Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Blondies — Soft pumpkin bars, cinnamon-sugary snickerdoodles, and buttery blondies rolled into one! Super good!!
This recipe for pumpkin blondies is the dessert trifecta jackpot. It tastes like three favorites in one. Soft pumpkin bars, cinnamon-sugary snickerdoodles, and buttery blondies rolled into one easy recipe.
Lately I’ve been going nuts with pumpkin recipes, snickerdoodle recipes, and I’ve got 25+ blondies recipes and counting. It was high time to marry my favorites.
The bars are super soft, moist, and full of robust pumpkin flavor. The cinnamon-sugar topping lends an awesome texture contrast to the density the pumpkin creates.
And make no mistake, they’re dense like blondies should be, rather than cakey or light. They’re for those of us who relish a thick, fudgy texture. I could see where some people would want to add baking powder or soda for some lift, but I prefer them without.
I modeled them after my Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars. It’s an easy, no-mixer, one-bowl recipe that takes just minutes to whisk together. Melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, plenty of pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon-sugar are the key ingredients.
They’re such a perfect bar for me. Simple to make, packed with flavor, and the tooth-sinkingly dense texture is amazingly satisfying.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Blondies
In addition to being super easy to prepare, these pumpkin spice blondies call for very few ingredients — meaning you can make them even on a busy weeknight when a pumpkin craving hits!
To make this pumpkin blondies recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Pumpkin puree
- Vanilla extract
- Pumpkin pie spice
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon
How to Make Pumpkin Blondies
I may have given these pumpkin snickerdoodle blondies a fancier sounding name, but the prep work is minimal. Multi-steps desserts with lots of layers are delicious, but impractical for me and my family. Hence why I have so many blondie recipes on my site already!
Here’s an overview of how these insanely easy pumpkin blondies come together:
- Whisk together the melted butter, egg, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Mix in the flour.
- Turn the mixture into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
Scroll to the very bottom of this post for the full recipe card!
How to Store Leftovers
The pumpkin spice blondies continue to get softer and moister for about 3 days after baking, noting that the cinnamon-sugar coating will melt (liquify) as time passes rather than stay granular due to the moisture from the bars.
The bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes! You can double the recipe and bake the pumpkin snickerdoodle blondies in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Can I Make This Recipe in a 9×9-Inch Pan?
You can bake the bars in a 9×9-inch pan, but they will be thinner (very thin, actually), therefore the cooking time will be reduced.
Can I Freeze the Blondies?
Yes, these blondies freeze well. To thaw, place on your counter for a few hours. You may need to sprinkle a little more cinnamon sugar on top before serving.
Can This Recipe Be Made in Advance?
Absolutely! In fact, the blondies taste better on the second day after the flavors have married. As a bonus, the bars get softer and moister on the second and third day, but I doubt they’ll last that long.
Tips for Making Pumpkin Spice Blondies
Make sure to use pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling (which has been sweetened and spiced).
I sprinkled the top of the blondies with cinnamon and sugar, but you’re welcome to replace the cinnamon with more pumpkin pie spice if you have some that needs to be used up.
The recipe only makes an 8-inch pan and if you have pumpkin fiends in your house, the bars will probably be gone in a day.
Pin This Recipe
Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Blondies
Soft pumpkin bars, cinnamon-sugary snickerdoodles, and buttery blondies rolled into one! Perfect for cookie exchanges and holiday gifting!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and stir.
- Using a small spoon, evenly sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over the prepared pan. Looks like a lot but it sinks down and soaks in while baking.
- Bake for about 25 to 27 minutes, or until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. The moisture content in pumpkin varies, as do climates and ovens; bake until yours are done.
- Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. I find the bars taste better on the second and third day after the flavors have married.
Notes
Storange: Bars continue to get softer and moister for about 3 days after baking, noting the cinnamon-sugar coating will melt (liquify) as time passes rather than stay granular due to the moisture from the bars. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Adapted from Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 13mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g
More Easy Pumpkin Desserts:
If you haven’t already ordered it, Cooking With Pumpkin: Recipes That Go Beyond the Pie is my second cookbook and the official release date was on Monday, October 6. There’s over 50 pumpkin recipes including sweets, savory, drinks, and a photo for nearly every recipe. I’d be super grateful if you headed over to Amazon.
Soft Pumpkin Bars (with Cake Mix!) — SUPER soft pumpkin bars studded with chocolate chips, candied pecans, and plenty of pumpkin pie spice!!
Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars — Super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache — One of my favorite cakes of ALL TIME! A must-make!
Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread — Pumpkin bread that’s like having cheesecake baked in! Soft, fluffy, easy and tastes ahhhh-mazing!
The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread — Super soft, moist, rich pumpkin flavor, and loaded with chocolate chips! Easy, no mixer recipe that’s the BEST!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies — Rich, fudgy brownies topped with pumpkin and chocolate chips!
Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake – A FAST and EASY no-mixer coffee cake with rich pumpkin flavor!! Super soft, tender, and topped with the BEST crumble topping that you’ll fall in love with!
Pumpkin Poke Cake — Easy and the BEST PUMPKIN CAKE ever!! Two kinds of CARAMEL sauce, TOFFEE bits, CHOCOLATE CHIPS, whipped topping and more!! A total WINNER you must make!!
I made these last night to take for a funeral reception, and I was very disappointed. They turned out very rubbery and the taste was mostly cinnamon. I followed the recipe to the letter and they looked just like the picture, so I don’t know what happened. I threw them away and will stop at the store to purchase something else. I have been cooking for over 50 years, so I usually know when a recipe is not going to work, but not this time.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m sorry they tasted rubbery to you. They are a very dense bar, given the pumpkin in them, but sounds like something beyond that took place. Maybe too much flour? Hard to guess from afar but thanks for giving the recipe a try.
These look amazing!Any chance they freeze well on top of looking delicious?
They freeze really well! You would likely want to reapply some cinnamon-sugar to the top though.
These are amazing!!! I can’t wait to get your pumpkin cookbook.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And I hope you get my cookbook, thank you!
I plan on making these today for thanksgiving. I don’t have a 8×8 pan. Could I double it and bake it in a 9×13 pan? How long would I cook it for in that size of a pan?
I haven’t tried doubling the recipe but generally 8×8 recipes double fairly well for 9×13. Baking time will likely be similar.
these were fantastic! my only regret is not having chocolate chips in the house, because the chocolate chip version of this recipe looks soooo good.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And make the chocolate chip version next :)
Averie: well what do you know! Several day s later, square bars heated up in the microwave, with a dollop of whipped cream…were so good. The topping finally melted in (even before the microwave) and was so tasty. I will now make this again, but several days ahead of time for maximum deliciousness.
So glad that the flavors developed over time and you’re happy now! Pumpkin desserts are often like that (kind of like chili), it gets better over time!
Sigh. I really wanted these to be good. But, they weren’t. The color was not “blondie,” the texture was not “blondie,” and the taste was not snickerdoodle.
I’m sorry you didn’t care for the recipe. The color you see in the pictures is the color they are when I make them. The pumpkin turns them a darker shade and also the texture is denser, which I mentioned in the post. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Have you ever made any of your pumpkin recipes with coconut oil? I’m contemplating swapping it for the oil/butter in either this recipe or your pumpkin oatmeal muffins, but I’m not sure if the coconut flavor would taste off with the pumpkin. I’m open to try it, but thought I’d check with the expert first! :) Either way – these are going in the oven tonight! Yum!!!
You can totally use coconut oil in place of veg/canola oil. Don’t swap oil for butter (because that’s a whole other animal) but yes, swapping for regular oil is fine and I actually love the pairing of the coc oil w/ pumpkin. If you already like coc oil, you’ll love how it pairs with pumpkin.
In the oven now! Just took the Mrs. Fields copycat Snickerdoodles out. Fun afternoon baking!
Awesome! :) Enjoy!
Just made these blondies this evening, they’re delicious. First time I’ve made blondies (never made brownies from scratch either!) and first time I’ve had anything with Snickerdoodle flavours, so it’s a definite first for me. Can’t wait to try them tomorow when they’ve had overnight to let the flavours develop. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
So many firsts and not that you know how easy it is and how the results taste, keep on baking! :) Glad you loved these!
Is there any conversion for a 9×9 baking pan. I don’t own a 8×8, and am dying to make these. I know I’d have to decrease the cooking time, but do I need to change the oven temperature as well?
You can bake in a 9×9 but bars will be thinner (very thin, actually), therefore cooking time will be reduced. You don’t need to reduce oven temp.
Hi Averie! To begin, I have to say THESE ARE AWESOME. I am not a huge pumpkin fan, but I have a good friend who asked me to find a pumpkin bar that would ship well. I thought these looked like they might fit the bill, so I made them. At first glance and taste, I was kind of “meh.” But, since you said they taste better the second day, I waited. It was DEFINITELY better the second day, but even BETTER on the third! I love the fudgey texture and the crunch of the cinnamon sugar on top. Thank you so much for the excellent recipe and new weapon in my arsenal of goodies.
