Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies

Rich, buttery, and packed with all the flavors of fall, these Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies are everything you want from an easy seasonal bake. Nutty brown butter and pumpkin come together with warm cinnamon and pumpkin spice, while plenty of melty chocolate chips make every bite soft, chewy, and seriously hard to resist.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 16 blondies

Ingredients

For the Blondies

• 1 cup unsalted butter.
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar.
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree.
• 1 large egg.
• 1 large egg yolk.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• 2 cups all-purpose flour.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping.
• Flaky sea salt, optional.

Directions

1. Prep the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal.

2. Brown the butter.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, as the butter foams and begins to turn golden brown. Once you see browned bits forming on the bottom and the butter smells nutty, remove it from the heat. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

3. Mix the wet ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the pumpkin puree, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

4. Add the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and gently fold until just combined.

5. Add the chocolate.
Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a handful for the top.

6. Fill the pan.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top.

7. Bake.
Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking so the blondies stay soft and chewy.

8. Cool and serve.
Let the blondies cool in the pan before slicing into squares. Finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired.

Tips

Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains added sugar and spices and will change the texture and sweetness of the blondies.

Don't rush the brown butter. Those toasted milk solids are what give the blondies their deep, nutty flavor. Once you smell that almost caramel-like aroma, it's ready.

For an even more indulgent version, swap half of the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chunks or add chopped toasted pecans.

For clean slices, allow the blondies to cool completely before cutting. If you're serving them warm, forget about perfect squares and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead.

Phantom Tip: Bake these in your favorite Phantom Chef Bake and Go Pan for golden edges and a soft, chewy center. Serve them right from the pan for an easy fall dessert that's just as good with morning coffee as it is after dinner.