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These Apple Fritter Brownies taste just like apple fritters but in bar form. They have chewy, buttery edges, tart apples soaked in cinnamon-sugar, and an apple cinnamon glaze made with white chocolate. They’re so much easier than frying up a bunch of fritters, but they deliver that same classic apple-cinnamon flavor we love this time of year. Make yourself an iced latte, and let’s get baking!
Picture this: it’s 70 degrees and sunny, you’ve spent the afternoon picking apples, and now you have more than you know what to do with. Start here. I tested these about four times because I wanted that apple fritter flavor without making them overly rich. A little tart apple, some familiar fall spices, and an apple-cinnamon glaze finally got them there.
As for the rest of those apples, I highly recommend you pile them into my homemade apple pie or my easy apple cobbler! Now let’s get into these apple fritter brownies…
Some Ingredients You’ll Need
- A tart apple – Granny Smith is a good choice here. That bit of tartness balances the sweet glaze, and you only need one large apple. I originally tested this recipe with honeycrisp apples, it was too sweet and very “one note”. The acidity and tartness of the Granny Smith really made this recipe perfect.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger – A little of each gives the batter that familiar apple fritter flavor. The cinnamon is the star while, the nutmeg and ginger are the supporting spices– a little bit of each adds that warm fall flavor we want.
- Brown sugar – Toss this with the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. As everything sits, the apples release the syrup we’ll use in the glaze.
- White chocolate – This is for our glaze. I like to use Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers. They melt quickly, incorporate easily, and give the glaze a really smooth texture.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Make Apple Fritter Brownies
- Prep the apples. Toss the diced apple with brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix the batter. Beat the butter, sugar, spices, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, then mix in the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Spread the batter in the pan.
- Spoon the apples on top, reserving 2 tablespoons of syrup. Bake for 35 minutes, then cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Make the glaze. Microwave the white chocolate, reserved syrup, lemon juice, and salt in 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
- Glaze and slice. Pour the glaze over the brownies. Let set for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Helpful Tips and Recipe Notes
Dice the apple into even pieces. Aim for about ½ inch, so you get little bites of apple throughout the topping.
Go gently with the white chocolate. Stir between microwave intervals; the warmth of the bowl will help melt the last little pieces.
Give them a little time. Let the brownies cool before glazing, then let the glaze set before slicing. The parchment overhang makes lifting them out of the pan much easier.
The center will puff up as it bakes and may still look a little underdone when you pull the pan out. Look for a crackly top with no visibly wet batter. The center will set as the brownies cool.
Thoughts on Making-Ahead & Storage
I like these best the day they’re made, but you can bake the brownies a day ahead and glaze them before serving. Once glazed, they’ll keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Just store them somewhere cool so the glaze doesn’t melt.
If you tried this Apple Brownies recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Apple Fritter Brownies
Equipment
- offset spatula
Ingredients
Apple Topping:
- 1 large granny smith or tart apple, ½-inch diced
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Apple Fritter Brownies:
- 1⅓ cup (275g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (1½ sticks)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ cup (162g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Apple Cinnamon Glaze:
- ¾ cup (113g) white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons apple cinnamon syrup, (from the apple topping)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
To Make the Apple Topping:
- In a medium bowl, add the sliced apple, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Allow the mixture to sit and macerate while you prepare the batter.
To Make the Apple Fritter Brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8x8inch pan and place a piece of parchment that spans just the center, with the ends of the parchment hanging over the edge of the pan. Press the parchment flat so it adheres to the bottom and sides of the pan.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat everything together until combined, about 1 minute.
- Then add the eggs. Beat on medium speed until just incorporated and smooth. Now, add your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt. Beat on low speed until just combined.
- Scoop the batter evenly into the baking pan, use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Then, spoon the macerated apples on top, reserving the syrup (you should end up with 2 tablespoons); we’ll use this for the glaze. Bake the apple brownies for 35-40 minutes until golden and crackly on top. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before adding the glaze.
To Make the Apple Cinnamon Glaze:
- Meanwhile, make the apple glaze. Add the white chocolate, apple cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, and salt to a bowl. Microwave in intervals of 20 seconds, until the white chocolate has completely melted. (If you don’t have a microwave, use a double boiler.) Stir until combined and glossy.
- Pour the apple cinnamon glaze over the apple brownies and move the pan around to encourage the glaze to cover the entire surface of the brownies. Allow the glaze to set for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
- Slice it up and serve.
Notes
Recipe Tips
Dice the apple into even pieces. Aim for about ½ inch so you get little bites of apple throughout the topping. Go gently with the white chocolate. Stir between microwave intervals; the warmth of the bowl will help melt the last little pieces. Give them a little time. Let the brownies cool before glazing, then let the glaze set before slicing. The parchment overhang makes lifting them out of the pan much easier. The center will puff up as it bakes and may still look a little underdone when you pull the pan out. Look for a crackly top with no visibly wet batter. The center will set as the brownies cool.Make Ahead & Storage
I like these best the day they’re made, but you can bake the brownies a day ahead and glaze them before serving. Once glazed, they’ll keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Just store them somewhere cool so the glaze doesn’t melt.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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