So glad these worked out for you and yes, they DO get better on the 2nd/3rd day, you’re totally right and yes to being able to withstand shipping because of the texture.
Others that are linked within this post that would also do well are the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars and the Fudgy Pumpkin Bars with Browned Butter Frosting. Now I don’t know if you’d want to frost them (I personally would because I don’t care about butter that’s been cooked and then is at room temp when it’s combined with that much sugar; our grandmothers did it and everyone lived!) but either of those are really good pumpkin bar choices too. And in my Cooking with Pumpkin cookbook, there’s tons more :)
If you try any other recipes, LMK!
The results of this recipe are fairly good. I must say, however, that I won’t return to this blog for recipes again… the sheer volume of ads, especially pop-up ads, is overwhelming and obnoxious and frankly, pretty tacky. I turned on an adblocker, and right now it’s telling me it’s blocking TWENTY ads from your site right now. Wow. I get that you’re trying to make money, but when people literally can’t read your recipe because the pop up ads just won’t stop coming and keep blocking the screen, you’re not going to make much. You need a better business plan.
I’m sorry that you experienced pop-ups. My site is NOT supposed to have pop-ups and I’ve forwarded your message to my ad network partners to make them aware. Sometimes popups are accidentally included in the rotation and that’s not my intent.
I love anything with pumpkin, both sweet and savory. Tried these last night and they’re OMG yummy. Next time the chocolate chips go in!
Glad you liked these and for a chocolate chip + pumpkin recipe, follow the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars recipe linked in the Related Recipes! Those are soooo good!
Hi Averie,
We have SO much cream of tartar in our apartment and are looking for some creative snickerdoodle recipes to use it in, do you think if I add a teaspoon or so of it to this it will turn out ok? Or is there a specific reason you opted not to use it?
It’s one of those ingredients MOST people don’t have on hand, but if you don’t, I don’t think it would hurt…and may make them a little puffier/more airy and add a bit of flavor. LMK how it goes!
This recipe is SO YUMMY! There’s pumpkin and spice flavor, and the texture is like a moist fudge yet much lighter. I can’t wait to see if the flavor develops even more tomorrow!
I’m so glad you like them and the flavors continue to deepen and marry as time passes so I think you’re in for a treat!
Wauw, I have to try some of your recipes with pumpkin. I love pumpkin and this time of the year, where it’s possible to buy!
/Sanne, vindimithaar.wordpress.com
http://www.vindimithaar.wordpress.com
I want to make these right now, I could eat them all myself too! They look delicious. I am a pumpkin fiend and you are right, they would not last! I love the fudgy look, I cannot wait to try these.
“if you have pumpkin fiends in your house, the bars will probably be gone in a day” <– If you have ME in the house, they'll only last a few hours!! Pumpkin and cinnamon sugar are my weakness. Just as much as chocolate. This pan is dangerous girl! ;)
I think most people who read food blogs (or at least my blog!) are pumpkin fiends :)
greetings, I’d love to make these and take them to school to feed a lot of people by doubling the recipe maybe even tripling it. So I was considering baking them in a mini muffin pan, do you think they will turn out ok, maybe should I add that dash of baking soda? any feedback would be appreciated.
You could double and bake in a 9×13. I wouldn’t do muffins at all.
thank you!
These look fantastic; fudgy and pumpky and cinnamony! Smitten!
I love the look of these, they look absolutely delicious!
I had one little question about these and about your wonderful blondies in general, though. I’ve only just gotten into baking and I don’t really know what all the components do yet. If I substituted the all-purpose flour for self-raising flour (aka the flour I have on the shelf right now) do you think that that would make a huge difference in the consistency/flavour of these bars?
Thanks!
They would be cakier, fluffier, and more cake-like, less dense, b/c self-rising has baking powder built in. The issue is HOW MUCH baking powder per 1 cup of flour did the manufacturer add…that’s anyone’s guess. There are guidelines of what’s typical, but you never quite know. Which is why I never ever ever buy self-rising.
That book is on my Christmas list!!
I am anxiously awaiting my copy of your book and these make me want it to arrive even faster! I can’t get over how moist and dense these look!
Thanks, Mercedes, for ordering the book and your support! :)
Mmm this looks delicious!
Perfect dessert for fall! Looks fantastic, thanks for sharing Averie :)
What a great ménage à trois ;) looks so delicious, I’m sure they wouldn’t last a second in my house!
I love that you got all the accent marks in the right place and directions on menage…. :) You have keyboard skills!!
