I realize that it’s Monday, and I should probably be all “salad and juice!” buuuuuuuuut what I really want to tell you is “CINNAMON BLONDIES.” Let’s pretend it’s a three-day weekend, pull out our cinnamon sugar, and bake with holiday abandon, shall we?
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I was brainstorming easy holiday dessert recipes, and when my list reached a length that would have us surviving on cookies and Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls every day from now until next Christmas, I sent the list over to my dessert recipe-picker numero uno, my younger sister Elaine.
Thirty seconds later, she texted me with an all-caps “CINNAMON BLONDIES,” followed by every positive emoji, including my personal favorite, the jazz hands.
Side note: the emoji dictionary (yes, this exists) refers to this particular icon as “hugging face,” not “jazz hands.”
Since I have absolutely no idea what “hugging face” could possibly mean, I’m going to stick with my personal interpretation of jazz hands, though you could probably hug a cinnamon blondie if you felt so inclined. Be warned—you will end up with buttery cinnamon-sugar topping allllll over your shirt.
It will be worth it.
About These Cinnamon Snickerdoodle Blondies
The cinnamon factor in these blondies is so rich and warm that they remind me of a super-charged snickerdoodle or even gingerbread.
The middle is soft and buttery, the edges are lightly crispy, and every bite is laced with spices.
While the base of the cinnamon blondies is a keeper unto itself—the batter is utterly delicious and takes just one bowl and a few minutes to prep—I’m going to urge you to dirty one additional bowl.
Stir together a 30-second cinnamon-sugar mixture and sprinkle it over the top. The cinnamon sugar (with the aid of melted butter—you caught me!) forms a delightful, crackly “lid” that is incredibly satisfying to shatter with your fork.
The cinnamon-sugar lid is equally satisfying at 8:15 a.m. when you’re standing over your kitchen sink with “just one” cinnamon blondie, while your oatmeal grows cold at the table. Not that I would know anything about that…
The Healthy Swaps in Cinnamon Blondies
Although these cinnamon blondies are on the indulgent side, I employed my usual healthy swaps.
My key ingredient for this recipe: whole wheat pastry flour. It gives the cinnamon blondies a little extra boost of fiber without changing their taste or texture one bit.
Because whole wheat pastry flour is so finely ground, the taste is exceptionally mild, and it makes the blondies even more tender.
More Crowd-Pleasing Bar Recipes
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Banana Bars
- Strawberry Jam Bars
- Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
- Best Lemon Bars
- Maple Pecan Blondies
If you are a cinnamon lover, a blondie lover, or just love desserts that provide max reward for minimal effort, these cinnamon blondies will be your new BFF.
Cue the jazz hands!
Cinnamon Blondies
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Ingredients
For the Blondies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons milk any kind you like
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder I recommend aluminum free
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the Topping:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs two of the sides like handles, then lightly coat with baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and dark brown sugar together on high speed for 2 minutes, until completely smooth and well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the milk and vanilla, then the cinnamon and salt.
- Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, whole wheat pastry flour, and all purpose flour over the top. With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir by hand just until the flour disappears. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the blondies for 35-40 minutes, just until the middle is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake! Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- For the topping, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Brush the top of the blondies with 1 tablespoon melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top. It will seem like too much, but use it all. Using the parchment paper handles, gently lift the blondies from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, slice and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover Cinnamon Blondies in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature prior to serving.
Nutrition
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Love your philosophy today about Monday being a day for cinnamon blondies, I agree. ;) Totally going to make these bad boys!!!
Thanks Marina! It’s good to know I’m not the only one who thinks so. ;) I hope you love them!
Yasssss! I am all about the cinnamon flavor!! Can’t wait to try these!
Cinnamon is just so warming and delicious! I hope you love them, Lauren!
These sound delicious and perfect for Autumn/Winter! :)
theButter.co.uk
Thank you Lizzie! This time of year, there’s nothing quite like the amazing smell of something cinnamon-y in the oven!
Looks and sounds delicious. None of your recipes miss. One question why melt butter and cool instead of softened butter. Asking before I fix.
Thank you, Dianne! In this case, using melted butter makes the blondies extra chewy! I hope you love them.
hey girl these look so tasty!
Thanks, Shawnna! Isn’t that cinnamon-sugar sparkle just so nice? :)
Must eat all the cinnamon things!!! These look so soft and tasty and perfect for the holidays. Can’t wait to try them!
I made the Cinnamon Blondies today. There were just so so. I won’t ever make these again. Sorry.
Hi Coleen, I’m truly sorry you didn’t love these. My friends and I enjoyed them very much, and I wish that you had enjoyed them too!
What can I substitute for the Whole Wheat Pastry Flour? Want to make but don’t want to make another trip to the store first. Thanks!!
I don’t blame you for not wanting to make another store trip, Dianna! You can use regular whole wheat or white whole wheat flour as a substitute (I’d recommend adding an additional tablespoon of milk in with the eggs if you use white whole wheat), or you can just use 100% all-purpose flour if you don’t have whole wheat! I hope you love them!
I made these the other day and they’re so delicious! I used white whole wheat instead of pastry flour, and I ended up using about two tablespoons less than a cup to make sure it wouldn’t get too dry. They were done at the 30-minute mark for me. They were also perfect for breakfast. Yum!
Caitlin, I am so excited to hear that you loved this recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing your review and the tweaks you made. I really appreciate it, and I DEFINITELY support blondies for breakfast!
Can I use golden yellow brown sugar instead of the dark brown?
Hi Connie, that swap should work! I hope you enjoy the blondies!
This looks absolutely delicious, but I wonder if it would work with coconut flour instead of brown sugar and almond flour or coconut flour as I’m trying to eat sugar-free and grain-free. Any thoughts?
oops! I meant to say coconut sugar
Hi Jane! I would not recommend using almond flour because it has very different properties than wheat flour, and I honestly don’t think the recipe would turn out. The coconut sugar I do think would work (disclaimer: I haven’t tried it this way, so you would be experimenting.) If you want to play around, because coconut flour can be a little dry, I’d suggest letting it sit once it is combined with the butter for a few minutes to absorb some moisture. You might also want to add a tablespoon of water or milk to the batter to help moisten it if it seems too dry, and to check the blondies a few minutes early. Another recipe you might enjoy is my Paleo Almond Butter Brownies. They are already grain free and use coconut sugar (though I’m not sure how you are feeling about dark chocolate, due to the chocolate chips). I thought I’d at least pass the recipe along: https://www.wellplated.com/paleo-brownies/.
Thanks. I’ll do a little experimenting on the blondies. I have tried your paleo-brownies before …in fact, that was my first visit to your website. They were a decadently delicious treat, but I did cheat a little bit and use the semi-sweet chocolate chips. I am going to try it again only using the chopped dark chocolate (unsweetened) and maybe melting it down and sweetening the dark chocolate with xylitol?
I’d love to know what you think and what tweaks you end up making, Jane!
Made it today. Turned out a bit cakey but still delicious. I think it would have been better and a bit thinner in a 9×9 or 10×10 inch baking tray.
I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor MZ! The cakey-ness is because this recipe is lower in fat and sugar than similar blondies you’ll find. If you’d like to experiment with the recipe, you could try adding less flour next time and see if you are happier with the consistency.