Any time I have a get-together that requires comfort food, any time I have a couple apples that are nearing the end of their shelf life, or any time I just want to use my KitchenAid again, (seriously how did I survive without it??) I pull out this recipe for maple iced apple blondies!
Fun fact: eggs come out of vending machines in Japan!! And they are way more fresh than the ones you buy at the grocery store. Who would have guessed?!
Originally I found the recipe on Pinterest, sourced from “A Latte Food.” Can’t forget to give her credit for the original deliciousness, though the recipe below is definitely my tweaked version of the original. As Michelle says on her blog, these taste like warm apple pie in bite-sized form.
Everyone always asks for my recipe, so I figured I would finally share it! Plus we got some absolutely GORGEOUS apples at the local market the other day, and I had to document their deliciousness in photo form.
1-2 tablespoon vanilla extract (I love vanilla, so I use 2 whole tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Apple Filling
2 large finely chopped apples
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Maple Glaze
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 11×7 pan. I typically use a deep cookie sheet that we have, and it works perfectly!
Apple Filling
On med-low heat, cook apple filling mixture for about 3-4 minutes. Pull off heat and allow to cool. I prefer to melt my butter completely before adding in the brown sugar- this keeps the brown sugar from hardening.
Blondies
Cream butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and brown sugar and mix until combined.
Add in eggs and mix until well combined.
Add in vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Add to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
In the bottom of the pan, spread half the blondie batter evenly. (Batter is typically VERY sticky- I like to keep a little flower on the counter to dip my fingers in. This making spreading MUCH easier.)
Spread cooked apple filling evenly over the batter.
Top with remaining batter and spread evenly. (Sometimes apple pieces show through, this is ok!)
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
Maple Glaze
Melt butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon over low heat. Once melted together, pull off the heat. Sift in powdered sugar, and whisk until fully combined.
**I often keep the mixture on low heat while mixing in the powdered sugar- this helps it combine a little easier.**
Allow bars to cool for about 10 minutes, then pour the glaze over the bars and allow it to set.
I prefer to pour the glaze while it is still warm, but after the blondies have cooled! I think this makes for the best consistency of both.
If you know me personally, you know that I am a deal-seeker. You know that I hate the unethical and illegal side of extreme couponing, but I love me some good legal deals. You know that I will spend my afternoon on the phone with customer service just to save a few bucks if I forgot to enter a promo code at checkout. You know that I shop at thrift stores (and find some pretty nice stuff there, like my recent Patagonia pullover for 75 cents-what whaaaaat?!) What you may not know (but probably do because I like to talk about it on Facebook) is that I love cashing in rebates, and I love transferring that money to a savings account.
I’m all about saving money, so I’m all about Ibotta.
Ibotta is a rebate app for everyday grocery items, as well as tons of other retail stores. It has a plethora of stores on it, and almost certainly has a grocery or convenience store that you shop at regularly. Oh, and did I mention you can ALWAYS use it with manufacturer and store coupons?! Stack that on top of weekly sales, and you can score some sick deals. Often I find that my paper coupons match up perfectly with the items on the app, making things only a few cents or totally FREE after redeeming a rebate post-grocery trip.
Unlike other apps, this app will allow you to cash out your earnings directly to PayPal or Venmo, both apps that connect directly with your bank account. No buying third party gift cards that you don’t even really want to use- the money you earn on your grocery items is totally yours.
Want to know how it works?
Here are the main steps:
1. Create an account with Ibotta
Ibotta is available on both Android and Apple platforms. If you use my code ” fdxhqik ” you get an additional $10 of cash, deposited into your account balance as soon as you redeem your first branded rebate. (Literally that’s $10, completely free to you!)
I’ve also provided my referral link for easier access, make sure you click my link if you want the bonus cash.
*you must redeem one rebate before the bonus will be added to your account. This excludes the “any brand” or “any item” rebates.
Ibotta has a HUGE selection of available stores where rebates are offered. They even have a wide selection of cash back at convenience stores and at military installation shops. Seriously, if you shop somewhere, search it, and chances are Ibotta will have some sort of rebate for you there. They even have tons of rebates on beer and liquor! (Hello, holiday party savings!)
