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Find your favorite fall flavors in my recipe for Applesauce Spice Bars with Browned Butter Icing. Moist and crumbly bars are filled with applesauce and cinnamon. They’re topped with a sweet and nutty browned butter icing.
Fall has some of the best and most comforting flavors and spices. My applesauce spice bars with browned butter icing are no exception. These bars are so soft and moist, they’re almost cake-like. They’re filled with my favorite fall spices, like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Take a look at the ingredients list, it’s short and simple. The applesauce does the heavy lifting in this recipe, so no eggs are required.
My favorite part about this recipe? The browned butter icing. I’ve you’ve never made browned butter before, you’re in for a treat. In short, you melt butter on the stove top and cook it until it begins to turn a warm brown color. You’ll see some brown bits forming on the bottom of the pan, that’s when you know it’s ready. The entire process only takes about 5-7 minutes, and it’s worth it. Browning butter brings out a nutty and toasted flavor to the butter, and adds an extra layer of warm flavor to the icing.
Applesauce Spice Bars with Browned Butter Frosting
Ingredients
Applesauce Spice Bars
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Browned Butter Icing
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 and 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Applesauce Spice Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl, add wet ingredients: melted butter, brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
- Pour into 8x8 pan and use a spatula to spread evenly to the edges. Batter will be thick.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean (or with crumbs, not batter). Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Browned Butter Icing
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir constantly. Butter will begin to foam and boil. After 4 to 5 minutes you will see brown flecks appear in the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir until butter is golden and flecks are a medium brown color. Watch closely, butter will brown quickly. Process will take about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove butter from heat and pour into a small bowl. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes, or allow to set at room temperature until butter is cool.
- Whisk confectioner's sugar in a bowl. Add cooled butter, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add more milk if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time until desired texture is reached. Icing should be thin enough to pour.
- Pour icing onto bars. Use a knife to spread evenly over bars. Allow icing to set before cutting into bars.
Nutrition
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