Quick and Easy Apple Brownies (Apple Bars)
Apple brownies are packed with fresh apples, crunchy walnuts, and a hint of cinnamon, making them a wonderful fall treat. Also known as apple bars or apple blondies, they’re perfect for family gatherings or satisfying those midday sweet cravings!
Is there anything more comforting than a dessert made from simple, wholesome goodness? From flaky apple strudel to classic deep dish apple pie, easy apple recipes have always been my favorite.
But when that 4 p.m. snack craving strikes, these apple brownies are my top choice. Trust me, they’re the perfect quick and easy treat to satisfy your sweet tooth in no time!
These apple brownies are packed with freshly chopped apples and your choice of walnuts or pecans. Whether you’re in the mood for a homemade brownie with a crackly top or chewy apple bars, this recipe has you covered.
Some might even call them apple blondies for their light, golden color. Whatever the name, this fall dessert is perfect for family gatherings or an afternoon snack
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These apple brownies come together with just a few pantry staples and 2-3 apples, making them a quick and fuss-free treat. The walnuts add a nutty complexity, and the touch of cinnamon brings the essence of fall to every bite.
How to Make Apple Brownies (Apple Bars)
Choosing the Right Apples: The best apples for this recipe are Granny Smith, but other baking varieties like Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, and Gala work great too.
Get the Apples and Pan Ready: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper, then set it aside. Peel, core, and chop the apples into small chunks.
Cream the Wet Ingredients: In an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Incorporate Apples and Nuts: Gently fold in the chopped apples and walnuts using a spatula or wooden spoon.
Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually stir this into the wet mixture until well combined.
Bake the Brownies: Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a fork. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown.
Serving Suggestion
If you want to take this dessert up a notch, serve your apple bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Love this recipe? Rate it and share your experience in the comments below! On Instagram? Tag me to showcase your creation. For more delicious recipes, subscribe to our newsletter!
Quick and Easy Apple Brownies (Apple Bars)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cup peeled, cored and chopped apple , Granny Smith or other baking apples
- 1/2 cup walnut, chopped
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Equipment
Instructions
- Prepare Your Apples and Pan: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and/or line it with parchment paper; set aside. Peel and seed the apples, then chop them into small pieces.
- Blend Wet Ingredients: In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and continue to beat until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add Apples and Nuts: Stir in the chopped apples and walnuts by hand.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until well combined.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the greased and lined pan, and level it with a fork. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown. Cool the brownies on a wired rack completely. Cut into bars to your desired size.
- Serving Idea: If you're looking to elevate this indulgent dessert, serve your apple bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
I left out the baking powder because I never have it on hand. We’ll see how it turns out! I’m sure they will still be edible but just dense. I’m not picky! I have a refrigerator full of apples to use up and am not good at pies, kids wont eat apple crisp so this is perfect! My hubby eats anything I make…. :).
I hope everyone enjoyed the apple brownies. Thanks for your comment!
I used a shallow 13 x 9 in pan and used all the apples whole so it was maybe 2 1/3 cup apples instead of 2 cups. Batter was very thick but I was able to spread and flatten it. Unfortunately the batter overflowed and got burnt at the bottom of the oven. I should have put a pan beneath it but with the thick batter, I did not think it would rise that much and overflow. So do not go beyond 2 cups of apples if using a shallow 13×9 pan (1 in deep)! The brownies still turned out well though. Quite delicious! Will definitely make these again but may use a deeper pan.
Hi,
Found this quite a novel idea So wanna try
if I want to halve the recipe .can a 6x 6 tin and baking for 30 minutes be fine?
If not could you please help me.
6×6 pan sounds a little bit small for the half recipe. But you can try with 25 minutes. Make sure to test and continue baking if it needs more time. Hope you love this treat. It’s delicious!
I made these last night and they turned out delicious! I did a few substitutions: instead of 2 sticks of butter I used only one and then 1/4 cup of coconut oil, I used brown sugar and only one cup. I had a few apples on my fridge that were going bad and I wanted to use them. So I looked up an easy apple recipe that called for ingredients I already had. It was so easy to make, we had a cook out and everyone like it!
Can this be done on a half sheet? Your 9 x 13″ looks like my half sheet. Thanks!
It looks like half sheet pan but it is 9×13 brownie pan. Half sheet would be too big for this recipe unless you double the recipe.
Thanks for replying. I didn’t double the recipe but did 1.5 of it. Its currently baking on the half sheet now. Will let you know how it turns out!
This turned out soo good thank you, sooo yummy but hate that it breaks so easily and crumbly
Can I omit the walnuts and just add extra apples? Will it still taste good? My son has a nut allergy.
Of course! I don’t think you need to add extra apples but a tiny bit more would be okay.
LOOOOOOOOOOOVE Korean Food, in fact, I just made Rice Cake soup and some soybean sprouts with green onions salad.
