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Are you in search of the perfect fall dessert? These light and flavorful pumpkin blondies are filled with a layer of homemade vegan salted caramel and topped with simple dairy-free icing spider-webs to make the perfect Halloween treat!
Let’s Talk Sugar
Each component of this recipe features a different type of Florida Crystals® sugar! I used Florida Crystals® Organic Raw Cane Sugar for the caramel, Florida Crystals® Organic Light Brown Raw Cane Sugar for the blondies, and Florida Crystals® Organic Powdered Raw Cane Sugar for the icing!
Florida Crystals® is perfect for vegan baking because it’s 100% organic, non-GMO, and grown at a sustainable farm in the United States (it’s the only organic cane sugar grown and harvested in the US). I try to always use the highest quality ingredients in my recipes and Florida Crystals® is certainly no exception!
How to Make Vegan Salted Caramel
This caramel is super easy to make and only requires 3 main ingredients! We start with Florida Crystals® Organic Raw Cane Sugar and gently cook it over medium heat until it’s fully melted and a beautiful amber color. Then we whisk in vegan butter and coconut cream until we have a smooth, luscious vegan caramel sauce! It will keep in the fridge for up to a month, so you can drizzle caramel on all sorts of goodies!
I highly recommend making the caramel the night before you plan to make the blondies so that it has time to fully cool to room temperature.
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Pumpkin Blondies
- Line a 9x9 pan* with parchment paper and use binder clips to secure it in place. After baking this parchment sling allows you to easily lift the blondies right out of the pan for easy cutting.
- The blondie dough is quite sticky, so it’s not very easy to spread. My favorite trick is to first lightly wet your fingers with water and gently press the dough into a smooth layer. This is especially useful after you add the caramel layer.
- If you’re anything like me and can’t cut a straight line to save your life, get a stainless steel ruler* to keep in your kitchen! It’s great for making sure your blondies are equal sizes (and handy for other desserts like pie dough)!
How to Make Dairy-Free Icing Spider Webs
This super simple icing is great for making all sorts of designs! Since it’s halloween, we went with these fun spider webs but you can use this icing to decorate blondies or brownies all year long!
For this icing we use Florida Crystals® Organic Powdered Raw Cane Sugar, a splash of vanilla, and a little bit of dairy-free milk. I like to use almond milk for this icing, but you can also use coconut milk if you have some leftover from the caramel.
I use a reusable piping bag fitted with a small round tip (size 3) from my favorite Wilton Decorating Kit*. Starting in the corner of your blondie, pipe half-circles of icing (kind of like a rainbow). Using a toothpick or knife, drag the tip through the icing from the corner though each half circle to create a fun spider-web effect!
More halloween recipes
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Spider Web Pumpkin Caramel Blondies
Equipment
Ingredients
Vegan Salted Caramel
- 1 cup Florida Crystals Organic Raw Cane Sugar
- 6 tablespoons vegan unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup coconut cream
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Pumpkin Blondies
- 1 cup vegan unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Florida Crystals Organic Light Brown Raw Cane Sugar
- ½ cup Florida Crystals Organic Raw Cane Sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
Icing (optional)
- ½ cup Florida Crystals Organic Powdered Cane Sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons almond milk, or coconut milk
Instructions
Vegan Salted Caramel
- Homemade caramel is super easy to make, but if you don’t keep a close eye on it, it can burn.
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the Florida Crystals® Organic Raw Cane Sugar and stir frequently until it melts (the sugar will start to clump up before melting).
- Once the sugar is completely melted and smooth, immediately remove from the heat and stir in the butter until fully incorporated (don’t be scared if it bubbles a lot).
- Add in the coconut cream and salt and mix until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour the caramel into a glass jar to cool. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a month!
Pumpkin Blondies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x9 cake pan with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, Florida Crystals® Organic Light Brown Raw Cane Sugar, and Florida Crystals® Organic Raw Cane Sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- Using a spoon or spatula, fold in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until combined. Fold in the chopped pecan pieces if desired.
- Scoop half the dough into the bottom of your prepared pan and press down into a nice even layer (you can wet the tips of your fingers to easily flatten out the dough).
- Drizzle a thin layer of the caramel evenly over the dough (about ⅓ cup).
- Scoop the remaining dough on top of the caramel layer and press down into an even layer. Drizzle a bit of extra caramel and pecans over the top.
- Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until the top is shiny and cracked slightly. The blondies should feel slightly firm to the touch and a knife inserted near the center should come out clean.
- Let the blondies cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes. Remove the blondies from the baking pan and let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into bars.
- Drizzle with caramel and flaky sea salt.
Icing (optional)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Florida Crystals® Organic Powdered Raw Cane Sugar and vanilla extract. Slowly mix in 1 teaspoon of almond milk at a time until the icing is smooth and runs just slightly.
- Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Starting in the corner of your blondie, pipe half-circles of icing (kind of like a rainbow). Using a toothpick or knife, drag the tip through the icing from the corner though each half circle to create a fun spider-web effect!
Notes
Nutrition
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