Pumpkin Blondies
Happy Halloween!
It’s hard to believe that it’s already the last day of October; talk about time flying! When we ushered in October I had only been back home from Florida for a mere week, the sun was still shining and my flip flops were still in my shoe rotation. Thirty-one days later, my feet are more than ready for my fuzzy, cozy boots, many parts of the country are already seeing their first snowfall, and the East coast was just walloped by a massive storm. I hope any of you that were in Sandy’s path are staying safe and warm! I decided that since I kicked off October by sharing my favorite pumpkin recipes with you, that I should close it out with yet another fantastic way to use up that can of pumpkin hanging out in your pantry!
I absolutely adore brownies, and believe that their lesser-known cousins, blondies, can be terribly underrated. Sure, they don’t include chocolate, but if you prepare them in just the right way, they have that same dense, fudge-like texture and thin, crackly crust that brownies have. Throw in the incredible array of flavors that you can add to blondies, and you have a blank canvas of possibilities that would make Bob Ross jealous.
In addition to pumpkin, these bars are chock full of butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Every bite is an explosion of flavors, textures and gooey pumpkin deliciousness. If you’re looking for a quick and easy dessert to get you through passing out candy or a scary movie marathon tonight, these definitely have your name written all over them.
Goodbye October, thank you for the beautiful leaves. I’ll see you next year!
One year ago: Favorite (Hardcore Chili)
Two years ago: Homemade Caramel Apples
Pumpkin Blondies
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons (2.5 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 15 ounces (425.24 g) canned pure pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup (170 g) butterscotch chips
- 1 cup (180 g) white chocolate chips
- 1 cup (99 g) pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, with enough to hang over the sides; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and both sugars until completely smooth and no lumps remain. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk to incorporate, making sure the egg has been completely mixed in. Add the pumpkin and again whisk to fully incorporate. Add the flour mixture to the batter and, using a rubber spatula, fold the mixtur until combined and no pockets of flour remain. Fold in the butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips and pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely, then use the parchment handles to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This is my first recipe with you and I couldn’t be happier. I made these for a contest in my ICU. After reading comments, I did a trial run and was so glad that I did! As many said, they tasted like flour. So I this is what I did. I cut back on the flour by 1/2 a cup and made sure I packed the brown sugar (I didn’t on the first try). I also doubled all the spices except the nutmeg (not a fan), and added cloves and cardamom. This seemed to do the trick because I dropped them off at 10:30 this morning at 7 when I got here they were completely gone and a note in the bottom of the pan asking for more. LOL Thank you for posting this recipe. Yes, I tweaked it a little for my taste, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome!! It gave me a jumping off place and I won the contest!!!
These are awful! Texture is off. Greasy looking and feeling. I can’t really put into words how bad these are. I love sweets and I threw these away after a couple days if that gives you an idea. Wish I had read the reviews first.
I made these last night and just cut them to have with my morning coffee. They are ok. I did make some tweaks based on the reviews, I added a half a cup more flour and a half a teaspoon baking powder. I did not care for the butterscotch chips and if I make them again I would just double the white chips. I just used 4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice because I was lazy. They were tasty and fudgy and not grease like some said.
I made these for a football party, and they were a huge hit. Very pumpkin. Please cook for the whole suggested time. I put timer on 25 min, and removed from oven. the middle was like cookie dough. set timer for 30, check middle with knife, then 5 min. more probably. AND LET COOL ALMOST WHOLE WAY. I did generous non stick spray on the pan, and they came out just fine without parchment.
Can I bake this in an 8×8 with the recipe halved?
Yes, that should work just fine!
I was so excited to make these, but I am bummed they are so greasy! I followed the recipe to the t- and still, incredibly oily. Is this how they are supposed to turn out? I am willing to make them again if you have suggestions for a fix! Help!
This recipie is horrible, not at all a Blondie, more like a terrible mochi
I made these bars exactly as the recipe stated. They looked just like the picture when they came out of the oven, but I was really disappointed. The texture was very off, not gooey or fudge like. Just chewy and felt like there was too much flour. They were bland, I couldn’t depict much pumpkin flavor and the spices were weak, which is so surprising considering the amount of both of those ingredients that goes in. Even a layer of cream cheese frosting couldn’t save these and I had to toss the whole batch. I wish I could say it was my fault, but I followed the directions to a tee. Sorry, but its a no go. :(
I’m a bit late to the comments, but have to say I made these and they were beyond amazing! I love all things pumpkin and these were perfect for a cool Autumn day!
