Pumpkin Spice Blondies - Lactation Friendly!

Some people say the whole "pumpkin spice" season is a little overkill, but I beg to differ. Friends of mine would tell you that I'm a die hard pumpkin spice fan, as I eat pumpkin and pumpkin "spice" things year round. Pumpkin oats, pumpkin spice lattes (you can find my recipe on page 84 of my cookbook), pumpkin pound cake, and even pumpkin spice blondies. 

My husband is a huge fan of blondies! I learned this when we were freshly dating and he ordered a blondie at a resturant for us to share and he ate almost the entire thing by himself! I was always partial to the dark chocolate brownie! 

Right now it is early September here in Virginia, the leaves haven't changed color yet or fallen to the ground but I find myself reminicing of Autumn in our home state of Michigan. I miss curling up on the couch with a good book, chunky sweater, fresh hot apple cider, and a pumpkin spice treat. With so many of my followers and friends excited for "pumpkin" season, I decided to work with a recipe to create a pumpkin spice blondie. 

What I came up with was absolutely divine. This recipe is also able to be made into a "Lactation" Blondie for my fellow breastfeeding mamas who loved my Lactation Brownie that went viral on Pinterest. 

 This recipe definitely took some trial and error, but it was completely worth it! My husband didn't even notice that it didn't have white sugar in it! I am partial to cooking with honey, but decided to work with coconut palm sugar this time for a more caramel flavor. 

I certainly hope you enjoy this recipe! It will be a definite addition to our Autumn treats!

Pumpkin Spice Blondies- Lactation Friendly!

Ingredients:

Blondie:

• 1 1/4  Cup All Purpose Flour (I use this kind)
• 1 Large Egg 
• 1/2 Cup Melted Butter (I love this kind)
• 1 Cup Coconut Palm Sugar (this is my favorite kind)
• 2 Tsp Pumpkin Spice 
• 1/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• Optional (1-2 Tbsp Shaved almonds or crumbled walnuts)
• Optional Ingredients for Lactation Brownies (1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed, 1.5 Tablespoons Brewer's Yeast, 1/2 Tsp Ground Fenugreek)

Caramel Topping:

• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Palm Syrup (this is my favorite kind)
• 1/4 Cup Maple Sugar (I use this kind)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a standing mixer, combine melted butter, coconut palm sugar, and the egg. Cream together until fully mixed. Next add in the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice, mix thoroughly. 
3. Slowly add in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, being sure that it is mixed well. 
4. Grease a metal or glass 8X8 baking pan and pour the batter in, spreading it evenly. 
5. Sprinkle shaved almonds and crumbled walnuts on top.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes. 
7. Allow blondies to cool, they will "firm up" as they cool.
8. To make the caramel sauce, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium- high heat. Mix with a metal whisk until bubbling and has a light caramel consistency. Drizzle over the top of the blondies. 
9. Store in sealed container up to a week.