Cinnamon Roll Blondies
Cinnamon lovers- this recipe is for you. It starts with a traditional blondie with a cream cheese and cinnamon sugar mixture swirled into the tops of the bars. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe!
There isn’t much I love more than gooey and warm homemade cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven. My two favorite parts are the center of the cinnamon roll and the melty cream cheese frosting. So when I came across a perfectly textured, chewy blondie with a cream cheese and gooey cinnamon swirl right on the top of the bars, I knew I’d love them.
These blondies have the perfect chewy texture and are truly to die for with crisp edges, gooey centers, and a bit of cinnamon roll goodness in each bite. My favorite treat in blondie form is my new go to for cinnamon roll cravings with much less effort!
Ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Blondies:
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Unsalted Butter
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Large Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Cream Cheese
Supplies needed for Chewy Cinnamon Roll Blondies:
- Small Bowl
- Small saucepan
- Large Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Quarter sheet pan for 9×13 baking dish
- Parchment Paper
How to make Cinnamon Roll Blondie Bars:
Cream together the ingredients for the cream cheese filling in a small bowl and set aside. Then for the cinnamon swirl, melt the butter, and stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
For the blondies base: brown the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Combine butter with the sugars, vanilla and salt. Let the mixture cool a bit and then add the eggs and egg yolks.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour batter into a prepared pan. Use a spoon to put dollops of the cream cheese filling onto the top of the blondie batter and then repeat with the cinnamon roll filling.. Use the tip of a butter knife or skewer to swirl everything together.
Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool before cutting into squares.
Store leftover bars in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge or a month in the freezer.
What type of brown sugar is best for this recipe?
When I have both in my pantry, I generally prefer dark brown sugar. If you only have light brown sugar, that will work well too! I wouldn’t use something like coconut sugar in this recipe though.
How to store Cinnamon Roll Blondies:
Because these come together so easily I like to make a huge tray and cut into small squares for my holiday cookie boxes. They also freeze amazingly well, making it easy to grab them from the freezer for all your holiday spreads and packages. For best results, let the bars cool fully before slicing and storing and freeze them in an even layer in a ziplock or airtight container.
Looking for other delicious bar recipes: Check out Espresso Brownies or Margarita Bars
Cinnamon Roll Blondies
A classic chewy blondie with a cinnamon and cream cheese swirl.
Ingredients
For the cream cheese filling:
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
For the cinnamon sugar swirl
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
For the blondies
- 2 cups (284 g) all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 1½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 large eggs + 4 egg yolks, room temperature
Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium sized bowl and whisk together or mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Set aside.
- Mix the melted butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt Set aside.
- Heat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x13-inch baking sheet by spraying or greasing it and and lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt 12 tbsp (170 g) of the butter in a medium saucepan and and cook over medium heat until it is dark amber and starts to smell nutty, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 4 tbsp (57 g) of butter.
- Pour into a large bowl. Stir in the sugars, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine.
Allow to cool to slightly, (I waited about 5 minutes,) then stir in the eggs and egg yolks. Whisk until combined. - Add in the flour and baking powder, and continue to whisk until just combined. (Don't over-mix.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Put dollops of the cream cheese filling and the cinnamon sugar swirl on top of the batter, alternating between the two. Using the tip of a butter knife, drag it through the toppings to create swirls.
- Bake for 25-29 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. (No wet batter but not completely clean.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Lift the blondies from the pan and cut into squares.
For the cream cheese filling:
For the cinnamon sugar swirl:
For the blondies:
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from 100 Cookies by Sarah Keiffer