You didn’t–you did! Shucks, I don’t think these would last long enough for extra flavor-marrying; but then again, I’d probably marry these bars first. Awesome recipe, pinning and sharing!
Thanks for pinning, sharing, and the compliments!
These bars look ridiculously amazing; so dense and pumpkin-y. You always have the most perfectly-sliced treats!
Thanks for the compliments!
Now if you just come up with one that includes molasses and pumpkin, you will have hit the jackpot for me. :) This sounds good–I recently tried the pumpkin chocolate chip bars and they were tasty, and you’re right, waiting a day makes a huge difference in the flavor.
You could totally add 1-2 tbsp molasses to this recipe without making any other changes other than maybe? 1 tbsp extra flour, or maybe lengthening the baking time by a minute or two, but doubtful you’ll need to change anything major. Have you tried the gingerbread molasses bars? I can’t remember who’s made these…but the people in my core group of readers like you who make a ton of my stuff, everyone who has tried these, loved them! No pumpkin in them but I think it would get lost. You could try adding 1/3 cup or so and bumping up the flour slightly but the molasses flavor is very strong and I think would take it over anyway. https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/11/soft-and-chewy-gingerbread-molasses-chocolate-chip-bars.html
Yes, those have made my “regular” baking list, along with gingerbread pancakes and the 1-hour yeast breadsticks and the peanut butter cookies and …
LOL!!
I thought they had, actually. But couldn’t quite remember, but was pretty sure they were on your regular list! The 1 hr yeast breadsticks, God, I forgot about those! Thanks for the reminder they exist :)
Oh and glad you liked the pumpkin chocolate chip bars and yes a day or two does make a nice difference!
The pumpkin snickerdoodle blondies do look amazeballs, but those soft pumpkin chocolate chip bars made me drool all over my computer.
LOL :) Thank you!
These look SO good, Averie! Great idea for a dangerously delicious blondie!
You’re killing me with these pumpkin recipes…each one more tempting than the last…I can’t make them fast enough…these looks so fudgy and that cinnamon and sugar on top is like a brulee top…so wish I was a neighbor or “tasting guinea pig”….
What I wouldn’t give to have you as my neighbor! I give away so much food, every day, to people who sometimes I don’t know if they do or don’t appreciate it but I’ve gotta give it away regardless…I mean baked goods are best fresh and I can’t eat a pan of fresh stuff daily, or a batch of fresh cookies daily, so off it goes! :)
I love all your blondie recipes! They are so quick and easy to make and super delicious. This one looks fantastic!
You know how much I love blondies! :) LOOOVE this pumpkin-snickerdoodle blondie creation you made. Perfect!
I always think of you when I post blondies recipes! :) xo
These look incredible too! I love how you combine prior recipes into something new–and you’re still coming up with more pumpkin recipes after publishing your cookbook! All of these bars look so good–I’ve scrolled back to the pumpkin bars with browned butter glaze a few times too.
When I was writing Cooking With Pumpkin I truly was at a loss some days about what to make, what else, I felt like I had made everything and could never find a new way to use pumpkin (Pb was much easier and much more versatile) but here we are, two years later, and I wish that I could plop some of these current recipes right into the book!
Oh you didn’t tell me what you ended up making for your work friends and how the item(s) went over with everyone!
Today is baking day–I’ll take the goodies in to work tomorrow. I’m pretty sure I’m going with the cake and quick bread…but all your recipes look so tempting and fun!
Loving your snickerdoodle obsession recently. These bars scream fall!
What an awesome recipe (and collection of recipes along with it in this post). I’m seriously drooling here! I love that everything is in one bowl! Can’t get much better than that! Congrats on the book – love pumpkin and I’m sure it’s gorgeous. I’ll keep my eye out for it when I’m shopping!
Thanks for all the praise, Sam, and yes one bowl whenever I possibly can!
Oh my gosh the texture on these is amazing! I would inhale them, no joke. Snickerdoodle rules!
I keep thinking about your apple rolls…I would inhale those!
These bars are becoming your signature! LOVE how dense they are and of course, you always get the perfectly straight cuts! :) Btw, loved your tip in the book how you get them! Pinning these beauties!
Thanks for pinning and I don’t even remember writing that in my book…ha! I answer that question about once a week on my blog in the comments and know I write it a lot, I just didn’t know I wrote it in my book….so many recipes, so many years later… :)
I am becoming more and more a fan of pumpkin, and these do definitely look like the perfect bar for fall! I showed this to my roomie, and all she could say was that we need to make these immediately. I agree! The photos give the perfect reasoning to make these :)
Well if you try them, LMK!