Fall recipes are my favorite recipes to develop. Apple, cinnamon and pumpkin are just divine flavors and make up the best baked goods in the world. Apple pie? Pumpkin Pie? I would eat them year-round but apparently, it is only socially acceptable in the fall? Anyway, I developed this apple cider blondies recipe because apple cider doughnuts are not always easy to make for the home baker. These have all the flavor of apple cider doughnuts with none of the frying. I call this a cheater’s apple cider doughnut.
The base is a super chewy apple cider blondie made with boiled Apple Cider or what I call “apple cider syrup”. Now, you can buy boiled apple cider but I find that it is just easier AND the flavor is better when you make it from scratch. The process will take about 45- 1hour total but it is the KEY to getting that apple cider flavor. This is my most popular recipe on the site, and once you make them, you will understand why.
What are apple cider blondies?
Apple cider blondies are a chewy bar cookie made with apple cider as the star flavor. Think of a classic blondie (a brownie without the chocolate, heavy on butter and brown sugar for a rich, caramel-y base) but packed with warm apple and cinnamon flavor. These are an easy apple cider dessert that delivers serious fall flavor without any complicated technique. No stand mixer, no frying, no fuss.
What makes this recipe different from others is the boiled apple cider. Instead of just adding apple cider to the batter (which would add too much liquid and throw off the texture), you reduce the cider down into a thick, intensely flavored boiled cider and mix that directly into the batter. It is the key to getting that real apple cider doughnut flavor in every single bite.
Apple cider blondies key ingredients
Apple cider — Fresh apple cider, not apple juice. The flavor difference is significant. You will reduce this down into a honey-like boiled cider consistency, so starting with a good quality cider matters. This is the backbone of the whole recipe and what makes these a true apple cider baking recipe rather than just a blondie with spices.
Brown sugar — Brown sugar gives blondies their signature Brown sugar gives blondies their signature chewy, caramel-y flavor. Do not swap for white sugar here; the molasses in brown sugar is doing important work.
Butter — Melted butter keeps these dense and fudgy rather than cakey. Make sure it is fully cooled before mixing it in so it does not scramble your eggs.
Cinnamon — Cinnamon in the batter and in the topping means you get that warm spice flavor all the way through, not just on the surface.
Cinnamon sugar topping — The finishing touch that makes these taste unmistakably like an apple cider doughnut. Do not skip it.
How to make apple cider blondies
Start with the boiled apple cider. Add your apple cider to a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reduces down to a thick, syrupy-like consistency. This takes about 30 to 45 minutes and your kitchen will smell incredible. You can make the boiled cider ahead of time and store it in the fridge, which is a great way to break up the process.
Once the cider is ready and cooled, make your blondie batter. Whisk together melted butter and brown sugar, then add your eggs and the apple cider reduction. Fold in your dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix or you will develop too much gluten and lose that chewy texture. Pour into your prepared pan, sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar, and bake. Let them cool completely before slicing for clean edges.
Tips for the best apple cider blondies recipe
- Do not rush the reduction of the cider. The reduction process is where all the flavor comes from!
- Do not overbake. Blondies firm up as they cool, so pull them out when the center still has a slight jiggle. Over-baked blondies are dry blondies.
- Be generous with the cinnamon sugar topping. This is what gives you that apple cider doughnut moment.
FAQs about apple cider blondies
Can I buy boiled cider instead of making it?
You can, absolutely! Luckily, there are plenty of places that sell boiled cider and it is a great swap to make the recipe more accessible. I recommend making it from scratch because it really is so simple but the store-bought boiled cider will work great.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, these are actually great the next day once the flavors have had time to settle. Bake them, cool completely, and store covered at room temperature.
Can I add mix-ins?
Absolutely. Chopped walnuts or pecans would be a natural fit. White chocolate chips are also great if you want a little extra sweetness. If you want to lean into salted caramel apple blondies territory, a drizzle of caramel sauce on top after baking is a very good idea.
Can I use apple juice instead of apple cider?
Technically yes, but the flavor will be noticeably less complex. Apple cider has a depth that apple juice just does not have. If you can find cider, use it.
