Pumpkin Blondies with Vegan Salted Caramel

Prepare the salted caramel:

Step 1

Homemade caramel is super easy to make, but if you don’t keep a close eye on it, it can burn.

Step 2

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar and stir frequently until it melts (the sugar will start to clump up before melting).

Step 3

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).

Step 4

Add in the coconut cream and salt and mix until fully combined and smooth.

Step 5

Pour the caramel into a glass jar to cool. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a month!

Prepare the blondies:

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9x9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.

Step 7

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Light Brown Sugar, and Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar until smooth and creamy.

Step 8

Add in the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.

Step 9

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.

Step 10

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).

Step 11

Drizzle a thin layer of the caramel evenly over the dough (about 1/3 cup).

Step 12

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.

Step 13

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit 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.

Step 14

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.

Step 15

Drizzle with caramel and flaky sea salt.

Make icing for Blondies:

Step 16

In a small bowl, whisk together the Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Powdered Sugar and vanilla extract. Slowly mix in 1 teaspoon of almond milk at a time until the icing is smooth and runs just slightly.

Step 17

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).

Step 18

The blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Chef's Tip

Use the simple icing ingredients to decorate blondies or brownies all year long! One recommendation is to style for Halloween as below. Using a toothpick or knife, drag the tip through the icing from the corner through each half-circle to create a fun spider-web effect!