Pumpkin spice and gooey Nutella come together in these irresistible Nutella-stuffed pumpkin blondies. Each bite offers a soft, chewy pumpkin cookie with a rich chocolate-hazelnut center—an ideal treat for fall. 
The balance of creamy Nutella and warm pumpkin spices is surprisingly perfect. The Nutella adds a rich, silky center while the pumpkin and spices deliver the familiar cozy flavors of the season.
After making Nutella stuffed blondies recently, I wanted to create a pumpkin version for autumn. These bars combine the tender chew of pumpkin cookie dough with a thick, frozen layer of Nutella, resulting in a satisfying blondie-cookie hybrid filled with warm brown sugar and spices.
Making Nutella Pumpkin Blondies
This recipe is straightforward but benefits from a few tips to achieve the ideal texture. Below are clear steps and helpful advice; a condensed recipe appears further down.
Begin by preparing the Nutella layer. Measure 3/4 cup Nutella, line an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) pan with parchment so there’s an overhang, add the Nutella and spread it into an even layer, then freeze until firm.
- Tip: Warm the Nutella slightly before measuring and spreading to make it easier to work with. Remove the lid and foil, then microwave about 30–45 seconds on medium power.
Next, prepare the pumpkin cookie dough. Because pumpkin adds moisture, several adjustments keep the bars chewy rather than cakey.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang. Lightly grease the pan first so the parchment grips. If you only have one pan, remove the frozen Nutella (with parchment) and place it back in the freezer while you rel ine the pan.
- Measure 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). Press excess moisture from the puree with a paper towel—some moisture should remain, but removing excess helps keep the texture chewy instead of cakey.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt. This ensures the spices distribute evenly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, 2/3 cup light brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until the butter is fully incorporated and no longer separates from the sugars.
- Stir the blotted pumpkin puree and 1 tsp vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture. Note: there are no eggs in this recipe; omitting them helps maintain a chewy, dense texture.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until there are no streaks of flour. Use a rubber spatula for the thick, sticky batter. If your dry mix is lumpy, sift it before adding.
Assembling the bars takes a little extra care but is simple overall.
- Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 of the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 15–20 minutes. Baking the base layer first helps avoid an underbaked center.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the base cool 5–10 minutes.
- Peel the frozen Nutella from its parchment and place it on top of the partially baked pumpkin base.
- Lightly grease your hands, then pinch off the remaining dough into 1–2 tablespoon portions. Flatten each portion into a disc and place the discs atop the Nutella layer, covering as much as possible. It’s fine if some Nutella remains exposed.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake another 15–20 minutes, until the top looks set and no longer doughy. Total bake times vary by oven and your desired gooeyness.
Baking Tips and Tricks
- Cool the bars completely before slicing. If sliced while warm, Nutella will melt and run out.
- Thoroughly squeeze excess moisture from the pumpkin puree to avoid a cakey or gummy texture.
- Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains additional ingredients that affect texture and flavor.
- Store-bought canned pumpkin puree provides consistent moisture levels more reliably than homemade puree.
The combination of pumpkin spice and chocolate-hazelnut is hard to resist. The chewy blondie texture with a molten Nutella center makes these bars a standout fall bake.
Recipe card:
Nutella Pumpkin Blondies
Equipment
- 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) pan
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Nutella
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (120 ml) — NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (209 g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 g), melted
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar (140 g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Nutella Layer
- Line an 8×8 pan with parchment leaving an overhang. Spread Nutella into an even layer and place in the freezer to firm up.
Pumpkin Blondie Dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Squeeze excess liquid from the pumpkin puree with a paper towel; set aside.
- Whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
- Whisk melted butter with brown and granulated sugar until combined. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix until even.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet until no streaks remain. Batter will be thick and sticky.
Assembling & Baking
- Line a second 8×8 pan with parchment (or remove the frozen Nutella and rel ine the original pan). Spread 2/3–3/4 of the batter into the pan and bake 18–20 minutes until set.
- Let the base cool 5–10 minutes. Remove frozen Nutella from the freezer, peel off the parchment and place on the base layer.
- Grease your hands, pinch off portions of remaining dough, flatten into discs and place on top of the Nutella layer to cover as much as possible.
- Bake another 15–20 minutes, until the top looks set. Cool in the pan until no longer warm, then lift out using the parchment overhang and slice with a sharp knife.
Notes
- Pan sizes: You can use a 9×9 inch pan for thinner bars and shorter bake times. Avoid doubling the recipe for a 9×13 pan, as bars may be too thick.
- Pumpkin: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Spices: Substitute the spice mix with 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice if preferred.
- Eggs: There are no eggs in this recipe—this helps keep the bars chewy rather than cakey.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Enjoy these chewy, chocolate-hazelnut pumpkin bars as a cozy seasonal treat.