Pumpkin Blondies with Cream Cheese (Spider Web Blondies)
Festive and flavorful, these Pumpkin Blondies feature a rich pumpkin base swirled with tangy cream cheese, perfect for fall.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 55
- Yield: 16 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 oz (84g) cream cheese, full fat, room temp
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (25g)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3-4 drops pure vanilla extract
- 7 oz (200 g) white chocolate
- ½ cup (113 g/4 oz/1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (240 g) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup (260g/9.2oz) pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups (200 g/7 oz) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese and granulated sugar.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until combined.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture.
- Beat until combined.
- Set the cream cheese topping aside.
- Line the base and sides of an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice.
- Set aside these dry ingredients.
- In a medium heat-proof bowl, place white chocolate and unsalted butter.
- Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
- Stir occasionally until the white chocolate and butter have melted.
- Transfer the melted mixture to a large bowl.
- Add brown sugar to the melted mixture.
- Mix to combine.
- Add 1 egg, pumpkin puree, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the mixture.
- Mix until smooth.
- Using a medium mesh strainer, sift in the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
- Fold gently until just combined.
- Spoon the blondie mixture into the prepared pan.
- Place the cream cheese topping in a piping bag or Ziploc bag.
- Cut a ¼ inch opening on one corner of the bag.
- Start creating a small cream cheese circle in the center of the blondie batter.
- Continue creating larger concentric circles with a little bit of gap until you run out of space (aim for 5 circles).
- Insert a toothpick into the batter at the center circle.
- Pull the toothpick to the outside edges to create a spider web design.
- Clean the toothpick each time or use a new one.
- Go around the entire circle, repeating this pattern.
- Trace those lines with more cream cheese for a more pronounced spider web design, if desired.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Bake until the blondies are wobbly-set and golden on top.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing.