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Over the past three weeks, Hannah (my youngest daughter) and I have been on a mission to make chewy pumpkin blondies – trying to nail the perfect thick and chewy texture. We had NO IDEA how tough it would be to avoid the dreaded “cake” texture that most pumpkin recipes yield.
But after about 13 trials (really, 13 pans of blondies later) we are very proud to announce that these perfectly dense, moist, chewy squares of pumpkin are it. We finally did it—we’ve created chewy pumpkin blondie perfection. Woo!
First Things First—What is a Pumpkin Blondie?
A pumpkin blondie is basically the autumn cousin of a traditional blondie bar—rich, buttery, and chewy like a brownie, but flavored with pumpkin puree and warm spices instead of cocoa. Think dense pumpkin-spice cookie meets fudgy bar, often studded with chocolate or nuts. Unlike pumpkin cake bars, the goal here is minimal lift and maximum chew.
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Now, Why You’ll Love These Particular Blondies
These are not your average fall bars that puff up and eat more like sponge cake. Nope. These pumpkin blondies are unapologetically dense and moist, with a chewy bite that makes you want to pause mid-bite and say, “Ohhh… yes.” The warm pumpkin spice, sweet white chocolate, and rich buttery base all come together in one pan of cozy, fall perfection. They slice cleanly, pack well, and hold their texture for days (if they last that long).
Ingredient Notes
- Flour. Use unbleached all-purpose for the best flavor and texture. Just make sure to measure it carefully and correctly be fluffing, spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off. Too much flour will ruin these blondies by making them hard and stiff.
- Sea salt. Balances sweetness and enhances all the warm spices, please don’t skip it.
- Butter. Melted, not softened. This keeps the texture dense and rich instead of fluffy. Make sure to use unsalted, so the blondies aren’t too salty.
- Brown sugar & white sugar – A mix of both gives the perfect balance of moisture and structure that these blondies need.
- Pumpkin puree. Make sure to use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- White chocolate. A chopped baking bar plus some chips give you melty bits and sweet pops in every bite. The blend is crucial, in my professional opinion, haha.
Tip
If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice on-hand, don’t stress. You can make your own and it’s super easy. Here’s a good recipe to use.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment or grease lightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sea salt, and baking powder and set it aside.
- Melt butter in a large glass mixing bowl until bubbly.
- Stir the brown sugar, white sugar, and pumpkin pie spice into the hot butter and mix until the sugar softens and the spice blooms (you’ll smell it, it’s my favorite part).
- Whisk in pumpkin puree until smooth, then stir in the egg and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined, but if some flour remains that’s okay because the batter will get mixed again during the folding in of the white chocolate.
- Fold in the chopped white chocolate and white chocolate chips.
- Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter evenly in the pan, leaving a small lip around the edges for even baking.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until edges are set and lightly golden but the center still looks soft.
- Cool completely before slicing into bars.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Don’t overbake. The key to chewy blondies is pulling them when the center is just set.
- Melt your butter fully. This step keeps the blondies dense and chewy rather than airy.
- Bloom the spices. Mixing pumpkin pie spice into hot butter wakes up the flavor in a big way.
- Chop your chocolate. A chopped baking bar melts into the batter for a more decadent bite than chips alone.
- Cool before cutting. They’ll hold together so much better (and you’ll get cleaner slices if you don’t rush the process—I know, I know).
A Pro Tip About Pumpkin Puree
When it comes to baking with homemade pumpkin puree, I’ve found that canned pumpkin works far better than fresh pumpkin.
First of all, the color is much different. Homemade pumpkin puree is pale and light colored. Whereas canned pumpkin is a deep, rich dark orange. Baked goods made with homemade pumpkin puree tend to be less visually appealing than those made with canned pumpkin.
And then there’s the flavor. Homemade pumpkin puree is much more mild and can be coarser or more fibrous than canned pumpkin, which is smooth and a little sweeter, making it perfect for baking.
Did you know that most canned pumpkin (including Libby’s) is actually made from a special variety of squash called Dickinson pumpkins, which are a type of tan-skinned squash in the same species as butternut squash. It’s less stringy, naturally sweeter, and creamier than carving pumpkins, which is why it bakes up so well in pies, muffins, and breads.
But don’t worry, there’s still a place for homemade pumpkin puree, like in this creamy pumpkin soup for example. If you haven’t made your own pumpkin puree at least once, you should try it, it’ll put you in the mood for fall—100% guaranteed. It’s pretty simple too, here’s how to do it.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Store the pumpkin blondies in an airtight container up to 4 days. If they’re too moist, ventilate the container or bag slightly to allow some air flow. To freeze, wrap the bars individually in Saran Wrap or a Ziplock bag or layer them carefully (with parchment in between the layers) in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave when you’re ready to enjoy them again.
I can tell you (13 pans later) that these chewy pumpkin blondies were worth every single trial/fail (and every sink full of dishes). Hannah and I joked that we could open a very niche bakery that only sells these, and honestly? We might have customers lining up. They’re the kind of fall treat you make once and then find yourself making “just one more pan” all season long.
