This Pumpkin Blondies recipe easily combines simple pantry ingredients like, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree, into a perfect balance of cakey, soft, and chewy textures with just the right amount of fall flavor. Sweetly spiced, they are everything nice about a seasonal pumpkin dessert in a fun and festive form of a blondie.
Perfectly Easy Pumpkin Blondies
These Pumpkin Blondies are everything I love about autumn and my latest favorite fall food! They are thick, soft, and chewy with the warmth of pumpkin pie spice, a sweet caramel flavor, and melted chocolate chips baked into each bite. This easy-to-make recipe gives the traditional blondie a tweak by including a seasonal upgrade that makes them pure pumpkin perfection!
Pumpkin is a healthy addition to this blondie recipe, not only because it is an ideal source of nutrition, but also because it helps to make these treats super moist and soft without the need to add any oil.
I always feel good about baking with pumpkin puree because it is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and is also rich in filling fiber. Delicious and kind-of-nutritious, these Pumpkin Blondies are healthy enough to keep your sweet tooth happy!
Why We Love This Pumpkin Blondies Recipe
- Quick to prepare and easy to make.
- Cakey, soft, and chewy at the same time.
- Baking with pumpkin puree is a healthy substitute for oil and adds moisture to this baked blondie.
- Packed with fall flavor and are a kid-friendly/family favorite!
- Perfect for holiday parties, office potlucks, or even a healthy after school snack or dessert.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- All-purpose flour
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Baking soda
- Fine sea salt
- Dark brown sugar: You can use light brown sugar if you don’t have dark brown sugar.
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Pure pumpkin puree
- Vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Substitutions and Additions
- Mix Ins: If you prefer not to use chocolate chips in this recipe, other mix-in ideas can include butterscotch chips, dried cherries, dried cranberries, cinnamon chips, white chocolate chips, walnuts, pecans, or toffee bits.
- Fall-Flavored Spice: Feel free to use some other warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice instead of the pumpkin pie spice.
Recommended Tools
- 9×13 baking dish
- Foil or parchment paper
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Mixing bowl and measuring tools
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How to Make Pumpkin Blondies
This Pumpkin Blondies recipe easily combines simple ingredients into a perfect balance of cakey, soft, and chewy textures with delicious fall flavors. Sweetly spiced, they are everything nice about a seasonal pumpkin dessert in a fun festive form of a blondie.
- Mix the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Cream together the dark brown sugar, butter, and granulated sugar until smooth.
Pro Tip: Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for this step. - Add the egg and stir until combined.
- Add the pumpkin and vanilla and stir until smooth.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet and mixture and completely combine.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking dish.
Pro Tip: I find it easier to spread the dough using slightly moistened hands. I like to line my baking dish with parchment paper before pouring in the batter. I usually leave enough parchment hanging over the edges of the pan so that I can easily lift the blondies out once baked. It makes both removal and clean up a lot easier. - Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes.
- Cool, cut, serve, and enjoy!
Pro-Tip: After removing from the oven, let the bars cool for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares. They get a bit crumbly if you slice them while warm.
Tips
- I like to line my baking dish with parchment paper before pouring in the batter. I usually leave enough parchment hanging over the edges of the pan so that I can easily lift the blondies out once baked. It makes both removal and clean up a lot easier.
- After removing from the oven, let the bars cool for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares. They get a bit crumbly if you slice them while warm.
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling (which has already been sweetened and spiced).
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. If you refrigerate them, they’ll last for about 5 days.
- To Freeze: Once your blondies have cooled completely, you can wrap them in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freeze-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature for a few hours when ready to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pumpkin is a true superfood. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and has so many health benefits.
The main difference between a blondie and a brownie is the chocolate. They’re very similar in that they both contain flour, eggs, butter or oil, and sugar. However, Blondies are vanilla-based and use brown sugar, whereas brownies are chocolate-based and use white. They’re both delicious!
Once referred to as molasses brownies, these treats later became known as blonde brownies. The name was then shortened to blondies, giving the confection its own identity.
Other Easy Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Muffins
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Pumpkin Pie Bars
- No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Hand Pies
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Jell-O Shots
- Pumpkin Pie Dip
Pumpkin Blondies
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1½ cups dark brown sugar packed
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray, set aside. In a medium-sized bowl stir together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl or the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream together the dark brown sugar, butter, and granulated sugar until smooth, 2 minutes. Add the egg and stir until combined. Add the pumpkin and vanilla, stir until smooth.
- Add the dry mix to the wet and mix until combined with no dry patches. Add the chocolate chips and stir them in.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking side. I find it easier to spread with slightly moistened hands. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely, cut, and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. If you refrigerate them, they’ll last for about 5 days.
- To Freeze: Once your blondies have cooled completely, you can wrap them in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freeze-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature for a few hours when ready to eat.
- I like to line my baking dish with parchment paper before pouring in the batter. I usually leave enough parchment hanging over the edges of the pan so that I can easily lift the blondies out once baked. It makes both removal and clean up a lot easier.
- After removing from the oven, let the bars cool for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares. They get a bit crumbly if you slice them while warm.
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling (which has already been sweetened and spiced).
