These vegan gluten-free pumpkin blondies are a festive treat you must try this fall. Rich chocolate swirled with the nuttiness flavors of pumpkin and almond butter make this recipe a deliciously warm & gooey delight.
What's the first thing you think of when someone mentions fall (spooky season, sweater weather, etc.)? Pumpkin, right?! They aren't just perfect for carving, pumpkins also make the perfect addition to baked goods. Pumpkin puree instantly adds moisture and provides that warm comforting feeling we all crave when the temperature dips.
A few reason why I love these vegan gluten-free pumpkin blondies;
- Sweet and satisfying without having a ton of added sugar.
- One bowl is a manageable amount of dishes, right?
- Pumpkin puree adds vitamin A, C, K, and iron
- Oat flour and almond butter provide protein, manganese, and magnesium
Looking for more plant-based fall recipes or a cute cocktail to serve with these? Check out these recipes;
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Simple Dairy Free Espresso Martini
- Vegan Snickers Ice Cream Bars
- Apple Cinnamon Vodka Spritzer
- Roasted Fall Vegetable Grain Bowl
Also, if you love fall as much as I do, be sure to check out this cute non-toxic candle. If the dough bowl isn't your style, they also have tons of fall scents in the mason jar style as well. We can't get enough of them!
Jump to:
Ingredients for vegan gluten-free pumpkin blondies
11 ingredients and one bowl is all you need to create the blondies. Grab the following and let's get to baking:
- Oat flour
- Almond butter
- Pumpkin puree
- Coconut sugar
- Applesauce
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Vanilla
- Salt
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Dairy-Free chocolate chips (I prefer Enjoy Life)
How to make easy pumpkin blondies
- First, prepare oat flour by adding rolled oats to the blender and blending until a fine flour is achieved. Skip the step if you are using store-bought oat flour.
- Next, add all dry ingredients to a bowl and stir, then add wet ingredients directly to the dry.
- Fold in chocolate chips and add to a greased brownie dish.
- Finally, bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!
Best vegan chocolate
Not all vegan chocolate is created equal. Here are some of my favorite store-bought chocolates that are certified vegan.
- Enjoy Life chocolate chips, chunks, and morsels are all great options
- Trader Joes has cacao nibs, chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chips that are all vegan
- Wegmans offers semi sweet and dark chocolate chips as well as mini chips that are vegan
- Tony's Chocolonely Dark Almond Sea Salt Bar (available at Thrive Market, Whole Foods, and Amazon)
- Endangered Species has a ton of vegan options
- Hu Kitchen has a range of flavor options that are great to bake with (they also have baking gems and chocolate chips)
Note: these vegan chocolate recommendations are across the board, not just for this recipe in particular.
Substitutions
- Almond butter: I haven't tried this recipe with another nut butter, but any drippy nut butter should work in it's place. The taste will differ slightly depending on the nut butter used.
- Salt: any salt will work in this recipe (sea salt, iodized, kosher, etc.). Use whatever you have on hand.
- Chocolate chips: substitue for cacao nibs, mini chocolate chips or chunks. Alternatively swap for your favorite vegan chocolate bar (or for one of the recommendations listed above). Vegan white chocolate would also work (Pascha and Enjoy Life Foods both make a vegan white chocolate option).
- Applesauce: is used in this recipe as an alternative to eggs and oil. I don't recommend substituting it!
Variations
- Nutty. Add chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
- Extra chocolate. Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt flakes.
- Thick and fluffy. Use a 7x6 pan.
Storing vegan gluten-free pumpkin blondies
Fridge (my preferred method): store blondies in the fridge for up to a week for ultimate freshness. If you would like to enjoy a warm blondie again, toss in the microwave for about 10 seconds (and drizzle with nut butter!).
Freezer: yes these cuties are freezer friendly! Store in an air tight container for up to two months. When you're ready to enjoy, remove from freezer and let thaw before consuming.
Countertop: these will last at room temperature for 2-3 days if stored in airtight container.
📋 Recipe
Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 scant cup oat flour
- 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon himalayan sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup almond butter (creamy or crunchy just make sure it's pourable)
- ¼ cup unsweetened plain applesauce
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fold in
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish (alternatively, line with unbleached parchment paper)
- Add all dry ingredients (everything listed above pumpkin puree) into a medium-sized bowl and stir until combined. Add wet ingredients directly to the dry and stir until combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips and transfer to the greased baking dish. Top with sea salt flakes and additional chocolate chips (optional, but recommended). Place on middle rack and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out (mostly) clean. *be sure not to over bake as this will lead to dry blondies, they will continue to cook a bit in the pan when you remove them from the oven.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing. Enjoy!Optional: add ¼ cup of dairy-free chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil to a microwave safe dish. Place in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching closely to ensure it doesn't burn. Drizzle over the blondies and serve immediately.
Notes
If you tried these vegan gluten-free pumpkin blondies, please leave a review below! I can't wait to hear your thoughts. Additionally, feel free to tag me in your creations on Instagram or on Twitter.
Kristen says
I was so excited to try these! Easy to find ingredients (I had most of them already) and simple to make. The flavor is perfection and they were so moist😍
Kristen says
A favorite dessert of mine! Admittedly, I tried this recipe and another from another blogger and this one was SO much better! The perfect amount of sweet, and so moist!!