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Ultimate Salted Caramel Pumpkin Blondies: Easy Fall Dessert

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These Ultimate Salted Caramel Pumpkin Blondies are dense, fudgy, and swirled with homemade salted caramel. Made with browned butter and warm pumpkin spices, they’re the perfect easy fall dessert that tastes like a cozy memory.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for caramel)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (for caramel)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature (for caramel)
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (for caramel, plus more for topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides. Lightly grease the parchment.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter, stirring constantly, until it foams, turns golden, and develops brown specks with a nutty aroma (5-7 minutes). Immediately pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the browned butter; whisk until combined. Add egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree; whisk until smooth and glossy.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients; fold with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few streaks of flour are fine). Batter will be thick and slightly sticky.
  6. Make the salted caramel: In the same saucepan, heat 1/2 cup granulated sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it melts into a deep amber liquid (6-8 minutes). Remove from heat, carefully whisk in 3 tablespoons butter (it will bubble), then slowly stream in 1/4 cup heavy cream while whisking. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt. Set aside to cool slightly.
  7. Pour blondie batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Drop spoonfuls of about half the caramel over the batter; use a butter knife to gently swirl (3-4 passes). Reserve remaining caramel.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.
  9. Use parchment handles to lift blondies out. Drizzle remaining caramel over top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Notes

Don’t skip browning the butter—it adds nutty depth. Watch caramel closely; it can burn quickly. Use room temperature ingredients. Over-swirling caramel will make it disappear into batter. Let blondies cool completely before cutting for clean slices. Flavors improve after a day.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin blondies, salted caramel, fall dessert, pumpkin bars, easy blondie recipe, browned butter

Find it online: https://clunkcook.com/ultimate-salted-caramel-pumpkin-blondies-easy-fall-dessert/