These Maple Blondies have a soft chew and are filled with maple from the base to the super simple glaze!
When it comes to the maple flavor, I find myself always adding it to another flavor like apple or pumpkin. It’s one of my favorite fall flavors, but I rarely use it on it’s own.
That had to change.
Enter these Maple Blondies! Thick cookie bars with a soft chew that are filled with maple flavor from the base to the glaze!
Not another flavor in sight. And not another flavor needed.
These blondie bars have a rich, buttery base that are sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup. To up the maple flavor even more, we added in some maple extract.
It helps boost the flavor the maple syrup without having to use more syrup and make the bars too sweet.
Topping off the bars is a super simple confectioner’s sugar glaze that has, you guessed it, even more maple in it!
With maple from the base to the glaze, these maple blondies make it difficult to stop at just one!
How to Make Maple Blondies
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×9 inch or 8×8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. (The bars pictured were made in a 9×9 inch baking dish.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter until hot. Whisk in the brown sugar and maple syrup (make sure that it’s pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup) until the brown sugar is thoroughly incorporated and the mixture has gone from being hot to warm.
If the mixture still feels hot to the touch, allow it to sit and cool before continuing with the next steps. (You do not want the mixture to be too hot, or the eggs will cook!)
Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and maple extract until well-combined.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Try not to over-stir to keep the texture tender.
The texture will be more like a brownie batter than a cookie dough.
Spread the batter into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Make sure to even out the dough, so that the bars will bake at an even thickness.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a couple of crumbs. The center may appear underdone, but it will continue to set as the bars cool. The edges will also start to pull away from the edges of the pan.
Carefully remove the baking dish to a wire rack.
While the bars taste great with the glaze, I highly recommend the glaze for an added layer of maple flavor!
Whisk together confectioner’s sugar, 2 Tablespoons of half and half, and the maple extract until smooth.
Add additional half and half, as needed, to reach desired consistency. You want it to be runny enough to spread easily.
Spread glaze over the top of the warm bars.
Allow the glaze to harden and the bars cool completely. Cut into bars, and enjoy!
Store any leftover bars in an airtight container.
Tips for Success
- If you don’t have maple extract, you will still get maple flavor. However, the maple flavor won’t be nearly as strong.
- Try not to over-bake the bars. This will make them cakey. The center will appear somewhat underdone when you remove the bars from the oven, but will continue to set as the bars cool.
- The color of maple extract and maple syrup can vary widely among brands. Your bars may look lighter or darker than the ones pictured because of this.
Optional add-ins:
- Chopped walnuts
- Dried apple chips
- Chopped pecans
- White Chocolate Chips
More Blondie Bar Recipes to Try!
Chewy Maple Blondies
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 1/2 Cup butter, melted
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup!)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Glaze
- 1 Cup confectioner's sugar
- 2-4 Tablespoons half and half or milk
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x9 inch or and 8x8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. (Bars pictured were made in a 9x9 inch baking dish.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter until hot. Whisk in the brown sugar and maple syrup until thoroughly combined and mixture is no longer hot. It can be warm, but you don't want hot otherwise the eggs will cook when you add them.
- Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and maple extract until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. You do not want to over-stir.
- Spread batter into the prepared baking dish. Make sure to even out the dough so that the bars will have an even thickness.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. The center will continue to set as the bars cool.
- Remove the baking dish to a wire rack to cool.
- Prepare the glaze while the bars are cooling. Whisk together the confectioner's sugar, 2 Tablespoons half and half, and maple extract until smooth. Add additional half and half, as needed, to reach desired, spreadable consistency.
- Spread glaze over the top of the warm bars. Allow the glaze to harden and the bars to cool completely. Cut into bars
- Store remaining bars in an airtight container.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 183Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 0gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and may not always be accurate. Nutrition values can vary greatly based on brand used. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
