If you’re like me and crave all kinds of treats in bar form, you’re going to absolutely adore these Cinnamon Roll Blondies! They’re simple to make in a brownie pan and serve tons for parties or bake sales, and freeze great when you only need a few at a time. I guarantee the swirled cinnamon roll filling will have you hooked in no time at all!
It should come as no surprise to you how about how smitten I am over these Cinnamon Roll Blondies.
I’m a BIG supporter of the blondie in general and can’t ever pass up the chewy, brown-sugary, crispy-edged cousin of the brownie.
Don’t get me wrong; brownies have their place in this world. But give me an espresso chocolate chip blondie with a hot mug of coffee or a white chocolate gingerbread blondie at the holidays and you’ll hear me singing!
It might not be the BEST singing you’ve ever heard but I think you get my point.
Anyway! A cinnamon roll version of my favorite genius blondie recipe came about after I tried a – gasp! – boxed mix of Trader Joe’s cinnamon roll blondies last winter. I haven’t been a huge fan of most of TJ’s baking mixes but there are some exceptions.
Not surprisingly, the exceptions are both loaded with cinnamon: these blondies and the cinnamon streusel coffee cake that appeared on the shelves in the fall of 2022. That coffee cake was a complete dream!
However, if you’re familiar with the flow of products at Trader Joe’s, you’ll know that many of its items are seasonal and are only available for a short period of time. I knew that cinnamon roll blondie mix wasn’t going to be around for long so I made my own!
Ingredients
Here’s the basic shopping list for these blondies. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the full list which includes amounts!
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Table salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar (dark brown is optional)
- Eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Water
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Blondies
Making these blondies is super easy but there are a couple of steps to add the swirl filling. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the full list of instructions.
STEP 1: Preheat the oven and line a 13×9-inch pan with parchment.
STEP 2: Make the swirl mixture.
STEP 3: Make the blondie mixture by mixing the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in a bowl. No stand mixer required!
STEP 4: Spread the blondie batter in the pan and then dollop the cinnamon roll mixture over the top. Using a knife, swirl the cinnamon roll dollops into the batter.
STEP 5: Bake, cool, and eat!
What We Love About This Blondie Recipe
It goes without saying that this blondie recipe is a big hit around here. I’ve made it several times to bring to Riley’s friends’ houses for play date “thank yous” and two other times during the testing phase to get it just right for you to make at home.
What I love most is the brown sugar-centered chewiness in these blondies. I’m careful to underbake them just the slightest bit to ensure the texture is more chewy than cakey.
I do not like cakey blondies.
The fact that all of the sugar in these blondies is brown sugar ensures extra levels of rich flavor and chewy bites.
I also love that baking this recipe in a 13×9-inch pan guarantees that there are more than enough blondies to serve and/or freeze, if there are leftovers.
Blondies freeze exceptionally well and it’s always a bonus to have a grab-and-go treat in the freezer when the moment strikes. Might I add that, of course, they are the perfect complement for a hot latte or iced latte?
More Blondies That We Love
- peanut butter blondies
- Whoppers blondies
- pumpkin butterscotch blondies
- espresso chocolate chip blondies
- white chocolate gingerbread blondies
- classic blondies
Cinnamon Roll Blondie Recipe
Mimicing the rich cinnamon flavor of the beloved morning treat, this Cinnamon Roll Blondie recipe is the perfect large-batch bake for parties and gatherings year-round. A cinnamon-brown sugar mixture is swirled into a cinnamon blondie batter to create these unforgettable dessert bars.
Ingredients
For the swirl:
- 1 cup (176g) lightly packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp (11g) all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp (57g) unsalted butter, melted
For the blondies:
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp table salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 ½ cups (300g) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, making a sling with the paper by leaving a 1-inch overhang over the top of the long sides of the pan. You'll need this to lift the blondies out of the pan. If you'll be serving them from the pan, skip the parchment altogether and just grease the pan.
- To make the cinnamon roll swirl: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together with a spoon until combined. Stir in the melted butter until a thick paste forms. Set aside until ready to use.
- To make the blondies: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together until well-combined. Whisk the eggs in along with the vanilla. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and work it out to the sides and into the corners of the pan in an even layer. Smooth out the top. Dollop the swirl mixture by the heavy tablespoon in 12 round piles (4 rows by 3 columns works here). Gently press the piles into the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the swirl mixture into the batter. This won’t be pretty and that’s perfectly fine.
- Bake for about 22 to 25 minutes, just until the top is shiny, crackled, and golden at the edges. Do not overbake. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the blondies to cool completely in the pan.
- To make the glaze: Pour the water into the powdered sugar in a small bowl and whisk until completely combined and no lumps remain.
- To assemble: Using a large whisk, scoop some of the glaze out of the bowl and drizzle it over the top of the cooled blondies. Repeat until all of the glaze has been drizzled. Allow the glaze to dry for at least 30 minutes.
- When you're ready to cut and serve, pull the blondies out of the pan using the parchment sling and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 24 or 36 squares.
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