And here we have it folks, the last of the pumpkin desserts. I think. At least for now. I’m not making any promises.
This was the last of the three goodies for my dessert smorgasbord night. The Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Gingersnap Pies were fun, the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting was yummy, but my personal favorites were these Cinnamon White Chocolate Pumpkin Blondies. I am a sucker for blondies!
My mom makes the most amazing blonde brownies you will ever try. They are so rich in flavor, using a mixture of light and dark brown sugar plus a whole heck of a lot of melted butter. With that combo, they are bound to please…the lips, but not the hips. Get over it; it’s the holidays. Just run an extra mile on the treadmill and walk up a few more stairs today. It’s worth it.
So yeah, I love me some blondies. They were my favorite treat to make growing up. I didn’t get them very often, though, because chocoholics ruled our house with an iron fist. Which, I must admit, I have succumbed to the dark side of chocolate in my older wiser years, but there is still one non-chocolate dessert I will always make room for and that is a good old fashioned blondie.
And let’s not forget that we are still floating around in fall fever over here, so why not put a twist on this classic dessert by spicing it up with a little pumpkin and a whole lot of cinnamon and white chocolate?! You know what also pairs well with these? Ice cream! Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream to be exact. Oh, I’ve died and gone to heaven.
You know what’s funny about brownies? Everyone has their own preference as to how they are baked. Some like them gooey, some prefer cakey, and others are fans of chewy. I think the same goes for blondies. This recipe is adaptable to either a cakey or a chewy blondie, without altering the ingredients. You just alter the baking method.
For a slightly more cakey, yet still brownie texture, you bake them the entire 35 minutes and let them cool completely. For a chewier and more cookie like texture, you bake them for 25 minutes, let them cool completely, then return them to the oven to bake an additional 15-20 minutes. By cooling them before they are completely set, they sink down and create a gooey middle, which you then set by baking the additional 15 minutes.
Sounds like a weird process, right? Like why don’t I just add more sugar or butter to get them chewier, right? Trust me, it doesn’t work! By adding pumpkin to desserts, you alter the liquid content as well as add an additional binder to the dough. By adding more sugar or butter, you will get a blob of unset brownies in your pan rather than these sinful, chewy blondies. Again, trust me…I tried.
So there you go, decide what you like and go at it. These are too good to pass up this holiday season. Make sure to add these to your list of holiday treats to deliver. I’m pretty sure nobody else will be giving out the same thing…too bad for them.
What was your favorite treat as a kid?
- ⅔ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¾ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup gluten free oat flour
- ¾ cup cinnamon baking chips
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- Melt butter, covered, in microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Set aside and allow to slightly cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13 glass or metal baking pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat melted butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and canned pumpkin until smooth. Add vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and xanthan gum. Mix until combined. Add potato starch, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, and oat flour and mix until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat for an additional 2 minutes. Batter will be thick. Mix in cinnamon chips and white chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
- Spoon batter into greased 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes depending on texture preference.*
- Serve brownies as is or with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
For chewier brownies, bake for 25 minutes and remove from the oven. Allow to cool completely. Brownies will settle and sink slightly. Once completely cooled, reheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes more until middle feels set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
