about 4 minutes until the apples soften.
- Place fried apples in a bowl and cool.
Blondies
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat nonstick cooking spray in a 13×9-inch baking pan.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter foams and steams. Swirl the pan as the foam subsides and closely watch as the butter turns golden brown and solids form. Pour the brown butter into a large mixing bowl and cool for about 15 minutes. Do not let solidify.
- After letting brown butter cool, add brown sugar, eggs, boiled cider and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the cooled fried apples and chopped pecans into the batter and pour into the prepared baking pan. Spread evenly.
- Bake blondie batter for 21-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Take out and cool completely.
Toppings
- Whisk powdered sugar, boiled cider and heavy cream together in a small bowl. Then, spread the glaze over blondies and sprinkle with pecans. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
- Cut into squares, serve and enjoy!
OMG. They look Divine.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Will be baking up a batch as soon as I get home from getting groceries.
Have a great day and enjoy your evening.
Just made these today, and they are utterly delectable! I followed your (excellently written) recipe exactly, and ended up baking a double batch as my apples were on the large size. It’s such a hardship to have two whole pans of these incredible goodies in the house . . . j/k. Your recipes are always amazing: thank you so much for sharing this!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe!
(I don’t think you’ll have much trouble finding a home for that second pan.. hehe!)
Loved the recipe. Sooo goood! This was the first time I made brown butter, I also substituted apple cider for the boiled cider per your suggestion.