Pumpkin Milk Chocolate Blondies

One of my favorite treats in the whole wide world! I am a dark chocolate fan, I will choose dark chocolate everyday over milk chocolate. But, there is something about the creamy, smooth subtlety of milk chocolate with pumpkin that works so well. Don’t get me wrong, I would totally jump in and eat my share if this recipe were made with semi-sweet or dark chocolate. I am always willing and ready to do my part! Happy October!

1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temp
1 Tbl oil
1¼ cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 (11.5oz) bag milk chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 9″x13″ baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on each end. Spray with non-stick spray.

In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter, applesauce, oil, and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin; mix well. Add Flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves; mix just until combined. Stir in milk chocolate chips, reserving 1/2 cup. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle reserved milk chocolate chips evenly over top of batter, gently press down a bit. Bake 30 minutes. Cool completely. Lift blondies out of pan using foil to grab onto as handles. Place on cutting board, peel foil away from blondies and cut into 24 squares. Using applesauce instead of all butter reduces the calories per blondie from 225 to 190, so have another!

One Year Ago: Cinnamon Topped Pumpkin Bread