How to store apple cider blondies
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, wrap individual bars and freeze for up to 2 months. Let them come to room temperature before eating, or give them 10 seconds in the microwave if you want that fresh-baked feel back.
More fall baking recipes you will love
Baking for the fall season? Make sure to check out my Pumpkin cheesecake Bars, Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles and my Baklava Bars!
Apple Cider Blondies
Ingredients
BLONDIES
- 4 cups apple cider, reduced to 1⁄2 cup 32 ounces
- 1 cup unsalted butter 226 grams, melted and cooled
- 2 cups dark brown sugar 400 grams
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 252 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar (66g)
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Apple Cider Syrup
- To make the boiled cider: In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, add the apple cider and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally with a nonstick spatula.Continue simmering until the liquid has reduced by about half, about 30 minutes.Increase the heat to high and bring to a rolling boil, stirring carefully to prevent it from overflowing.Cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning, for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until the liquid is syrupy and reduced to ½ cup. The whole process should take no more than 1 hour; adjust the heat as needed to control the boil.It should coat the back of the spatula but still run off in a thin stream. In the pan, the texture will look like warm honey. It will thicken more as it cools. Set aside to cool while you continue with the recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar. Mix with a nonstick spatula until smooth.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again. Stir in the reduced apple cider until incorporated.Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- For the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half of this mixture evenly over the batter, reserve the other half to sprinkle when the bars are done baking.
- Bake for 32 to 35 minutes or until edges are fully set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. If you want a more "fudgy" rather than a cakey blondie, err on the side of less baking time! Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 20 minutes.
- Storage: Bars can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Bars can also be frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months, let defrost at room temperature and enjoy.
Were these delicious? Absolutely. However, I would consider myself to be a decently experienced baker and struggled a bit with this recipe. The apple cider is more like a syrup than a “jam” after it’s boiled down. Idk what cider would give a jammy consistency, even with the cider cooled it’s still more like a maple syrup consistency. The other issue I had was the bake time. It was completely raw after 30 minutes and I ended up baking it for another 20. I was using a standard ceramic 9×13 I always use for baking and have never had a bake time be so off. After reading other reviews it looks like I’m not the only one. The batter consistency was similar to a box brownie, which typically calls for closer to 45-50 minute bake time. Mine took exactly 50 minutes and were still on the gooier, under done side. I followed the instructions to a tee, so not too sure what went wrong
Thank you so much for making these and for such a detailed note! I’m so glad they were delicious in the end, and I’m sorry they gave you trouble along the way.
On the cider: I think my “jammy” description may have been misleading. It should look like a loose syrup while it’s hot and thicken quite a bit as it cools. If it’s still maple-syrup thin once it’s cooled, it just needs more time on the stove. Extra liquid in the batter can also make the bake run long, so the two issues may be connected!
On the bake time: ceramic dishes heat up much more slowly than metal pans. I tested these in a metal 9×13, and ceramic can easily add 10–20 minutes. I hear you that your dish has never given you trouble before, and you did everything right. I’ve updated the recipe with a pan note and a clearer visual doneness cue so it’s easier to tell when they’re ready.
Thanks again for taking the time to share this, and I’m so sorry it wasn’t a smoother bake for you!
Tried these last night in 9×13 at 29 minutes in a metal pan and it was very raw but the flavor is incredible! I want to try again but with an 8×8. For the eggs – should I go down to 1 or 2?
Hi Amy! So sorry to hear about the issues with the bake time. Did you have a chance to try again?
Yummy, but the flavor was more of an aftertaste. Not sure it was worth the hour in front of the stove.
I’m confused – step #2 is almost, but not exactly, the same as step #1.
These apple cider blondies look absolutely delicious! I love how you’ve incorporated seasonal flavors into such a classic dessert. I can’t wait to try this recipe and enjoy these cozy treats with a cup of tea!
These were insanely good.
These came out great.
In order to hover less over the cider reduction I left the heat a little lower.
Because I don’t trust the clock to measure reduction, and I can’t tell by sight what 1/4 remaining looks like I used a different measure.