If You Love Fall Baking, You’ll Love These too
Chewy Pumpkin Blondies
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (all-purpose, spooned and leveled)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark, packed)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 TBS pumpkin pie spice
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 white chocolate baking bar (chopped into chunks)
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sea salt, and baking powder and set aside.2 cups flour, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp baking powder
- In a large glass mixing bowl, melt butter in the microwave in 30 second increments until fully melted and slightly bubbly.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add the sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice to the warm melted butter and mix well to soften the sugar and bloom the spices.1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup sugar, 1 TBS pumpkin pie spice
- Add pumpkin puree and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.1 cup pumpkin puree
- Stir in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.1 egg, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the flour to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Try not to overmix the batter at this stage. If some flour remains that's okay.
- Fold in the chopped white chocolate and white chocolate chips. This should incorporate the remaining flour as well.1/4 cup white chocolate chips, 1 white chocolate baking bar
- Pour batter into the prepared baking 9×13 pan and smooth out with a rubber spatula. Leave a lip around the edges of the pan to keep blondes level during and after baking.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are firm and slightly brown, but the center is still soft.
- Let the blondies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting out and slicing into bars or slicing in the pan.
Notes
- Don’t overbake. The key to chewy blondies is pulling them when the center is just set.
- Melt your butter fully. This step keeps the blondies dense and chewy rather than airy.
- Bloom the spices. Mixing pumpkin pie spice into hot butter wakes up the flavor in a big way.
- Chop your chocolate. A chopped baking bar melts into the batter for a more decadent bite than chips alone.
- Cool before cutting. They’ll hold together so much better and you’ll get cleaner slices. It also helps to clean the knife off in between each cut.
Never made blondies before, but today seemed like a great day to try. These came out just like the pictures, and they taste amazing!
Hahaha Elisa, I love it! I’m really glad you enjoyed them and the recipe. This one was a real labor of love for me, trying to get it just right. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment!
These pumpkin blondies were really delicious. It’s not too sweet so we were able to devour a few slices.
Thank you so much, Janie! Haha, me too – I had a few in one sitting. Glad you enjoyed them too!
Whipped up a batch of these for a treat and they didn’t disappoint! They’re very easy to make too.
Oh good, that makes me so happy Sara! Glad to hear they were a success!
Oh my gosh, these blondies are THE BEST! Everything I make with pumpkin usually comes out spongy and cake-like. These are really the perfect texture. So glad I stumbled across this recipe.
Pumpkin can be tricky to bake with Andrea, you aren’t alone. I’m thrilled these worked out for you – they’ve quickly become one of my favorites too!
Omg these pumpkin brownies might be my new favorite fall dessert! They’re soft and chewy, perfectly sweet, packed with pumpkin flavor – yum!!
Girl, you and me both. I can’t stop eating them, actually! So glad to hear you are loving them just as much. Makes me smile. 🙂
I did as you suggested, I omitted the chocolate and made a plain blondie. Zero regrets, they are soft and chewy, but not gooey and underdone. Really, really good!
Oh my gosh, thank you for coming back to comment and let me know! I’m so glad they were a success in their purest form, haha! Love it so much, Michelle! Thank you.
What a fabulous pumpkin flavored blondie. I love the addition of the white chocolate and sea salt. Really elevates these to the next level.
Thank you so much, Andrea! I’m thrilled you enjoyed them too!
Love these blondies! The combination of pumpkin and spice with white chocolate delicious and the texture is out of this world!
I’m so glad to hear it, Liza! I appreciate the kind review so much!
You definitely nailed this blondie recipe! The right amount of flavor, texture, and chewiness!
Thank you so much, Holley! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Happy fall!
I am so glad that pumpkin season is finally here! 🙂 These were amazing and I loved the chewy texture of these blondies.
Wooo! Thanks so much, Carrie! I’m also so happy it’s pumpkin season, and chili season, and soup season! Thrilled you enjoyed the blondies, and thanks for the review – I really appreciate it!
I am absolutely thrilled with these blondies. The dedication and effort put into perfecting the chewy texture definitely paid off. These blondies are everything I hoped for – thick, moist, and incredibly chewy. The pumpkin flavor shines through beautifully without turning cakey.
Thank you so much, Kim. I’m so happy you enjoyed the blondies too!
Omg! I loved this recipe and I’ll make these again soon! Thanks for sharing!
Wooo! I’m so glad, Karen. Thank YOU for stopping by to comment, I really appreciate it!
Hi…what size of white chocolate bar ? The ones I’ve seen in my local grocery are pretty large and it seems like quite a bit. Can you narrow it down a little for me ? Thank you.
Hi Nancy! You bet – it’s a 4.2 ounce baking bar. I used the whole thing, roughly chopped, but you could add as much or as little as you’d like. The baking bars melt down much more during baking (versus a chip), so the smaller pieces just become part of the blondie. 🙂
Taste great!! But somehow mine still turned cake like. And the butter was completely melted. Would it be like that because they got over baked? I don’t think I did I baked them for 23 minutes but who knows I’m baking while it’s 95 out 🤷♀️
Hi Ashley! I feel you and honestly, baking with pumpkin is challenging and can almost always result in a cake texture (unfortunately). My best guess is the batter had too much flour. I’m sorry they weren’t perfect for you, but thanks so much for trying them out!
It came out ok I think I made this before believing it was chewy it is a denser cake but not chewy like a cookie that is the way I would like it, What ingredients can I omit or add to make it denser and more chewy?