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Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies (One Bowl)

Brown butter pumpkin chocolate chip blondies with chewy, fudgy centers and melty semisweet chocolate—made in one bowl and baked in an 8x8 pan. Brown the butter first for deep, nutty flavor, then whisk in pumpkin spice and bake until edges are golden and the center has moist crumbs.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 16 squares
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

unsalted butter
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
light brown sugar
  • 0.75 cup light brown sugar packed
granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
egg yolk
  • 1 egg yolk large
canned pumpkin puree
  • 0.5 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling; blotted with a paper towel
vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
pumpkin pie spice
  • 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
fine salt
  • 0.5 tsp fine salt
all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus 2 tbsp for the top
flaky sea salt
  • 1 flaky sea salt for finishing (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep the pan and oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for lifting.
Brown the butter
  1. Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Swirl it often for 5–7 minutes, until it foams, the foam subsides, brown flecks form on the bottom, and it smells nutty.
  2. Pour the browned butter into a large bowl with all the browned bits and cool for 10 minutes, until warm not hot.
Make the blondie batter
  1. Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the browned butter until combined. Whisk until the mixture looks uniform and glossy.
  2. Add the egg yolk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla, then whisk until smooth. Stop and scrape the bowl to keep the texture consistent.
  3. Sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt over the batter, then whisk them in. Whisk just until there are no visible dry pockets.
  4. Add the flour and fold with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix—stop as soon as the flour disappears.
Add chocolate and bake
  1. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Spread the thick batter evenly into the pan and press the remaining 2 tbsp of chips on top.
  2. Bake at 350°F for 28–32 minutes. They are done when the edges are golden and pulling away from the pan, and a toothpick in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Cool, lift, slice, and finish
  1. Cool completely in the pan for at least 1 hour for clean slices. Keep them at room temperature so the center sets.
  2. Lift the slab out by the parchment, cut into 16 squares, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt if using.

Notes

For the best nutty flavor, use a light-colored saucepan so you can clearly see the brown flecks forming. Cool at least 1 hour before slicing to prevent soft, smeary centers. Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months. If you want a dairy-free swap, use a 1:1 plant butter (brownable) and ensure your chocolate chips are dairy-free.