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Perfect Brown Butter Pumpkin Blondies: Easy Fall Dessert

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These Perfect Brown Butter Pumpkin Blondies have all the cozy fall flavor you want from pumpkin, but with a texture that’s more like a chewy blondie than a cake. The brown butter adds an almost caramel-like richness that plays off the pumpkin without making things soggy.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup (170g) pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin, not pie filling)
  • 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips (optional but recommended)
  • ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two opposite sides.
  2. Brown the butter: Place the ½ cup butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as it melts. It will foam, then the foam will subside, and golden brown specks will form at the bottom (about 5-7 minutes). When it smells nutty and looks like liquid gold, remove from heat immediately and pour into a heatproof bowl to stop cooking. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the browned butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar until smooth. Add the ¾ cup pumpkin puree, 1 room temperature egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until combined and smooth.
  4. Combine the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
  5. Fold it all together: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold gently, just until no streaks of flour remain (about 10-12 strokes). Do not overmix. If using white chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in at this point.
  6. Transfer to the pan: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. It will be thick. Use the spatula to spread it evenly into all corners.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle rack. The edges should be golden brown and set, and the center should look slightly underdone (jiggle just a tiny bit when shaken). A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not raw batter. Start checking at 20 minutes.
  8. Cool completely before cutting: Place the pan on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes. Use the parchment handles to lift the entire block out of the pan, then cut into 9 or 16 squares. For clean cuts, use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts.

Notes

Brown butter is not scary—use a light-colored pan to see the color change. Don’t overmix the batter; a few tiny streaks of flour are better than tough blondies. Underbake slightly; blondies continue to cook from residual heat. Let them cool completely before cutting for clean squares. Room temperature ingredients matter—take the egg out 30 minutes before starting. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. For vegan, use vegan butter, a flax egg, and dairy-free white chocolate chips.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin blondies, brown butter, fall dessert, easy pumpkin recipe, chewy blondies, pumpkin bars

Find it online: https://cravemila.com/perfect-brown-butter-pumpkin-blondies-easy-fall-dessert/