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These Pumpkin Blondies are chewy, brown sugar pumpkin bars loaded with white chocolate chips and pecans, and they are an easy fall dessert that bakes up in one 9×13 dish.
I created this pumpkin blondies recipe by taking a typical blondie recipe and experimenting with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, white chocolate chips and pecans.
I made them for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago, when I visited my Grandma, who was 98 at the time. My whole family loved them, and Grandma, who has always loved sweets, absolutely loved these pumpkin white chocolate chip blondies.
You get cozy fall flavor from the pumpkin and warm spices, a chewy bite, creamy white chocolate throughout and a little crunch from the pecans, which makes them a natural Thanksgiving dessert and a great pick for holiday baking.
One pan makes about 24 bars, depending on how big you cut them, so it is an easy 9×13 dessert for a crowd. Mix the batter with a KitchenAid hand mixer in a glass bowl (a stand mixer works too), and the pan is ready for the oven after about 10 minutes of prep.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Blondies
What I love about these pumpkin blondies is how much warm flavor they get without any frosting. The pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, plus a little extra cinnamon, do the work, and the white chocolate chips bring all the sweetness you need.
Because the chips and chopped pecans are folded right into the batter, every bar has creamy sweetness and a little crunch from the edge to the center.
The batter comes together with my KitchenAid hand mixer in one glass bowl, so there is nothing big to set up or wash, and a stand mixer works if you would rather use that. When it is time to serve, you just bake, cool and cut, and any extras freeze well, which is handy when the holidays get busy.
Equipment You’ll Need
To make this White Chocolate Pumpkin Blondies recipe, you’ll need:
The Pumpkin I Use
For these pumpkin blondies I use Nothing But The Truth organic canned pumpkin, or my own homemade pumpkin puree. Either way, make sure it is plain pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
Ingredient Notes to make Pumpkin Blondies
The exact amounts are in the recipe card below. Here is what each ingredient does in these pumpkin white chocolate chip blondies.
- Unsalted butter – Melted, not browned, so there is no extra step, and it keeps the bars soft and chewy. Using unsalted butter lets the 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the recipe do the seasoning.
- Brown sugar – Regular brown sugar, packed into the measuring cup. It gives blondies their caramel-like flavor.
- Egg – One large egg holds everything together.
- Pumpkin puree – 3/4 cup of plain pumpkin puree adds fall flavor and moisture.
- Vanilla extract – Rounds out the warm spices.
- All-purpose flour – Gives the bars their structure.
- Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon – The pumpkin pie spice does the heavy lifting, and the extra cinnamon adds a little more warmth.
- Baking soda and salt – The baking soda gives the bars a slight lift, and the salt balances all that sugar.
- White chocolate chips – Any white chocolate chips work, so use your favorite or whatever you can find.
- Pecans – 1/2 cup of chopped, unsalted pecans, mixed right into the batter, which is what makes these pumpkin pecan blondies. I say make sure you add them. If anyone you are baking for has a nut allergy, they are easy to leave out. Any brand of pecans works, but pick unsalted.
How to Make Pumpkin Blondies
- Prep the dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with avocado oil spray, or line it with parchment paper.
- Mix the butter and sugar. In a large glass bowl, use a KitchenAid hand mixer to mix the melted butter and brown sugar until well combined. (A stand mixer works too.)
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the egg, pumpkin puree and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- Combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in the chips and pecans. Fold in the white chocolate chips and the chopped pecans until they are evenly distributed.
- Spread it in the dish. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared dish.
- Bake. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and cut. Let the blondies cool in the dish for 15 to 20 minutes, then cut them into about 24 bars. Enjoy your pumpkin white chocolate chip blondies warm or at room temperature.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Blondies
Spoon and level your flour. Scooping the measuring cup straight into the bag packs in extra flour. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off with the back of a knife instead.
Let the melted butter cool for a few minutes. Butter straight off the heat can start to cook the egg when you add it. Warm is fine, hot is not.
Check your pumpkin before you measure it. If your puree looks loose or watery, which can happen with homemade puree, pour off the extra liquid first. A thick puree gives you thick, chewy pumpkin blondies.
Switch to a wooden spoon for the mix-ins. A hand mixer works fast, so stop it as soon as the dry streaks are gone. Then fold in the white chocolate chips and pecans by hand.
Start checking early in a glass dish. Glass holds heat differently than metal, so look at the bars at the 30-minute mark. Pull them when the edges are golden brown and the center has a few moist crumbs.
Leave a parchment overhang. If you line the dish, let the paper hang over two sides. After the blondies cool, you can lift the whole slab out onto a cutting board.
Wipe your knife between cuts. A sharp knife wiped clean after every few cuts gives you neat squares without dragging the white chocolate chips around.
Mistakes to Avoid when making Pumpkin Blondies
Using pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, which throws off the whole recipe. Always grab plain pumpkin puree.
Using salted pecans. The recipe already has salt, and salted pecans can push the bars toward salty. Unsalted pecans keep the flavor balanced.
Skipping the dish prep. Blondies are sticky. Spray the dish with avocado oil spray or line it with parchment paper before the batter goes in, or the bars can stick.
Overmixing once the flour goes in. The batter is thick, so it is easy to keep going. Mix only until you can’t see dry flour.
