Spiced Gluten Free Pumpkin Blondies

Pumpkin blondies, where have you been all my life?! This beautiful batch of fall goodness is absolutely impossible to resist, and I'll choose it over a batch of gluten-free brownies any day (sorry, not sorry!). I adapted this recipe from The New York Times, and it's an absolute winner - simple enough that it takes no more than 10 minutes to put together, but with complexity of flavor from the addition of walnuts, semisweet chocolate, and just enough pumpkin to give it warmth and color.

I used oat flour to develop this recipe, but you can use another single-origin gluten-free flour like sorghum or brown rice flour instead (also try a 1:1 gluten-free flour or my homemade gluten free flour blend). I also encourage you to play around with the type of nut -- toasted and slivered almonds? Chopped pecans? -- and type of chocolate if you like. Milk or white chocolate would add something a bit different, yet still delicious.

A hint of cinnamon adds festive fall flavor, and the blondies bake up thick and chewy, just what you want in a handheld treat. Enjoy!

Blondies Vs. Brownies

Look, I love a super chocolatey fudgy batch of one-bowl brownies, but there is something so truly special about these pumpkin blondies! And what makes a (pumpkin) blondie a blondie, you may ask? Read on ...

• The pumpkin base. Rather than a base of melted chocolate or cocoa powder, melted butter and pumpkin form the foundation of these blondies.
• Thicker texture. Blondies straddle the line between cookie (thicker and chewier) and brownie (denser and fudgier) perfectly to create a new, delicious morsel.
• Add-ins. You can definitely add nuts to brownies, but blondies practically beg for them! See some variations and other add-in suggestions under the recipe notes.

If you loved this recipe, you'll find even more ways to bake with oat flour on my oat flour recipes page.

Ingredients Needed

Let's take a look at what you'll need to make these blondies, outlined below. Don't forget to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Butter - Unsalted butter is best here, or substitute non-dairy butter.
• Pumpkin puree - Try homemade pumpkin puree here, or a can of pure pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie mix, which already has sweetener in it.
• Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
• Granulated sugar - I like the mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar, but feel free to use all brown sugar.
• Egg - A large egg works perfectly or try 1 egg yolk as per the original recipe.
• Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Oat flour - I love using gluten free oat flour here, and any flour will work, from brown or white rice flour, sorghum flour, or a gluten-free blend.
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon - For a hint of warmth, or try ground ginger or cardamom.
• Salt - I use fine sea salt or table salt.
• Chocolate chips - I prefer semisweet chocolate chips or a chopped-up chocolate bar.
• Walnuts - You can swap another nut if you like, or leave them out if you don't eat nuts.

Variation Ideas

• Salted butter - For more of a sweet-salty vibe, use salted butter.
• Other nuts - Almost any nut will work here, including pecans, walnuts, almonds, and pistachios.
• Pumpkin pie spice - Make these blondies even more fall-forward by swapping the cinnamon for a pumpkin pie spice blend.
• Chocolate options - I'll always use semisweet chocolate, but milk chocolate is lovely, too, and adds a hint of extra sweetness. Or try milk chocolate chips!

Tips & Recipe Notes

• Cool before cutting. Just like with brownies, you want the blondies to fully cool before you slice them. This makes for neater, cleaner cuts.
• Double the batch. For a bigger batch, double the recipe and bake in a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Use a chocolate bar. Full disclosure - I tend to reach for the bag of chocolate chips because it cuts down on time. But really, it doesn't take much extra to chop up a chocolate bar. Chopping the chocolate ensures that the chocolate melts into the batter, adding a smoother texture and more luxurious touch.
• Try different chocolate + nuts. I mentioned this above, but rather than a straight swap, you could also do a mix of different chopped nuts and different chocolate varieties.
• Dairy-free. Use melted non-dairy butter or margarine, or melted coconut oil.
• Vegan. I haven't made these blondies with an egg substitute, but I imagine a flax egg would work very well since pumpkin already works to create natural structure.
• Naturally sweetened option. Instead of the brown and granulated sugars, use coconut sugar or a mix of coconut sugar and maple syrup.

Storage Options

• Counter - Place cooled blondies in an airtight container and keep them on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 days (my preference, and they never last longer than a couple of days!).
• Fridge - Store the blondies in their container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Wrap each blondie in plastic, then place them in a freezer-safe, sealable bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the blondies in the fridge before eating.