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With a cinnamon sugar crumble topping and perfectly gooey center these Cinnamon Squares are a decadent treat you won’t be able to resist. Made with cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and a few other basics making them easy to prepare. They’re chewy and soft and irresistibly good!
Whether it’s Cinnamon Apple Bread or Apple Cinnamon Muffins I just love the flavor cinnamon adds to any recipe, especially during fall and colder months. These indulgent bars are no exception.
Why This Recipe Works
Each bite of these cinnamon bars is a texture mixed with both a crunchy cinnamon sugar crumble top layer and a gooey sweet cinnamon center, but they’re not overly sweet. If you love snickerdoodles and blondies then this is your dream dessert bar because it’s as if the two married and these are their delicious children.
There’s nothing challenging about preparing these bars, they are super easy to make. The dry ingredients are mixed together and then the butter mixture is heated and melted and then poured into the dry to combine. After that, you’ll dump it all into your prepared baking pan.
These make a delicious after-school treat and are also great for holiday gifting or sharing on a platter at a party along with these Praline Bars or these Butterscotch Pretzel Bars.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vanilla Extract: for this recipe I used organic vanilla extract, but often times in baking I’ll swap out the vanilla for almond extract, which brings a nuttier flavor overall. This would also be a good swap for this recipe.
- Flour: I have only tested this recipe using all purpose flour. If you’d like to try a different flour I recommend using a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour or coconut flour if you need to be gluten-free or low carb.
- Cinnamon: did you know there are many types of cinnamon? There’s ceylon, cassia, China tung hing, saigon, and Indonesian cinnamon. If you purchase yours from the store you’re most likely getting cassia, or Chinese, cinnamon, which actually isn’t considered a true cinnamon, but is actually perfect for this recipe since it’s sweeter than true cinnamon.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl mix the flour, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, the baking powder, and baking soda until fully combined, set aside.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar. In a large saucepan, melt the 2/3 cup of butter together with the brown sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir the eggs and vanilla into the brown sugar and butter mixture until combined.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the saucepan or the wet ingredients into the dry and stir the ingredients together until a smooth batter forms.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Spread the batter into a 9×9 baking pan covered in aluminum foil and coated in cooking spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Sprinkle on the topping. In a small bowl mix the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of melted butter and sprinkle on top of the bars.
Topping Options
For the topping, you have three options as to how you can add it on top of the bars, one is done prior to baking and the other two are after baking.
- Pre-Baking Option: combine the cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter and sprinkle on top of the batter before you place it into the oven.
- Butter First Option: brush the top of the bars with the melted butter and then mix the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle it on top of the bars.
- After Baking Option: mix the cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter together and sprinkle it on top of the bars before they’ve cooled completely. This is the option I used in this recipe.
Storage Information
These bars can dry out, especially the cinnamon sugar topping, so you’ll want to store them in an air-tight container. They do not need to go in the fridge and can be kept in the pantry.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Use a large saucepan for melting the butter and brown sugar together so there’s room enough in the pan to mix in the dry ingredients.
- When mixing the dry ingredients into the brown sugar and butter mixture try not to overmix the batter. If you feel you’re mixing the batter too much you can use a wooden spoon to fold the ingredients together instead.
- When covering your baking pan with foil leaving a 2-inch overhang on the sides, which will make removing the squares extremely easy.
- Change up the topping on these bars for something a little different. Try some cream cheese frosting or even buttercream. You can also drizzle on some melted chocolate or spread on a chocolate ganache.
- These cinnamon bars will firm up as they cool so you’ll want to let them cool completely before slicing into them (no judgment if you dig right in though). The bars on the edges will be slightly crispier than the ones in the middle that have an even gooey texture.
Helpful Equipment
- 9×9 Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper or Aluminum Foil
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
FAQs
No, you do not. Store them in an air-tight container and keep them in your pantry or on your counter.
Sure! This just adds an extra layer of sweetness, but it’s not necessary to the recipe, although highly recommended.
Related Recipes
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Cinnamon Squares
Equipment
- 9×9 Baking Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour spooned and leveled
- 3 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 cups Brown Sugar packed
- 2/3 cup Butter
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9×9 baking pan or dish with aluminum foil leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Spray the foil with cooking spray or grease.
- In a medium bowl mix the flour, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, the baking powder, and baking soda until fully combined, set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt the 2/3 cup of butter together with the brown sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly.
- Whisk the eggs and vanilla into the brown sugar and butter mixture until combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the saucepan and whisk the ingredients together until a smooth batter forms (don't over mix the batter).
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (I typically bake mine until exactly 30 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- In a small bowl mix the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of melted butter and sprinkle on top of the bars.
- Use the sides of the foil to lift the bars out of the baking pan and set on top of a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Use a large saucepan for melting the butter and brown sugar together so there’s room enough in the pan to mix in the dry ingredients.
- When mixing the dry ingredients into the brown sugar and butter mixture try not to overmix the batter. If you feel you’re mixing the batter too much you can use a wooden spoon to fold the ingredients together instead.
- When covering your baking pan with foil leaving a 2-inch overhang on the sides, which will make removing the squares extremely easy.
- Change up the topping on these bars for something a little different. Try some cream cheese frosting or even buttercream. You can also drizzle on some melted chocolate or spread on a chocolate ganache.
- These cinnamon bars will firm up as they cool so you’ll want to let them cool completely before slicing into them (no judgment if you dig right in though). The bars on the edges will be slightly crispier than the ones in the middle that have an even gooey texture.