With a candy thermometer I aimed for a lil over 110° then took it off heat.
That was perfect.
Hi! I’ve just made these for a Friendsgiving on Wednesday. How do you suggest storing them in the mean time to maintain freshen? Fridge? Freezer? Thanks!
This is a new go-to potluck recipe for me. Absolute hit and so delicious. I double the recipe for a 9×13 pan and bake a few minute longer, using a toothpick to test doneness. I also replaced about half of the granulated sugar with turbinado sugar in the topping and it adds a lot of great crunchy texture; highly recommend! Watch the apple cider very carefully, it can become apple caramel very quickly. Drizzle some on a surface periodically to see how thick it is once it’s cool.
I’ve made a double batch of this twice already for Friendsgiving and it is THE perfect dessert!
Quick note: for anybody concerned about the cider “jam” mine had a syrupy texture for both batches and it turned out perfect.
Came out perfect yesterday, I’m baking them again right now! Perfect amount of apple flavor and it really compliments the texture of it all!! I would say the first time the syrup didn’t thicken into a jam texture but now that I’m trying today i let it sit for a bit longer and stirred it occasionally it set perfectly. Love this recipe!
Thank you so so much! I am so happy that you liked them.I hear you on the “jam” I think reworking that language on my end might help. Thank you for the feedback 🙂
This was Delicious! Can I freeze these to make ahead?
Hi! I made these for the first time tonight and I meant to take them to work, but I don’t know if it’s going to make it!! So delicious!!
I loved these! My apple cider never became jammy, but the blondies were still delicious.
I made this recipe with a few modifications and it turned out delicious! The recipe calls for 200g of brown sugar, but when I weighed it out, that seemed like WAY more than one cup so I reduced it to 150g. The recipe fit for me into a standard size muffin tin (twelve muffin cups) but I did use the papery type of liners. Used about 1/3 the amount of topping (eyeballed it) and it was perfect. They’re delicious and have a strong apple cider taste, not overly sweet which I prefer. Highly recommend 🙂
This recipe is AMAZING!!! The perfect apple cider donut flavor. I’ve made these at least 5 times and never had any problems. The apple cider reduces well on higher heats and I find t really doesn’t need much babysitting. Two notes: (1) you definitely do not need that much sugar topping. I usually half the sugar topping and still have leftover sugar. You might could even quarter the amount. (2) they’re pretty rich so I like to freeze half.
Another thing – I tried reducing the apple cider ahead of time once and it turned into a jelly that stayed in chunks when I tried to mix it in. Don’t reduce it beforehand. You have to use the reduced apple cider fresh.
These sound amazing! I don’t have an 8×8 pan, however… do you think they would work in muffin tins??
Thank you!
Have made 4 batches of these in 24 hours, seriously such a hit! Thanks for the recipe.
I have made these before as written and loved them! I wanted to make them for my gf/vegan friends, so I used vegan eggs (JUST egg), gf flour (Cup for Cup brand), and vegan butter (Trader Joe’s), and they came out just as well! Just wanted to share my tweaks in case there are any gf/vegan people out there!
These are phenomenal! Reducing the cider took longer than anticipated (approx. 50 mins), but when it finally gets to the point of a syrup, it happens very quickly. At the suggestion of another commenter, I added apple butter into the batter as well, but I did 2 tablespoons because I wanted that extra boost of apple. I didn’t have any problems with the additional moisture. I baked in a glass dish and it did take longer, but only about 5 minutes. Overall, this recipe is very simple to follow and makes such a wonderful autumnal dessert! It’s definitely going in my yearly rotation.
I made it today and it was delicious!! I added maple mini marshmallows in the batter and it made it so much more delicious!
These were absolutely incredible! Got amazing reviews from family. Followed the recipe but as another comment mentioned mine had to bake for almost double the amount of time suggested! Perhaps the recipe author bakes in a metal pan? I only have a glass 8×8 pan and usually glass does require longer bake times than metal.
Hi Caryn! I am so so happy that you liked them. I will definitely go back and examine the time. Glass does tend to take longer than metal when it comes to baking but double is quite a while. I am so glad they came out well!