I am a little surprised to see sweet recipes in your blog, are they really Korean?
I am planning on making this one tomorrow……….
Thanks
No they are not Korean. I think it was started here in the USA
It definitely isn’t a Korean recipe. I love baking and I often share my favorite baked goods recipes on my site.
Hi Thank you. I will try out the recipe and give it a go at freezing. Will let you know how it turns out…Thanks again
Can these apple brownies be frozen when cooked??
I never froze them before so I can’t assure you how it will be like. However, I think it will freeze okay.
wow this looks awesome! cant wait to try it out ~
i have a slight concern about baking soda, i dont have them and doubt the store around where i am carries them. is it possible to leave baking soda out in this recipe without altering the taste
Hi Mandy
If you skip the baking soda in this recipe, I am afraid that it will effect the outcome. Since there is no proper substitute for Baking soda, I don’t know what to tell you.
I just put my first batch in the oven. I only had one problem. The batter was thicker like a cookie dough. I had to spread it in the pan. There was no way it was going to pour. Looking at your pictures my batter looks very different. Any suggestions as to why? The only thing I can come up with is that the temperature is colder in the house than normal. I hope they still turn out!
Did you use melted butter? If you used room temperature butter, you will get a much thicker batter. I hope it turns out great.
I need to try this. Totally my kind of brownie. Can I use self rising flour instead? I just bought a pack for another dessert recipe and have a ton left…
Yes, you can substitute self rising flour in place of flour and baking powder.
Just made these and although they are too hot to cut, they smell fantastic! I left out the nuts, added extra apples and used Kraft caramel bits…
Adding caramel bits sounds perfect. Hope you liked the brownies.
These brownie bars were super moist and delicious .I decreased the cinnamon and added nutmeg,also 1/2 cup of toffee bits!
Toffee bits are awesome to add in this recipe. Thanks for the idea!
Use apple sauce in place for butter.
could i use shortening or another non-dairy substitute? my husband loves apples but has a dairy allergy…
Some adds apple sauce instead of butter to lower the fat. You can add a little less sugar but not too less because, then, it won't taste good. 🙂
This is soooo yummy!
but I have a question, is there a way to make it less sweet? to cut calories?
I made these for a party this weekend and they turned out great! Thanks so much!
I made these for a party this weekend and they turned out great! Thanks so much!
Ahh, this too! I need to try this! =) I heart your blog so much!
Thanks Amy. Hope you get to try it. They are really good.
Thanks for the idea, these look amazing and such a nice change from the usual brownie flavour. Can't wait to bake these 🙂
I made this yesterday, and man, they came out g-o-o-d good! They tasted like something that would be bought in a dine-in restaurant. So delicious! (^_^)
P.S: I didn't have a 9 x 13 pan, so I just baked them in a 9 x 9 pan, and baked it on a lower temperature. Needless to say, it still came out great.
boy am i glad to come across your site. i never know what to do with apples besides apple pie but brownies are a TON easier thanks for this recipe – will definitely try it 🙂
it looks so fantastic! I'm going to try, although looking on the pictures makes me happy already 🙂
Jummy Jummy in my tummy;)
Man, if that smells anything like I imagine it!!!!!!
Mmmh it looks delicious! Definitely gonna try this myself :]
xo
PurePreciousPerfection.blogspot.com
I love your blog. You have really nice photos and easy to follow recipes.
I just made them, and I will really make these again! Lovley! 😀
I am glad that it turned out great, Erica. They are moist and even better when you serve with vanilla ice cream!
these turned out really good! i baked this tonight and everyone in my homegroup said they tasted delicious! we had them, still slightly warm from the oven (it was maybe ~1 hour after taking it out of the oven), with vanilla ice cream. yum! thanks so much!
Great recipe! I've never had apple brownies – but it's a terrific idea. You've got some really nice photos in this post; colorful, too. Thanks for this.
that sounds amazing! I'm always used to brownies being well, brown, i.e. chocolatey, but apples sound much healthier!
Thanks, Kat. It is actually somewhat apple cake-like dessert due to its soft crumbs but definitely delicious and easy to make. Hope you can give it a try soon.
Hope it turns out good for you, Erica!
Thanks Stephs. Hope your boyfriend will like it.
I've never seen anything like this before, I love it!! I'm definitely going to save this for later! Thanks for sharing your recipe 🙂
What a delicious and creative recipe! I like this non-traditional take on brownies, and my boyfriend's favorite fruit is apples. I know what I'm baking for Valentine's Day!
oh this looks like the perfect dessert for me to serve at the Bible study I'm hosting next week at my house! thanks for the recipe, Holly! 🙂
Hi Holly – These look so yummy! Apple cake is one of my favorites, and I make it all the time. But these brownies sound so good and easy to make. I will definitely try them.
apple brownies is a smashing idea!