This Caramel Blondie Brownie recipe yields chewy, golden blondies packed with caramel flavor. Top them with a silky maple butter sauce and you have a show-stopping dessert.
If you love warm, caramel-forward desserts, these blondie brownies will hit the spot. They balance a tender, chewy crumb with rich caramel notes, and the maple butter sauce adds a glossy, buttery finish that elevates every bite. I tried several copycat versions over the years—some had great flavor but the texture was off: too dense, too greasy, or just not quite right. This version combines melted caramels in the batter with a classic blondie base to give you the texture and caramel depth I’ve been chasing.
Last weekend I dug through some old cookbooks looking for a Super Bowl dessert and stumbled on this recipe. It looked promising, but it wasn’t until I baked a batch that I realized it might be the very blondie I’d been searching for. The caramels melted into the batter create a beautifully tender crumb with a warm, buttery caramel taste in every bite.
Applebee’s Blondie Brownie Copycat
You might be wondering if this is an exact replica of the Applebee’s Maple Butter Blondie. I didn’t intentionally try to recreate Applebee’s flavor; instead I followed a recipe that relied on caramels in the batter and used cashews in place of white chocolate and walnuts. I topped mine with a jarred caramel sauce the first time, and it was still excellent. Next time I’ll make the maple butter sauce and try white chocolate or walnuts to get even closer to that familiar restaurant version. Either way, these blondies are delicious and widely loved.
What Is A Blondie?
A blondie is essentially a brownie without cocoa—think of it as a “blonde” brownie. Instead of chocolate, blondies highlight brown sugar, butter, and vanilla, resulting in rich caramel and toffee-like flavors. They are not the same as white chocolate brownies, which include white chocolate in the batter; true blondies have no added chocolate. This recipe makes authentic blondies that are soft, chewy, and full of caramel character.
Tips for Making the BEST Blondie Brownie Recipe
- Use pre-made caramels. Melting unwrapped caramels into the batter adds deep caramel flavor and helps create the chewy, tender texture that makes these blondies stand out.
- Grease the pan well. Because the batter contains melted caramel, these blondies can stick more easily than typical bars. Generously grease a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray or butter; if you prefer, line the pan with parchment for easy removal.
- Avoid overbaking. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Pull them as soon as they are set so they stay tender and moist.
Need More Killer Dessert Recipes?
- Banoffee Pie — a fantastic choice if you love bananas and caramel.
- Mississippi Mud Brownies (Coconut Bribery Version) — rich chocolate and coconut for chocoholics.
- Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Cake — a perfect blend of salty, sweet, and chocolate.
📖 Recipe
Caramel Blondie Brownies and Maple Butter Sauce
Ingredients
For the Blondies
- 36 Kraft caramels, unwrapped
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups mix-ins: cashews, white chocolate chips, or walnuts
For the Maple Butter Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Blondies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment.
- In a saucepan over low heat, combine the caramels, butter, and milk. Stir until the caramels are fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the granulated sugar.
- Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a separate bowl, then stir into the caramel mixture until combined.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then fold the dry ingredients into the caramel-egg mixture until just blended. Fold in the mix-ins of your choice.
- Spread the batter into the prepared 9×13 pan and bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake—remove when they are just set.
- Cool on a wire rack, cut into bars, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream and maple butter sauce.
For the Maple Butter Sauce
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, maple syrup, and salt with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- When ready to serve, warm the sauce gently in short bursts in the microwave, stirring often until heated through. Drizzle over blondies.
Chef’s Notes
Adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook. For easy removal, line the pan with parchment and lift the entire slab out after cooling slightly. Swap mix-ins to customize—white chocolate chips make these extra rich, while walnuts add a pleasing crunch.
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 | Sugar: 26 g
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