I made them and they came out great! It was very easy to make. I ended up using 1/2 tbsp of apple butter because my cider reduction didn’t come up as strong as I thought it would (used Trader Joe’s organic cider). That last step really helped the apple flavor to come through
Tried reducing the apple cider and never ended up with a jam, instead it turned into a thick, sticky syrup that stuck to the pan and spatula. Tried to mix it in anyway to see what would happen and it just clumped into a weird hard caramel-like ball. Had to toss 🙁
10/10 my favorite bake of 2025 — browned my butter and added a little salt and they are absolutely perfect.
Made this and it has so much flavor. I used some fresh organic apple cider and took a while to cook down because I made this recipe x4, because I had so much faith it was gonna be good and it was!
Can’t wait to try these! Do you think they would work with a 1:1 gluten free flour? Or AP is best?
I made a caramel apple version with caramel chips for a party and it was exactly as I dreamed. 10/10 base recipe!!
that sounds absolutely divine!!!!
Flavor wise, I liked this recipe. It’s super sweet, but I think it was too small a quantity to be cooked in an 8×8 pan. It’s way too thin.
Would love to make this for a crowd- using a sheet pan- thoughts on amounts for recipe??
Could apple butter be used as a replacement for the apple cider reduction?
Hmm.. I have not tried that so I am not sure. My first thought is that it will add alot more liquid and produce a potentially “cakey” blondie. Although, it could still be delicious. Let me know if you do try it!
So good. Everyone loves them.
Tried making apple cider jam as directed and wound up with a thick, sticky syrup At no point was it jam-like
Made this as the recipe stated and it’s amazing!
Quick question – can the sugar topping be reduced and not impact the bake at all? I assume yes, but not sure I wanna risk a batch by trying.
Yes! Absolutely. If you wish to put less (or more 😂 ) it won’t impact the bake! It may take bit of that apple cider doughnut feel away!
delish
I made these as directed. They were delicious!
These were amazing! Gooey and delicious! Did have to bake for quite a bit longer than what the recipe called for, but they turned out amazing. Will be a fall staple!
You helped me a lot by posting this article and I love what I’m learning.
Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed reading it, especially because it addressed my problem. It helped me a lot and I hope it will help others too.
Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed reading it, especially because it addressed my problem. It helped me a lot and I hope it will help others too.
tried this myself and they came out perfect! 10/10
My coworker made these for our happy hour and they were RIDICULOUSLY good. Honestly best fall recipes I’ve ever had. Imagine an apple pie with the texture of a gooey brownie.
I have a favorite cider mill that I’m going to this weekend, but the cider they make is less sweet than a lot of others. Is it worth paying the money for the cider to make these or would they be better with a normal grocery store cider? Very excited to try these
Grocery store cider is still fantastic for these! Up to you!
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These have a delicious apple flavor from the jam. However, they were a bit too sweet for me, even with much less of the sugar/cinnamon topping. I’d probably cut back on the sugars in the batter next time I make it
Just had my first little taste test on my first batch of these. The flavor is incredible, like homemade apple cider caramels. Wondering though, mine did not rise, like I don’t think they had any rise to them at all. Is that normal or did I do something wrong?
hey! I just made these myself a few hours ago. Typically if they don’t rise it’s due to the baking powder. If it’s too old/outdated it loses properties that would help the batter rise. Hope this helps!
Hi Shelley! I’m so sorry to hear that happened.
On the cider: it actually shouldn’t look thick in the pan. It stays fairly thin and just slightly syrupy while it’s hot, and it thickens more as it cools. The best check is volume rather than texture: once it’s reduced to 1/2 cup, it’s done. If it kept going past that point waiting for it to thicken, it can reduce too far, which may be why it seemed to disappear on you. I’m going to update the recipe to make that clearer, so thank you!
May I ask what kind of pan you were using? Glass? Metal?
Again, I am so sorry to hear this was your experience with one of my recipes. Please feel free to reach out to me personally at [email protected] if there is anything I can do to help.
You can try to reduce the apple juice like the cider! I have not tried it to I am not sure how it would be. Let me know if you try!