Today I'm sharing one of my most favorite blondies ever: Cinnamon Roll Blondies!
Okay, these blondies are nondescript. They're brown. They're kind of ugly and, well, boring looking if we're being totally honest. There's no chocolate, no gooey caramel, no peanut butter. But…they're still my absolute favorite blondies I've ever made!
I made these a few months ago and have been putting of sharing them. They're so…brown. And…boring, like I said. (I know, I'm not selling these right at all!) But then I included them with these and these and these and these in a brownies and bar "cake" for my mom's birthday. We all dug into the gooey chocolate and peanut butter first, because, obviously. Then we ate these. And my mom loved them. Jordan loved them. I already knew I loved them because I'd eaten half the pan before packing them.
There's something about the rich blondie and the warm cinnamon that is just…right. And then they're frosted with cream cheese frosting! It's like a cinnamon roll…in blondie form.
Sometimes, you can't judge a book by it's cover.
This recipe starts with my basic blondie recipe which is my favorite bar cookie recipe ever. It's got butter and 2 full cups of brown sugar in it. That makes them stay super soft and gives them a very rich cookie taste. To make them like a cinnamon roll, I added a hefty dose of cinnamon to the batter, then baked them as normal. I absolutely love cinnamon. The warmth and flavor it adds to anything is my favorite – and it's good all year long.
The one thing about this blondie recipe: you can't over bake it. You have to take it out when it's still a little under done so you get that gooey center. The bars taste amazing just by themselves, but then I did something to take them to the next level: I added a cream cheese frosting.
The. Best.
I couldn't get enough of these. I wanted to swim in the frosting and then gobble all the bars. As it was, I froze the ones I didn't take to my mom, but that's not helping me: the brown sugar makes them soft even when frozen.
I'm in such trouble, you guys. #yogapantsforever
Cinnamon Roll Blondies
Yield: 24 bars
Total Time: 45 minutes
These Cinnamon Roll Blondies are an easy blondie recipe full of cinnamon topped with cream cheese icing just like a pan of cinnamon rolls!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13" pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Cream brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla and beat until combined. Add cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and flour and mix.
- Press into prepared pan (dough is sticky, spray your hands with cooking spray to avoid it sticking to your hands).
- Bake for about 18-22 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook - the center will still be jiggly when you take these out of the oven and they will finish cooking and firming up as they cool.) Cool completely before frosting.
- To make frosting: cream butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in the the powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream and mix until smooth, adding more as needed for desired consistency. Frost the cooled bars, then cut into squares.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze in a single layer for up to 1 month.
Butterscotch Blondie Gooey Bars
Sweets from friends:
Vanilla Bean Caramel Blondies by Averie Cooks
Nutella Stuffed Browned Butter Blondies by The Food Charlatan
Snickerdoodle Blondie Bars by Baked with Rachel