These are terrible! They aren’t moist, they are soggy, and taste undercooked. The can of pumpkin is way too much liquid for the amount of flour. I followed the recipe exactly and, yes, as others noted the batter was thick like a cookie batter, but that’s normal for a brownie or blondie. Was surprised when they they turned out so “raw” tasking. I even baked them an extra ten minutes because the toothpick never came out clean.
Usually whenever I go through a recipe,I read the comments too,to have an idea what to expect. At times,if some changes have been suggested by majority of the reviewers,I might incorporate them.But this once,I don’t know why,I just went through only the recipe cz I trust your recipes to be foolproof. Thankfully,I didn’t go through any review at all. I think it was a divine intervention which made me do that!! lol lol! Thank God! Had I gone through the reviews,I wld have been discouraged or at least apprehensive of the turn out.To cut the long story short,I followed the recipe to the T,except that I used home made pumpkin puree and used a combination of almonds,cashew nuts and walnuts since pecan isn’t available here. It had the same texture as the picture.It was not gooey and it tasted like a blondie.It won rave reviews from my family and neighbors who gobbled it up almost instantly.Thank u so much!! Keep up the good work n God bless u!
These tasted strongly of raw flour, were dense in an unpleasant way and the top looked raw and unappealing. They need more eggs, I think, to get a richer flavor and get rid of that raw taste. Even just egg yolks perhaps. That would make them a bit more like the blondie I was expecting.
I served these tonight with vanilla ice cream after an autumn-ish dinner. Delicious. Thank you.
Do you think that Greek yogurt or applesauce is a better substitute for oil/butter in brownies?
Hi Angie, I’ve never used either, so I couldn’t say :(
Hello, if I wanted to add a 1/2 cup more of flour, could I add 1/4 cup of pumpkin and 1/4 cup of applesauce to the above ingredients? Do you think the bars would have the same taste and texture?
Hi Angie, I haven’t played around with any additional quantities so unfortunately I can’t guarantee how it would turn out.
I read the comments before I baked these Blondies, and I was surprised by the variation of opinions on how they turned out! However, for everyone that said the batter was thick – well that’s what brownie and Blondie batters are supposed to be like! What brownie batter is ever thin”??! I followed the recipe exactly as written except I forgot to stir the chips into the batter – So before I put it in the oven, I sprinkled them on top and then baked for one minute, then took it out and swirled / marbleized it, then continued to bake them for another 30 minutes. Well, it came out PERFECTLY!! OMG, these are sooo good! So glad I made them :-)
Hi Michelle!
Quick question about these, as they’re in the oven as we speak. I’m a huge fan of your “baked brownie”! After reading all the comments, I’m wondering if these are supposed to be the same consistency? Fingers crossed they turn out amazing, like everything else I make of yours!
I made these and was happy with the result. I am not eating chocolate though, so I used white chocolate , butter scotch, pecans, and for spices , fresh ground clove cardimom cinnamon and nutmeg. I would increase the spices next time. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Same problem as many of the above posters…super, super thick batter – almost cookie-like. Definitely not pourable. Never firmed up, had a shiny/plasticy sort of sheen to it, and tasted slightly off. Bummer, as the smell was delicious and the batter tasted great.
Just made these and there are soooooooo good. Perfect for a cold and dreary Minnesota Saturday! They are being eaten al la mode of course still warm from the oven! Thanks for wonderful recipe!
These just popped up on my twitter. They look so good! Can’t wait to try them. Check out my site too. topateonyourplate.com
These blondies are fantastic! In my second batch I experimented to see if I could “healthify” the recipe a little. I used whole wheat flour, substituted the butter for unsweetened applesauce (1:1 ratio) and omitted the 1/2 c granular sugar – and they were just as great as the first batch. Plus I felt slightly better about eating them straight out of the pan. :)
These pumpkin blondies are FANTASTIC. I made them for Sunday Dinner and everyone over-indulged. Most preferred them topped with vanilla ice cream. Also took them to work on treat day and for the first time ever, people asked for the recipe. I sent them the link to your site, so hope you get some new followers!