Description
These pumpkin blondies stay dense and chewy (think brownie-ish), not fluffy. The optional caramel swirl is pure decadence, but the bars are excellent without it.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten and at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided (or use table salt, reduce slightly)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 10 oz bag caramels (about 30–32 squares), unwrapped — optional
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream (or milk) for melting caramels
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal. Lightly spray the parchment with nonstick spray (this helps with sticky caramel).
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine the packed brown sugar, butter, and pumpkin. Stir continuously until the butter melts and the mixture becomes smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and let it cool until warm but not hot.
- While that cools, whisk together the flour, baking powder, 1 tsp of the salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.
- When the sugar-pumpkin-butter mixture has cooled enough that it won’t scramble eggs, whisk in the beaten eggs and the vanilla until smooth.
- Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Stop as soon as the flour disappears — the batter should be fairly thick, between a dough and a batter.
- Prepare the caramel: place the unwrapped caramels and the cream (or milk) in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at full power for 60 seconds, stir, then continue in 30–second bursts at 50% power, stirring between bursts, until the caramels are completely melted and silky. Be careful not to scorch.
- Spoon about half of the blondie batter into the prepared pan and press or spread it into an even layer. Drizzle the warm caramel over that first layer (use as much or as little as you like). Dollop the remaining batter on top of the caramel and gently smooth to cover (it will be sticky — a lightly wet spatula helps).
- Bake 33–38 minutes, or until the top looks set and a toothpick or knife inserted near the center comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are fine). The edges should be slightly firm while the center remains tender.
- Cool the pan on a wire rack completely before lifting out with the parchment and slicing into squares. Serve at room temperature or warm briefly (10–20 seconds in the microwave) and top with vanilla ice cream if you like.
Notes
- Storage & make-ahead
- Keep cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate up to 7 days; bring to room temp or warm briefly before serving.
- Freeze individual squares wrapped in parchment and stored in a zip bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature.
- Easy swaps & add-ins
- Fold in 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, 1 cup chocolate chips, white chocolate, or butterscotch chips for variation.
- Leave out the caramel if you don’t have it — the blondies are still terrific.
- If using fresh pumpkin puree, reduce it briefly on the stove to remove excess moisture for chewier results.
- Tips & troubleshooting
- Don’t overmix after adding flour — overworking makes the bars cakier.
- Line and grease the pan well; caramel can stick if the pan isn’t prepared.
- If the centers seem too soft after cooling, a few extra minutes in the oven will firm them up — check carefully so they don’t dry out.
Nutrition
- Calories: 272kcal
- Sugar: 33g
- Sodium: 241mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 31mg