These pumpkin blondies are going to become your new favorite fall dessert. They are soft and chewy, not cakey, dotted with white chocolate chips, and full of pumpkin flavor and warm spices. They’re also super easy to make!
I am so in love with these pumpkin blondies and cannot stop eating them. They will be on repeat all fall. Even my kids love them. They are soft, chewy, and truly have a blondie texture – not a cakey one. They also have a lovely pumpkin flavor and warm fall spices.
Perfecting this recipe took quite a bit of testing. It’s tough to get a true, dense blondie texture with something that uses pumpkin, since pumpkin acts a lot like eggs. I couldn’t just add pumpkin to my blondies recipe. Too much pumpkin will give you a bar that’s very cakey, but if you reduce it too much, you won’t have enough pumpkin flavor.
Once I nailed the recipe, though, I truly fell in love with these and kept coming back for another. Their texture is unbeatable and the flavor is amazing. My family agrees, too. Though these are obviously a fall dessert, they were actually tested in the summer, and I took them on a family trip. They were a hit with everyone, from age 3 to adults. I will definitely be making them on repeat, year after year.
Why These Pumpkin Blondies Have The Perfect Texture & Flavor
We tested several options for reducing moisture in these blondies to ensure the right blondie texture, while also protecting the pumpkin flavor.
- Egg yolk only. Since pumpkin acts a lot like egg in baking, one option is to completely remove the eggs. But a little egg is ideal to help hold things together and give the blondies the right texture. So one egg yolk is used in these to keep them chewy.
- Minimal baking powder. Similarly, you don’t want too much baking powder or that also contributes to a cakey rise. So we reduced that as much as we could. You do want a little bit so that the blondies still have a nice, chewy texture to them.
- Just the right amount of pumpkin. To help reduce the overall amount of moisture, use paper towels are used to remove moisture from the pumpkin. This step truly is necessary to get a dense, chewy texture, or these would be very cakey. If you remove too much moisture though, you actually start to lose the pumpkin flavor. So the final number was 1 cup of pumpkin puree reduced to ½ cup. This amount is the perfect balance between keeping the pumpkin flavor and getting the absolutely perfect blondie texture.
Ingredient Notes
These blondies are made with pumpkin and baking staples. Here’s a look at everything needed and why. The exact measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Pumpkin puree – Be sure to start with plain pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
- All-purpose flour – It’s extra important to measure the flour properly in this recipe because too much or too little will quickly impact the texture. Use a food scale or the spoon and level technique as outlined in my post How To Correctly Measure Flour.
- Baking powder – As noted above, only a tiny amount is needed to prevent these from becoming too cakey.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves add the warm pumpkin spice flavors to the blondies. A bit of salt helps bring out the flavors.
- Butter – I used unsalted butter since I like to add salt separately.
- Light brown sugar – Using light brown sugar adds extra flavor, moisture and chewiness to the blondies.
- Egg yolk – Helps bind all of the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract – For an extra layer of flavor.
- White chocolate chips – You could use semi-sweet chocolate chips but I think white chocolate pairs best with the pumpkin flavors.
How To Make Pumpkin Blondies
These blondies are so easy to make with just a couple of bowls and a whisk. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a square baking pan by lining it with parchment paper (and leaving overhang on two sides) and greasing the sides with baking spray.
Spread the pumpkin on a paper towel and press to absorb the liquid. Continue until the pumpkin has reduced from 1 cup to 1/2 cup.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and spices in a bowl.
Combine the butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and pumpkin in another bowl.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. Add the white chocolate chips.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Press more white chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the pumpkin blondies to cool completely in the pan, then use the parchment overhang to remove them. Cut into bars and enjoy!
Tips For Perfect Pumpkin Blondies
- Line & grease the pan. To make it easy to remove the blondies after baking, I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper with overhang on two sides to lift them out after. Be sure to grease the sides of the pan, too, so they don’t stick.
- Measure carefully. Especially the flour. If you add too much flour, the brownies will turn out dry and crumbly. Too little flour? You’re in for a gooey mess.
- Remove moisture from the pumpkin. As I discussed at the beginning of the post, removing moisture from the pumpkin is necessary to achieve a chewy texture vs a cakey one. Don’t skip this step!
- Don’t over bake. To test if the pumpkin blondies are ready, insert a toothpick in the center. It should come out clean. The center should also look mostly done and a bit puffed up.
- Cool before slicing. Let the blondies cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing. This gives the center time to finish cooking and ensures they don’t fall apart or crumble when sliced. If you cut them before they are completely cool, they may look underbaked, even if they aren’t.
Proper Storage
- Room temperature: Store pumpkin blondies in an airtight container on the counter. They’re best enjoyed within 4-5 days.
- Freezer: Once they’ve cooled completely, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter.
Watch How To Make Pumpkin Blondies
More Pumpkin Desserts To Try
Pumpkin Blondies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (244g) pumpkin puree
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (168g) unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 ¼ cups (280g) light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (85g) white chocolate chips (plus more for on top)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving some over hanging on two sides for easy removal from the pan later. Grease the sides with non-stick baking-spray.
- To remove some moisture from your pumpkin, spread your pumpkin out onto a plate. Place a paper towel over the top and gently press to absorb some of the liquid. Continue pressing paper towels onto the pumpkin to remove liquid until it has been reduced from 1 cup (244g) to ½ cup (122g). Set aside.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt to a medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Whisk together to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together to combine, then fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Press some additional white chocolate chips onto the top, if desired. Bake about 25-30 minutes. To test the blondies for being done, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, they should be done. The center will puff up a little and should look mostly done, and will fall a bit as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then use the parchment overhang to remove them from the pan and cut into bars. They can start to seem a little underbaked as they cool, but let them cool completely before cutting. If you cut them before they are completely cool, they may look underbaked, even if they aren't.
- Store bars in an air-tight container. Best if eaten within 4-5 days.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