Overbaking. Blondies keep setting as they cool, so take them out while the center still has a few moist crumbs. Waiting until the pan looks completely dry leaves you with drier bars.
Cutting them too soon. Warm blondies are soft and can fall apart. Give them the full 15 to 20 minutes in the dish first.
What Swaps and Variations can I make to these pumpkin blondies?
Chocolate chips. Dark chocolate chips and butterscotch chips both go well with pumpkin, so they make easy swaps for the white chocolate chips.
Gluten free (untested). I haven’t tried a gluten-free version of these blondies, so I can’t promise how it will turn out. If you want to experiment, try swapping the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, and let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes before you spread it in the dish. If you try it, let me know how it goes in the comments!
How to Store and Freeze Pumpkin Blondies
Counter: Keep the pumpkin blondies in an airtight glass container at room temperature for up to 3 days. A sheet of parchment between the layers keeps them from sticking. Since they keep well, this is an easy fall dessert to bake a day or two ahead of a holiday gathering.
Fridge: For longer storage of the pumpkin blondies, refrigerate them in an airtight glass container for up to 1 week. Let them sit out for a bit before serving.
Freezer: Freeze the cut bars in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray until firm, then move them to a freezer-safe glass container with parchment between the layers for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave them on the counter for a few hours or in the fridge overnight.
Pumpkin Blondies FAQs
Can I use fresh pumpkin puree instead of canned?
Yes, homemade pumpkin puree works. Just drain or pour off any extra liquid or moisture first, because fresh puree holds more water than canned and the extra moisture can make pumpkin blondies soft and cakey instead of chewy. Roast a sugar (pie) pumpkin until tender, puree it until smooth, then let it drain in a fine-mesh strainer (lined with cheesecloth if you like) for about an hour, until it is thick. Measure your 3/4 cup after it has drained. If you buy canned, make sure the label says 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
Are blondies supposed to be gooey in the middle?
A little soft is normal. Blondies keep setting as they cool in the dish, which is why these wait 15 to 20 minutes before cutting. You want golden edges and a toothpick with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. If the batter looks liquid when you cut in, it needed a few more minutes in the oven. If the bars are dry and crumbly instead, they were most likely overbaked.
Why are my pumpkin blondies cakey instead of chewy?
Cakey blondies usually come from one of three things: too much moisture from the pumpkin, too much flour, or too much mixing once the flour goes in. Drain any watery puree, spoon and level your flour (or weigh it), and stop mixing as soon as the dry streaks disappear.
Why are my blondies greasy or oily?
Greasy blondies usually mean the butter and brown sugar were not fully combined, the butter was extra hot when it went in, or the amounts were a little off (too much butter or too little flour). Mix the melted butter and brown sugar until they look smooth and well combined, measure carefully, and bake until the center is just set.
What is the difference between blondies and brownies?
Brownies get their flavor from cocoa or melted chocolate, while blondies are made with brown sugar, butter and vanilla and no cocoa. That brown sugar gives blondies their golden color and a chewy, caramel-like flavor. Think of them as a cookie bar: dense and chewy like a chocolate chip cookie, only baked in a pan and cut into squares.
What is the difference between pumpkin blondies and pumpkin bars?
Pumpkin blondies are dense and chewy, built on brown sugar, so they are the pumpkin bars with white chocolate chips and pecans that skip the frosting. My Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are soft bars topped with a thick layer of frosting, so they are the one to bake when you want a frosted pumpkin dessert.
More Pumpkin Desserts to Try
If you are looking for more fall dessert ideas, here are a few more pumpkin recipes to bake next.
Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Blondies
Equipment
- KitchenAid hand mixer (a stand mixer works too)
- 9×13-inch glass baking dish
- Glass mixing bowls (2, a large one for mixing the batter)
- whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Parchment paper (optional, instead of the spray)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) or homemade puree, with any extra liquid drained off
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped, unsalted, mixed into the batter (leave out for nut allergies)
- avocado oil spray for the dish, or line the dish with parchment paper instead
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with avocado oil spray, or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large glass bowl, use a KitchenAid hand mixer to mix the melted butter and brown sugar until well combined.
- Add the egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped pecans until evenly distributed.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared dish.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the blondies cool in the dish for 15 to 20 minutes, then cut into about 24 bars. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Pumpkin: Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Homemade puree works too, but drain or pour off any extra liquid or moisture first.
- Pecans: Use 1/2 cup chopped, unsalted pecans, mixed into the batter. They are easy to leave out if anyone has a nut allergy.
- Chips: Any white chocolate chips work. Dark chocolate chips or butterscotch chips both go well with pumpkin and can be swapped in.
- Mixing: I use a KitchenAid hand mixer in a large glass bowl. A stand mixer works too. Mix just until combined once the flour goes in.
- Glass dish: Start checking at 30 minutes.
- Gluten free (untested): I haven’t tried it. If you experiment, try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, and rest the batter 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
- Storage: Airtight glass container, up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge.
- Freezing: Freeze cut bars in a single layer until firm, then store in a freezer-safe glass container with parchment between the layers for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours or in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe for yourself? Leave a comment and photos below!
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Nutrition Disclaimer: Our Family Cooks is not a dietitian or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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