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These maple vegan blondies are a fully plant-based dessert baked with applesauce and coconut oil, then drizzled with pure maple cream.
This vegan blondies recipe is a treat that works for eaters of all kinds: you don’t have to eat plant-based to enjoy this one! These vegan blondies are our very first truly crowd-sourced recipe! After offering 4 recipe choices in a poll over on Instagram, maple vegan blondies was the winner.
What’s in these vegan blondies?
In our recipe testing, we found brown sugar is essential to the blondie flavor and texture. So instead of using maple syrup in the blondie base, we’ve used it in the topping. We’ve replaced the traditional egg in blondies with applesauce, and butter with coconut oil. Chopped macadamia nuts give the interior some texture. And to bring in that maple flair, the blondies are topped with a drizzle of maple cream.
What is maple cream?
What is maple cream? Maple cream is pure maple syrup that’s boiled until it reduces into a creamy spread. You can use maple cream on anything, from drizzling on oatmeal to spreading on toast or dipping fruit. The maple cream we used is purchased, but you can also make maple cream yourself.
How to make vegan blondies
If you’ve made boxed brownies successfully in the past, you’ll be able to master these maple vegan blondies in no time. Instead of dumping a mix from a box, you measure out a handful of wet ingredients, then stir in some flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and chopped macadamia nuts.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once the vegan blondies are out of the oven, drizzle melted maple cream over top and dig in!
Looking for vegan desserts?
Outside of this vegan blondies recipe, here are some of our favorite vegan desserts:
- Decadent Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Bliss Bites (Healthy No-Bake Cookies)
- Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Pecan Butter Millionaire Bars
- Granola Instant Pot Apple Crisp
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse
- Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich
- Maple Vegan Blondies
- Chocolate Tahini Vegan No Bake Cookies
- Chocolate Cherry Dessert Bites
- Blackberry Vegan Cheesecake Bites
- Fudgy Vegan Brownie Recipe
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (use vegan variation)
- Bananas Foster with a Perfect Flambé (use vegan variation)
This vegan blondies recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Maple Vegan Blondies
These maple vegan blondies are a fully plant-based dessert baked with applesauce and coconut oil, then drizzled with pure maple cream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter (or any nut butter or sunflower butter)
- 1 cup organic light brown brown sugar
- ½ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
- 2 to 3 tablespoons maple cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Melt the coconut oil. In a large bowl, mix the warm coconut oil and peanut butter, then stir in the sugar until it melts. Add the applesauce, vanilla and salt (if the coconut oil seizes up and becomes chunky, you can place the bowl in the oven for a moment to remelt it if it is oven safe, or microwave for a few seconds until it is smooth again). Brush a 9 x 9 pan with the remaining coconut oil.
- Add the baking powder and flour and mix it all together until a sticky dough forms. Stir in the macadamia nuts.
- Place the dough in the pan and spread evenly with a spatula (the dough will be very dense). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
- For the topping: In a glass measuring cup, gently heat maple cream in the microwave for about 10 seconds or so until melted, then drizzle it onto the top of the blondies. Refrigerate for a few minutes until hardened, then cut into pieces and serve.
Made exactly as written. This was absolutely delicious!!!
Love your blondies. I added dark chocolate one time and shredded coconut another time. That maple butter is a fantastic frosting. Your site is awesome !
So glad found this website. Looking forward to bake desserts for our VMI soccer players. But one thing I like to ask is what my alternative if my daughter have peanut allergy?
Thank you so much.
You can use any nut butter, or sunflower butter for nut allergies. You can also use tahini. Let us know how it goes!
Can you use pumpkin instead of applesauce?
Great question! We haven’t tried it but I think it would be very similar. You’re welcome to try and let us know if it works!
Does it matter if Dark & Strong or Golden & Delicate maple cream is used? I’m guessing the 1st since it will be baked. Thanks, I’m going to order some of this & make these ASAP!
Great question! The cream is just drizzled on the top, so it actually doesn’t matter which one. We used the dark and strong, but you could use the delicate if you’d like too! It will have a milder flavor!
These sound delicious and absolutely perfect for the season! And so glad you are looking at your Past Self saying everything turned out ok…I have many of those moments myself!
I love maple and have no doubt these would be super delicious– always on the lookout for new vegan desserts to try. I am thrilled for you two and for Larson that you are together, despite the heartbreak and waiting. I hope your first Christmas together is terrific!
the bars look great. I had never heard of maple cream before so thanks for making me aware of it.
i grew up loving sugaring season….tapping trees, checking the buckets, boiling the sap and smelling all the maple goodness filling our kitchen. Thanks for sharing your heart and your kitchen with us!
Love hearing your joy as parents. Beautiful?. And love that maple goodness!
I’m so intrigued to try the maple cream!
Maple has become an every day go-to these days, but mainly just for my coffee! I love adding freshly grated nutmeg and maple syrup for a fall flavor… reading a bit about maple cream, though… my gosh I think that might just transform my world! It sounds amazing! I’d love to try it with my challah French toast!
I don’t think my husband will ever get over how amazing the Bliss Bites were, but I’d be willing to bet these will be a close contender. This one is going on my to-do list!
I’m so happy for you and baby Larson. He seems like the happiest little boy and that’s something to be cherished. Adoption is such a complicated thing for all parties but hopefully, when it works well for all, it ends with a happy family. ♥️
Bliss bites are seriously the best dessert ever! Now I need to make these.
Love maple cream. I would tell myself in the past that I need more sleep. 3-4 hours a night for 9 years will not work out well for you.
These look so deliciously Canadian.??
