Caramel Blondie Brownie Recipe

 TThis Caramel Blondie Brownie recipe gives you chewy blonde brownies that are brimming with caramel flavor. Top it with a divine maple butter sauce and you have one heck of a dessert. 

Holy Hannah Montanna, have I got a recipe for you! Seriously, people, you've been to Applebee's, right? Does Maple Butter Blondie ring a bell? Of course it does! Everybody loves a warm caramel-y blondie brownie recipe topped with a luscious maple butter sauce!

If it's done right - and believe me, I've had some that did me wrong- for shame Applebee's. For shame. - it's on my list of all time favorite desserts. I've tried a few copy cat recipes that have floated around the web but none of them really did it for me. Most blondie brownie recipes I've tried taste great but the texture is all wrong -- they are either too dense or buttery (did I really just say that?).

Last weekend as I was plowing through some unloved cookbooks trying to find something sweet to make for our Super Bowl feasting, I found this blondie brownie recipe.  I thought it looked good, but it didn't even register that it might be just what I've been looking for- until I tried them.  Am I allowed to say "holy Hannah Montanna" again?

Applebee's Blondie Brownie Copycat

You're probably looking at the picture above and thinking  "that doesn't look anything like Applebee's dessert!" You're right, it doesn't.  Bear with me though. I didn't know these blondie brownies were going to be so similar to Applebee's so I didn't try to make it taste like it. I used cashews instead of white chocolate and walnuts and a jarred caramel sauce as topping instead of the maple butter sauce. Next time -OH YES there will be a next time- I will make these changes and I will have what I've been looking for all along! Although I did really like the cashews and caramel sauce too.

What Is A Blondie?

A blondie is, like the name suggests, a blonde brownie. Which basically means it's a chocolate-less brownie and substitutes vanilla flavoring for cocoa. They typically have brown sugar in them and have deep, rich caramel and vanilla notes. Don't get them confused with white chocolate brownies though, since they actually have white chocolate in them making them brownies. This blondie brownie recipe makes a true blondie since they don't have any chocolate mixed into the batter.

Tips for Making the BEST Blondie Brownie Recipe

• Add pre-made caramels! The secret to these blondies, I think, is the addition of melted caramels to the batter. Adding sugar that has already been caramelized adds so much flavor and gives them the texture that I love.
• Grease your pan well! With the addition of the caramels to the batter, the likelihood of these blondie brownies wanting to stick to the pan increases. You shouldn't have any problems if you grease the baking pan really well with cooking spray. If you wanted to take it a step further you could even dust it with flour, but I haven't needed to do that yet.
• Don't Overbake! Cook just until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, no longer. you want them to be just barely done so they stay tender and moist.

Need More Killer Dessert Recipes?

• This Banoffee Pie is one of my all-time favorite desserts! If you like bananas and caramel, this pie is for you!
• Chocolate and Coconut? Yes, please! Try these Mississippi Mud Brownies (Coconut Bribery Version). You won't be sorry!
• Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Cake is another favorite here.

Caramel Blondie Brownies and Maple Butter Sauce

This Caramel Blondie Brownie recipe gives you chewy blonde brownies that are brimming with caramel flavor. Top it with a divine maple butter sauce and you have one heck of a dessert. 

By Heather Cheney

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 14 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 39 minutes

Servings: 24 servings

Ingredients

For the Blondies

• ▢ 36 Kraft caramels unwrapped
• ▢ ⅔ cup butter
• ▢ ¼ cup milk
• ▢ 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups All-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 2 cups mix-ins cashews, white chocolate chips, or walnuts

For the Maple Butter Sauce

• ▢ ½ cup butter softened
• ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup cream cheese softened
• ▢ 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the Blondies

• Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• In a saucepan, cook and stir the caramels, butter, and milk over low heat until the caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in sugar. Combine eggs and vanilla; stir into caramel mixture.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt and stir into caramel mixture until blended. Fold in mix-ins. Transfer to a greased 9×13 inch baking pan.
• Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Don’t overbake, keep a close eye on it! You want them to be just barely done Cool on a wire rack, cut and serve with vanilla ice cream and maple butter sauce.

For the Maple Butter Sauce

• Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When ready to serve warm up in microwave, stirring often until hot.

Chef's Notes:

Adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 264 kcal | Carbohydrates: 37 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Cholesterol: 54 mg | Sodium: 216 mg | Potassium: 82 mg | Sugar: 26 g | Vitamin A: 360 IU | Vitamin C: 0.1 mg | Calcium: 43 mg | Iron: 0.6 mg

Nutrition and Food Safety Disclosure

ARE WE FRIENDS ON INSTAGRAM?Tag me @heatherlikesfood and use #heatherlikesfood so I can see what you're making and enjoying!