Pumpkin Spice Brown Sugar Squares
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 24 squares 1x
Description
These blondie-like brown sugar squares get an Autumnal update with pumpkin pie flavors.
Ingredients
- 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (240 ml) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) white (granulated) sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup (240 ml) pureed cooked pumpkin (canned is fine)
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- about 1 cup (240 ml) sifted powdered (confectioner's) sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour an 11×7-inch baking dish or brownie pan.
- Melt butter. While still warm, place in a medium mixing bowl, stir in sugars until dissolved, and let mixture cool till just slightly warm.
- Add egg, stirring well. Add pumpkin and stir until well-mixed.
- Add remaining ingredients except powdered sugar. Stir until well combined, then spread batter into prepared pan, smooshing down slightly with a rubber spatula to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, or until edges are just starting to crack and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
- Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Cut into 1 1/2″ squares while still warm, and roll some or all of them in powdered sugar* (if the sugar doesn’t stick you can smear it on with your fingers). Roll exactly half of your squares in sugar to create a checkerboard.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 130
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you cut the squares while they’re still warm?
Step 6 says to cut into 1½-inch squares while still warm — after just 10 minutes of cooling on a rack, not after the pan has fully cooled. As these blondie-like bars cool further, they firm up and can crumble or crack along cut lines. Cutting them warm gives you clean edges.
How do I roll them in powdered sugar if the sugar won’t stick?
The recipe gives a practical tip: if the powdered sugar doesn’t adhere when rolling, you can smear it on with your fingers. It also suggests rolling exactly half of your squares in sugar to create a checkerboard presentation — a visual trick that also signals which pieces are coated.
Why does the recipe call for melted rather than creamed butter?
Step 2 has you melt the butter, stir in the sugars while still warm until dissolved, then let the mixture cool before adding the egg. Melted-butter bars have a denser, fudgier texture than those made by creaming — which is exactly why these are described as ‘blondie-like’ squares rather than a fluffy cake. 