I love to cook but don’t really bake but this recipe makes me want to BAKE. ???Love your instagram account❤️
Will be making these for a friend whose daughter is named Maple ? they are vegan too, so this works beautifully! ?❤️
I have had such an appreciation for maple syrup ever since your podcast about it!
I love maple flavored anything! These blondies look so yummy!
These blondies look amazing!!! Thanks for sharing
This maple cream looks amazing – I need to find this locally or just order it online :)
This recipe looks delicious! I just love anything with maple syrup.
You have definitely inspired me to incorporate maple more in my baking and cooking!????
This stuff looks soooo goood (both the maple cream and the bars)!!!
Love maple syrup…it’s my go to for sweetener!!! Never tried maple cream, sounds very intriguing!
These sound absolutely amazing! Maple is such a nostalgic flavor for me- my “past self” used to love getting those maple sugar leaf candies in my stocking every Christmas. Actually, my current self still loves that! I can’t wait to try this recipe for the holidays back home. So wonderful that you guys are still able to cook and bake so much and put so much love into it all <3
Definitely making these tonight!
My grandmother won a recipe contest with her coconut blondes made with lots of brown sugar. They’re a family favorite. Can’t wait to try them with this twist. Got a jar of maple butter in the fridge, time to bake!
That maple cream looks incredible! I use maple syrup all the time, but have never tried the cream.
I ordered your cookbook today…can’t wait for the big dinner party!!
PS I love your comment about wondering how there was a World when Larson didn’t exist…I feel the exact same way about our 5 month old, Vivienne. She used to be this brand new little being in our house, and now I can’t quite remember that we were once a family without her! Wishing you continued joy in the days ahead with your adorable boy! ?
Maple cream sounds so interesting! Would love to bake with it!
I love maple- finding out about maple cream could be dangerous! These look amazing.
What a hopeful reflection that you shared. Thank you. And also thank you for this delicious recipe. Can’t wait to try it out!
These look amazing! The maple cream really puts it over the edge.
These look delicious! I feel like a Canadian failure because I don’t think I’ve ever actually HAD maple cream before. I’ll need to give these a try.
Can’t wait to try these! My family is a huge fan of maple & this will be perfect for the holidays
Really impressed that your cooking and baking is still going full speed even with a little one. My little guy isn’t quite old enough to help in the food making process yet, but I can’t wait till he is! I know that introducing him to baking/cooking will likely be messy at first, but that’s just how we’ll have to start it out!
those blondies look to DIE FOR :)
These look ah-mazing but my real comment is all the heart eyes for sweet Larson Ames and God’s good plans even in pain!
You are too kind! All the heart eyes back :)
Thanks for the recipe! And yay for adoption! I think I’ll make these for a work party. It will please my vegan co-workers! :)
Oh fantastic! We hope you like them!
These look amazing!
These look so good! One of my favourite writing assignments that I assign my students is to write a letter to their younger self from the future. Twelve and thirteen year olds can give themselves some profound advice! :)
That is the cutest assignment ever! I would love to read some of those essays :)
I am so happy that you are including some vegan recipes in your blog. As new vegans, we can use all the help we can get. These Maple Blondies sound amazing!
I love maple and would love to try these! Speaking of past self I would love to have been able to tell myself that my relationship life would work out as it should and every step gets you closer to the right person. Now I have 9 year old twin girls I’ll have to impart wisdom upon…but thankfully not quite yet!!
Adoption is such a blessing. My nephew was adopted as a baby into our close family. Sometimes folks will say he’s so lucky to have you all but I’ve slways felt like we’re the lucky ones. He’s blessed us!
I would really like to make these blondies with this maple package! Hope I win!
I totally relate with the me from the future reassuring me from the past of what’s to come. In all of my seasons of difficulty and trial, I have been amazed again and again by God’s faithfulness and the good things (good beyond what I could ask, hope or imagine) that he always has in store for me! I hope that you have an extra special holiday season!
Running home to make this ASAP! Yum!
Looks delicious! The world needs many more maple syrup recipes :)
Love maple syrup and would love to try maple cream!! ????
These sound delicious!
I can totally relate to the theme of trusting, in the PRESENT, that things will work out. I broke my ankle quite severely last November, and though I knew that God would use this as part of His plan for my life, some days were still difficult . . . sometimes are STILL difficult . . . as the recovery continues. I know that eventually, I’ll be able to look back on last year and see a more complete picture.
As for now, I’m thinking that winning this giveaway would make a lovely little sidebar to my story, don’t you, because I’m sure there’s some science somewhere that correlates ankle recovery to maple cream.
Just sayin’.
Haha!!! There’s got to be a correlation :)
I have definitely wished that I could get past me to relax a little bit and tell her to enjoy the journey. Totally have been there! :)
Maple cream sounds really intriguing. Is that anything like creamed honey? Honey is my go-to for sweeteners but I am trying to become more maple friendly as that’s more accessible than local honey in my area.
Maple cream is kind of like creamed honey! It’s very strong, almost like double typical maple syrup. We now tend to use maple syrup more than honey these days. Not only do I find the flavor to be better at sweetening (instead of tasting distinctive like honey), it’s also easier to get out of the jar, haha!
It’s funny you say that…I find maple to have a way more distinctive flavor! Must be the kind of honey I use. :) But major points for it being easier to get out of a jar! I’ll definitely have to give it a try. :)
These sound delicious! I am drooling…
Can’t wait to try these – I’ve never heard of maple cream, but sure do love maple syrup!
This looks like heaven!
Love maple anything, but the maple cream looks especially yummy!
Maple flavor is my favorite, plus I’m always looking for chocolate free goodies.
Just made the Bliss Bites….truly a little bit of heaven ♥️ Hope to make these maple vegan brownies tomorrow!