Pumpkin Spice Brown Sugar Squares
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 24 squares
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?
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?
If the powdered sugar doesn’t adhere when rolling, just smear it on with your fingers. I also suggest 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?
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 blondie-like squares rather than a fluffy cake.