3. Unlock your rebates
Many companies ask for a 1 question survey, ask you to watch a video, or ask you to view a recipe to unlock the rebate. Most take less than 10 seconds. I unlock anything I think I might POSSIBLY buy just to read the fine print before my shopping trip, though you can still unlock rebates after your shopping trip, too. Once a rebate is unlocked, you will see it in your “list” and it will appear with a green arrow below it.
4. Shop!
Either:
Go grocery shopping in no different way than your regular routine- then check the app to see if you bought anything with rebates (what I typically do.)
Or plan ahead and intentionally purchase the items in the app that you would like a rebate for (what I do when I know I have coupons to stack, or the rebate equates to a high percentage off an item.)
5. Scan in your receipt and select the rebates that you would like to redeem
The submission process is super simple, and super easy to follow with the instructions Ibotta gives. Follow the directions, and you’re golden. Once you submit your receipt, your rebates will be reviewed, and the funds will be added to your account shortly!
Check your app often for new rebates, as they are cycled through almost daily, and some rebates are only offered for a few days at a time.
**PRO TIPS**
Okay y’all, now here are my favorite secrets that I will share.
How to find INSANE rebates on the app
Ibotta has tons of rebates that are “tricky.” The companies that use Ibotta for their marketing and advertising campaigns know how to get you to buy their products. For example, Anheuser Busch recently offered a rebate with a photo of one of their IPA beers alongside a generic raw meat, listed at $4.00 off.
When you look at the photo, you would assume this was a “buy beer AND meat, and get the rebate” kind of deal. In reality, the rebate was $4.00 off any meat, seasoning, or sauce purchase of $4.01 or more. Literally, you could buy $4.01 of meat, submit for the rebate, and get your purchase for a penny. Basically FREE. And I did. Four times. And have it in my saved offers to use again tomorrow.
You can typically only claim an offer once per receipt, and the offer does usually disappear shortly after it is redeemed (make sure you read the fine print on offers before going crazy with buying items!) But if you’re lucky and check the app often, rebates like this sometimes cycle back into your account after you have redeemed them already, and when they do, TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE. I have $16.00 of completely free ground beef, chicken, and steak in my freezer/fridge right now, compliments of a beer company that knows how to advertise, and a me that knows how to not fall for it.
Ibotta days / online retail offers
Ibotta days happen every once in a while, where certain online retailers will offer anywhere from 2-25% cash back on any online purchase made through the Ibotta app. I shop at both Kohl’s and Target frequently, and caught them both at a 20% cash back offer the other day. I simply made sure to check out through Ibotta, and got an additional cash back on top of my discounts I already had applied to my items at each store.
I took an extra 25 seconds to check out through the IBotta app, and got back $9.08 for those purchases. So. Easy.
Pay attention to bonuses
Occasionally, if a brand offers several rebates on similar items they will often offer a bonus rebate if you redeem all the rebates they offer. For instance, Pantene is currently offering 3 rebates in my region, off a shampoo, conditioner, and styler. If you redeem all three by a certain date, you get an extra couple bucks added to your account as a bonus. Easy.
Sometimes these bonuses are only a dollar more, but sometimes they are so high value that they make the items almost free. Watch your bonuses, because when combined with store or manufacturer coupons, they can be HUGE.
The bottom line is, if you are willing to take a few extra minutes out of your day and scroll through these rebates, you’re going to pocket some money you would have otherwise spent. I’ve made $60 back since I signed up a month and a half ago, and it’s money I will transfer directly into my savings account, since it’s money I had already budgeted for grocery bills anyway. Win-win? Duh.
Can we just talk about how hilarious it is to grocery shop when you can’t read any of the packaging?!
Remember to sign up with my link or code , or you’ll miss out on a $10 bonus. Happy (legal) couponing, and happy shopping!
When you look at the photo, you would assume this was a “buy beer AND meat, and get the rebate” kind of deal. In reality, the rebate was $4.00 off any meat, seasoning, or sauce purchase of $4.01 or more. Literally, you could buy $4.01 of meat, submit for the rebate, and get your purchase for a penny. Basically FREE. And I did. Four times. And have it in my saved offers to use again tomorrow.
