Chewy Pumpkin Blondies with Chocolate Chips

Chew is the whole reason I love a blondie.

That dense, buttery, slightly gooey middle that a cakey bar never delivers.

So the first few times I added pumpkin to mine, I was disappointed.

All that moisture turned my chewy bars into soft little squares of pumpkin cake.

Good, sure, but not what I was after.

Then I started blotting the pumpkin puree and pulling back on the leavening.

That fixed it completely.

Now these come out thick and chewy with deep brown-sugar flavor, warm pumpkin spice, and melty chocolate chips in every bite.

I line the pan with parchment so I can lift the whole slab out and cut clean squares.

And I pull them from the oven while the centers still look a touch underdone, since that is what locks in the gooey middle.

I make a pan almost every Sunday once the weather turns.

My wife swears they're better than any bakery version, and they come together in one bowl with a whisk.

No mixer, no chilling, no fuss. Just the chewiest pumpkin bar I know how to make.

What Are Pumpkin Blondies

A blondie is the vanilla cousin of the brownie. Same dense, chewy bar, built on brown sugar and butter instead of chocolate.

A pumpkin blondie takes that base and folds in pumpkin puree and warm spice.

The trick is keeping the chew, which is where most pumpkin versions go wrong.

Done right, it's thick, gooey in the center, and studded with chocolate chips.

Ingredients You'll Need

This is a one-bowl, pantry-staple bake. A few notes on the ingredients that control the chew.

• Melted butter (¾ cup). Melted, not creamed. This is the key to a dense, chewy bar.
• Light brown sugar (1 cup). Brown sugar brings moisture and that butterscotch note. Don't swap it all for white.
• Pumpkin puree (1 cup, blotted). Blot it with paper towels first to remove excess water, or the bars turn cakey.
• Egg plus a yolk. The extra yolk adds richness and chew without extra lift.
• All-purpose flour (1 ¾ cups). Spoon and level so you don't pack in too much.
• Pumpkin pie spice (1 tablespoon). A full tablespoon so the pumpkin flavor actually reads.
• Baking powder (½ teaspoon). Just a little. More leavening makes them cakey.
• Chocolate chips (1 cup). My default. White chocolate is a great swap.
• Vanilla and salt. Vanilla for depth, salt to keep them from tasting flat.

How to Make Pumpkin Blondies

Everything happens in one bowl. No stand mixer required.

Step 1: Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x9 pan with parchment.

Blot the pumpkin puree with paper towels to soak up the extra moisture.

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients

Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth and glossy.

Whisk in the egg, yolk, pumpkin, and vanilla.

Step 3: Fold in the Dry Ingredients

Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt and stir just until combined.

Fold in most of the chocolate chips, saving a handful for the top.

Step 4: Bake

Spread the thick batter into the pan and scatter the reserved chips on top.

Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still looks slightly underdone.

Step 5: Cool

Let them cool in the pan completely before cutting.

They finish setting as they cool, and that's what gives you the chew.

Baking Tips for Chewy Blondies

The chew comes down to a few small moves. Nail these and you'll never get a cakey bar.

• Blot the pumpkin. This is the single biggest fix. Less water means more chew.
• Use melted butter. Creamed butter adds air and makes them cakey. Melted keeps them dense.
• Go easy on leavening. Just half a teaspoon of baking powder. That's on purpose.
• Underbake slightly. Pull them when the center still looks soft. Overbaking dries out the edges.

Variations

The base is easy to riff on. Here are the swaps I reach for.

• White chocolate chips. A sweeter, creamier contrast to the pumpkin spice.
• Add nuts. Fold in ½ cup toasted pecans or walnuts for crunch.
• Cinnamon sugar top. Sprinkle the batter with cinnamon sugar before baking for a crackly finish.
• Gluten or dairy free. A 1:1 gluten-free flour and a plant butter both work with simple swaps.

Storing and Freezing

These keep beautifully. They stay chewy for days.

• Counter. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Fridge. They'll hold for about a week, though I like them at room temp.
• Freezer. Wrap individual squares and freeze for up to 3 months.

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Pumpkin Blondies

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16 bars

Ingredients

For the Blondies

• ¾ cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree lightly blotted
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips divided

Instructions

Make the Blondies

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x9 pan with parchment. Blot the pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
• Whisk the melted butter and both sugars until smooth. Whisk in the egg, yolk, pumpkin, and vanilla.
• Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt and stir just until combined. Fold in most of the chocolate chips.
• Spread the thick batter into the pan and scatter the reserved chips on top. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still looks slightly underdone.
• Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

Notes

• Blot the pumpkin: Removing excess water is the key to chewy, not cakey, blondies.
• Melted butter: Keeps the bars dense and chewy.
• Underbake slightly: Pull them when the center still looks soft.