Cream Cheese Blondies taste like a cross between carrot cake + blondies. They’re SO delicious and always a hit at parties!
I’ve been making a blondie recipe for years now. The bars are chewy and buttery with perfectly crisp edges and those extra gooey pieces in the middle of the pan.
My favorite way to eat them has always been warm out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream on top. Until now…
I scandalously topped this batch with frosting…
It’s commonplace to see brownies with frosting. But never blondies… Why? Let’s change that!
But, this isn’t just any frosting… This is cream cheese frosting with a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla thrown in.
If there were a cross between a blondie and carrot cake – this would be it. Perfect deliciousness… Chewy blondies with those decadent carrot cake spices and whipped cream cheese frosting.
So, pretty much we’re taking all the “nutrition” out of carrot cake. I’m just borrowing the best part. The frosting!
I solemnly vow to eat a handful of baby carrots as my penance snack for the day after indulging in these yummy treats. I will hereby eat 10 baby carrots for each of these blondies with cinnamon cream cheese frosting that I inhale.
Now that spring is here, I can totally see this as being a perfect sweet treat for Easter or Mother’s Day but I’d pretty much eat them every day… Along with those 10 baby carrots…
Ingredients needed
- All Purpose Flour
- Cream Cheese – You can use full fat or reduced fat cream cheese.
- Baking Powder
- Brown Sugar & Confectioners’ Sugar
- Eggs
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Salt
- Sesame Seeds – For topping. Optional, but so pretty and delicious!
How to make them
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a second medium bowl, whisk the softened butter and brown sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined.
- Add the batter to a greased 9×13″ pan and bake for 25 minutes.
- Place the pan on a rack and let cool completely (about an hour).
- Meanwhile, make the frosting by beating softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Beat until creamy.
- Frost blondies and cut into 1 ½ by 2-inch bars. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
More dessert recipes
- Blackberry Lemon Blondies
- Strawberry Ricotta Cake
- Apple Galette with Cardamom
- Creme Brulee with Cardamom Roasted Blackberries
- Rose Apple Tartlets with Salted Caramel
- Butterscotch Bourbon Budino with Salted Caramel
Did you try these frosted blondies?
If you loved these blondies with frosting, I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
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Cream Cheese Blondies
Ingredients
Blondies
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- Sesame seeds (for sprinkling, optional)
Instructions
Blondies:
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray or grease with butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
- In a second medium bowl, whisk the softened butter and brown sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
- Bake until the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch, for 22 to 25 minutes.
- Place the pan on a rack and let cool completely (about an hour).
Frosting:
- Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Beat until creamy.
- Frost blondies and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Cut into 1 ½ by 2-inch bars. Enjoy!
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2017. It was updated in 2024 to add new photographs. The cinnamon blondies with cream cheese frosting recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
I have admittedly not been a fan of blondies but I think that’s because I just haven’t had the right ones. These look DELICIOUS! Love the cinnamon cream cheese frosting!
Thanks Marlynn – I hope I can help change your mind!
Yum! Sign me up for anything with that much cream cheese frosting <3
Right?! Cream cheese frosting is my favorite!
On a cold rainy day, drinking a cup of tea and eating a pumpkin bagel with this cinnamon cream cheese spread was a delicious start to my day! Thanks for making this.
That sounds like a fantastic way to start the day Mary!
I made them but my blondies were hard can u suggest me what went wrong please . I must admit the taste was good.
You had me at cream cheese frosting! 🙂 I made these for a dinner party. They were easy to make and everyone loved them! I will definitely make them again. Thanks Erin!
Cream cheese frosting is my favorite! Nothing else compares in my book 🙂 I’m glad you and your guests loved them Karin!
Cookies look good. But the cinnamon cream cheese frosting is what blew my socks off.
We will try these sometime this week. Thank you for sharing!
This will make a great snack while hunting! Thanks.
Hey Erin! I’m stopping by different blogs of fellow bloggers attending EFC in a couple weeks! I can’t believe it’s almost here!
These blondies look amazing! You had me at cream cheese frosting. I def had to schedule this one to a few of my boards.
Hope to meet you at the conference!
Thanks Heather – I’m really looking forward to meeting you as well. See you soon!
These look really good. Before I make them, I just want to make sure that it is 12 Tablespoons of unsalted butter for the blondies. Want to make sure I am reading it right. Thanks.
Hi Sara. Yes, 12 tablespoons is correct for the blondies. I hope you love them. Let me know what you think!
I made these today and they are delicious! The cream cheese frosting really adds a winter/fall flavor. Thanks so much Erin!
So glad you liked them Danielle – I need to make these again soon!!!!
Can you clarify that the butter for the blondes themselves should be melted? Recipe list says “softened” but recipe text says “melted”. I know it shouldn’t be melted for the frosting.
Hi Tina – I just revised the instructions. You are right, it should read “softened butter” not “melted butter.” Thanks!
Made these for my family and they all loved them!! Making them for a second time tonight
I’m so happy to hear that Anna!
Do you recommend making the frosting and refrigerating while the brownies bake/cool or should I make the frosting right before I frost them?
I would make the frosting right before Julie – It’s easier to spread that way.
Can you tell me where to purchase the flour
Hi Terri – You should be able to find the flour in the natural foods section of your grocery store.
My friend Sydney made this beauties 😋 for a knitting meetup. Trust me everybody was fighting for the last piece. I managed to sneak one out 🤣🤣. Thank you for sharing this recipe
I’m so glad you all liked them Jasmin!
Can you use regular bleached flour if it’s all you have? Thanks!
You sure can Darcy!
I am wanting to make and decorate these for a 50th wedding anniversary. Can the recipe be easily doubled? Or will that throw the ratio off?
Hi Dannetta – I haven’t yet tried doubling the recipe, but it should work ok!