Pumpkin Blondies
It’s hard to believe that it’s already the last day of October; talk about time flying! I decided that since I kicked off October by sharing my favorite pumpkin recipes with you, 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!
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More Pumpkin Bar Desserts:
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Crumb Bars
- Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
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 9×13-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!
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!
Can you sub a non gluten flour for the dwheat flour and have them come out okay?
Hi Jessie, I’ve not had much experience with gluten-free baking, so unfortunately I can’t give you a definitive answer, but I don’t think there would be any harm in trying. Let me know how it turns out!
i used 1/2c tapioca starch, 1/2c potato starch, and 1 1/2c white rice flour, plus a teaspoon of xanthan gum and a 1/2t of baking soda, and they turned out great. not too cake like, held together without crumbling, and texturally very good.
I made them using the recipe posted on the site that didn’t call for baking soda. I baked them for 40 minutes as the recipe stated. A toothpick inserted into the middle came out clean, however they were extremely gooey…most of the blondies, except for those around the edge, are inedible.
Does this recipe require baking soda? If yes, please post the correct amount.
Hi Sophia, No, there is not supposed to be baking soda in this recipe. They are meant to be gooey; sort of a cross between a gooey blondie and a pumpkin pie consistency. If you want them more cake-like, I also have a recipe for pumpkin bars: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/11/09/pumpkin-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting/
Thank you for letting me know.
I think the blondies taste great, but to me, the consistency is like eating pureed pumpkin right out of the can.
OMG, these were amazing!! I made these as my Thanksgiving desert as I don’t care for the texture of pumpkin pie. I topped them with home made vanilla ice cream and hubby loved them. Only thing was mine were done after 30 minutes.
Made these for thanksgiving dinner… TOTAL HIT!
Everyone loved them and they were super yummy.
Only thing i would change is instead of using artificially flavored white chocolate chips and artificially flavored butterscotch is to find a more natural alternative because it tasted a tad artificial. Otherwise, they came out moist and oh so yummy!
Was told to make them again and again. Ill be trying more recipes. Thanks!
After reading the comments, I added 1/4 tsp baking soda to the recipe when I made it tonight. 1/8 might have been better as they’re a little cakier than I wanted, at least on the edge that I’ve tried; but they still have a texture closer to fudgy brownies than to cake. The top and edges browned, though, so I’m going to stick with this addition the next time I make this recipe (unless it gets tweaked better in the meantime). And I WILL be making it again. Yum.
I wish I’d read the recipe more carefully before making it. I had thought it was pretty similar to my brownie recipe but then there was no baking soda (I think I came into this mid-recipe-correction). It is strange that there is no leavening at all. The blondies turned out gooey and dense inside but the top looks raw and unappealing. I am going to try this again and use the flour and baking soda measurements from my standard brownie recipe and probably less pumpkin too. This recipe has potential but just needs thorough testing and some tweaking.
I made these today and they did not turn out. I am an experienced baker and followed the recipe exactly as written. They don’t look anything like your photos. It was very disappointing. I see that there was an omission of baking soda in the recipe, there is supposed to be a correction, but I still don’t see baking soda in the recipe that I’m seeing. It makes me sad to take the time and get the ingredients, for the recipe to be incorrect and therefore, not turn out. :-(
I completely agree. I made the originial with the baking soda and it was way too cake-like and not gooey the pic. my friend made it without the baking soda and they did not turn out at all. I wonder if she had too much flour to begin with?
Hi Tehan
HOw much baking soda did you add to your recipe?
Marcus
Michelle,
Hi Michelle,
Love your site! How much baking soda did you have in the recipe before? Was it 2tsp?
Thanks,
Marcus
1 teaspoon.
But that is not right – why would she not have baking soda?
Why do the instructions say to whisk baking soda with the flour when baking soda isn’t listed in the ingredients list?
Hi Ophelia, My apologies, that was a typo in the recipe and has since been corrected.
Is this picture really from this recipe? The picture shows dense bars, but this recipe yields cakey ones. I think either the picture is off or the recipe.
These look gorgeous! Chock full of my favorite fall things…pumpkin, white chocolate, and spices, yum!
THESE WERE HEAVENLY. Wow. My husband and I had to wrap them up for a friend to not eat every single piece. I added 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Is that right? Thanks for this recipe… already shared with friends!
I’m totally adding these to my Thanksgiving dessert table!
My friend, Jim, brought these to work today. They are so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ll be making them for home, myself!
Made these yesterday and they were delicious and very moist. The batter was very thick, not pourable. Came out of the oven like cake, about 1 1/2 inch thick. Maybe a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan would be a better pan choice. Will definitely make again and try a larger pan.
I tried to make these yesterday and even though I cooked them way longer than recommended, they still came out too gooey in the middle to even cut into squares, sort of undercooked. Suggestions?
I just made these, and mine are also more cakey than chewy.:( The recipe says to pour and spread the batter into a 9×13 baking dish, but my batter was way too thick to pour. I ended up spreading it in a greased and parchmented cookie sheet, worked fine. I also reduced the amount of butterscotch and white chocolate chips and replaced what I took out with chocolate chips (I LOVE chocolate and pumpkin), and threw in some chia seeds. Perhaps these changes contributed to the cake-iness, I don’t know. Either way, these are WONDERFUL. Thanks for the recipe!:)
Just made these last night. They were delicious — so very moist and the best combination of spices. I made mine without the nuts as I was taking them to a party and didn’t know if anyone would be allergic. Everyone loved them! The only question is: How do you keep them from becoming cakey? Like a lot of other people, mine came it a cake consistency, not quite as hard as blondies. Any suggestions?
Hi Michelle: my boyfriend and I tried this recipe last night – so delicious!! We had the same problem as Mary describes, however – they came out more like cake than like blondies. Any suggestions?
Hi Jason, I just checked and it looks like there was a typo in the recipe. I’ve edited it and it should work as described now!
Aha…I thought the baking soda was the culprit! lol! Gonna try them again this weekend. Nice to know there’s an option if I want them more like a cake. Thanks Michelle!
I just made these last night but I had printed the recipe last week. Mine are cakey too (delicious nontheless). I see that you completely omitted the baking soda. Is that correct?
HI Jenny,
If you still have your old recipe what was the amount of baking soda ?
Thanks..
Marcus
1 teaspoon.
But that is not right – why would you not have baked soda?
It was just 1 tsp? I thought it was 2 thanks.. Soda must react with the pumpkin to make it rise…
That was one weird pastry :D This Halloween my sister and I decided to do a bake-off – I made whoopie pies while she was making pumpkin blondies. We couldn’t get any butterscotch chips, so we used chopped toffees. During baking they melted in the batter completely, to the point of leaving holes in the cake – do butterscotch chips do that too? Our blondies were definitely more cakey than regular brownies, but also supremely – extremely – moist. Still more cake-like than fudge-like, but very dense and chevy at the same time. I only managed to get one piece for myself, so I might try this again some times to get some other impressions than: “Oh wow… so many flavours!”.