Gluten Free Maple Walnut Blondies are exactly like those served at Applebee's years ago. Serve them with a scoop of ice cream and the yummiest creamy maple butter sauce!
There was always an Applebee's close by when I used to work out of the house, and we would go for lunch quite often. I never really had any room for dessert at lunchtime, but if I did I would definitely order the maple walnut blondie as it was my favorite!!
If you never had a chance to try the maple walnut blondie when you could eat gluten, don't you worry. I've created a gluten free version that is so much like the original, it makes me do a double take!
What are Maple Walnut Blondies?
Okay, here's the thing. The Applebee's maple walnut blondie isn't actually a blondie at all! A blondie is like a brownie without chocolate. It's dense and rich. There's often white chocolate and/or nuts in true blondies so that's probably why they call it one. However, Applebee's version is more cakelike than blondie like. I honestly think the cakelike consistency works so well because it's not as dense and rich as a true blondie would be, so it compliments the rich maple butter sauce perfectly.
Speaking of that sauce, the sauce is what makes this dessert to die for!!!! I could literally drink it. It's creamy and smooth and all about the maple. I remember Applebee's served the sauce on the side so you could drizzle it yourself and let it cascade down the ice cream into a pool of goodness on the skillet. Are you getting salivating yet???
The Ingredients Needed
I've had this dessert too many times to admit, so when I found all the copycat recipes floating around on the internet I was pretty disappointed. All those recipes made an actual blondie and a sauce that wasn't creamy at all. It was more like a butterscotch sauce (similar to the sauce for my version of 'Ohana Bread Pudding).
I just recently stumbled upon a version that seemed so true to the original I had to give it a shot. And lo and behold, it was PERFECT!! Soft and cake-like, it's exactly what I was looking for. I changed it up to make it gluten free and I also added white chocolate chunks, in addition to the walnuts. Here's everything you'll need to make these:
For the "Blondie"
- Kim's gluten free flour blend -- a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn't been tested.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Egg whites
- Chopped white chocolate
- Chopped walnuts
For the Maple Butter Sauce
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Real maple syrup
- Vanilla ice cream for serving
How to Make the Blondies
To begin, whip egg whites into stiff peaks. Add sugars and butter to the egg whites and beat until smooth. Sift together the dry ingredients and slowly add them to the rest until incorporated. Lastly, fold in the white chocolate chunks and walnuts. Bake the blondies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
How to Make the Maple Sauce
What's so wonderful about this sauce recipe is that it's JUST LIKE what I remember getting at Applebee's! It's not a clear, butterscotch-like sauce at all (sorry all the other copycats out there, but that's just not right). It's a smooth and creamy sauce that's simply heaven.
Would you believe it if I tell you it's basically a very simple version of a cream cheese frosting that's been heated until melted? Yep, that's the secret to this amazing sauce! Butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. It's magic I tell ya!!!
I actually double the amount of sauce ingredients and save it to pour on pancakes, ice cream, and anything else that might need a little maple buttery goodness🍁
If you're missing Applebee's maple butter blondies, you're gonna be so excited to try this gluten free version! If you haven't ever had them, you're STILL gonna be so excited to try them👏👏👏!!!!
Gluten Free Maple Walnut Blondie (Applebee's Copycat)
Ingredients
BLONDIES:
- 4 large egg whites
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113 g) butter, softened
- ½ cup (120 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups (315 g) Kim's gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (180 ml) milk, at room temperature
- 8 ounces (226 g) white chocolate, chopped into chunks
- ½ cup (63 g) chopped walnuts
SAUCE:
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened
- ¼ cup (2 ounces or 30 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (63 g) powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
FOR SERVING:
- vanilla ice cream
- ½ cup (63 g) chopped walnuts
Instructions
FOR THE BLONDIES:
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan and set aside.
- Whip egg whites to stiff peaks (about 3-4 minutes). Add butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract and whip to combine. Batter will start out lumpy, but should be smooth when fully combined.
- Sift dry ingredients together and slowly pour into bowl with mixer running on low speed. Add milk and blend to incorporate.
- Fold white chocolate chunks and walnuts into batter. Pour into prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares.
FOR THE SAUCE:
- Beat all sauce ingredients together in a mixing bowl until well combined. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
TO SERVE:
- Heat blondie and sauce for several seconds (20-30) in microwave (separately). Stir sauce. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to top of one blondie square and pour sauce over. Sprinkle with additional chopped walnuts as desired.
Adapted from The Country Cook.
Catherine
Made these for dessert last night and they were amazing! My younger kids, who have never had the Applebee's version (12 and 14), loved it, as did my husband and I who used to order this years ago. I doubled the sauce recipe to be sure there is plenty for the whole pan of the "blondie" cake. Good stuff!
Odile BARTLETT
Argh!!! I’m making them for Super Bowl later tonight and your sauce ingredients don’t list icing sugar? I guess I’m going to eyeball it from the video.
Kim
I'm so sorry!! It's supposed to be 1/2 cup. I hope you figured it out!
Odile BARTLETT
I ended up using about a cup of icing sugar. It was delicious. Back in the day this was my favourite treat from Applebee’s. I totally enjoyed it. I frozen half if it in individual portions along with some sauce in a small container. Dear hubby can finish them off at will and I’ve eliminated the temptation. I couldn’t resist them if they were sitting on my counter.
Angela Drake
Is there any way to make these brownies without white chocolate? I just don’t like it.
Kim
Yes, just leave out the white chocolate 🙂
suzanne holt
These look delicious! Crazy to think that gluten free food could look that good. I am excited to try to make these for my husband!