These pumpkin brownies are deliciously rich and and fudgy, with layers of dark chocolate surrounding a smooth pumpkin cheesecake center. It’s the ultimate Fall brownie recipe!
Why you’ll love these pumpkin brownies
- No boxed brownie mix required. Brownie from scratch taste so much better.
- Extra pumpkin cream cheese = more creamy pumpkin filling in every bite.
- Each decadent, bakery style brownie gives you fiber, vitamin A, and just 120 calories.
- Did I mention how unbelievably fudgy they are? It is worth mentioning again. A tray of these brownies will disappear fast!
Also try Flourless Pumpkin Brownies
Ingredients for the pumpkin swirl brownies
Pumpkin puree – The easy option is to buy canned pumpkin puree at the store. Or make your own homemade pumpkin puree by roasting a pie pumpkin and then pulverizing the flesh until smooth.
Cocoa powder – For the best chocolatey flavor, use high quality unsweetened cocoa powder ad Dutch cocoa powder. Or experiment by replacing some of the cocoa with chocolate protein powder.
Flour – You need one cup of flour. Options that work well include all purpose white flour, whole grain spelt flour, or all purpose gluten free flour. I recommend following the gram measurements for consistent and outstanding results every time.
You may experiment with other flours, such as whole wheat flour, oat flour, or almond flour. But I have not tried any of these options so cannot vouch for them.
Cream cheese – I recommend full fat cream cheese, or dairy free cream cheese for vegan pumpkin brownies. Low fat or fat free cream cheese may not set correctly.
Sugar – Using both brown sugar and white sugar adds depth of flavor. You can substitute granulated erythritol for added sugar free pumpkin brownies. The filling calls for powdered sugar or an equal amount of a no sugar powdered sweetener.
Spices – Ground cinnamon, salt, and pumpkin pie spice perfectly compliment the pumpkin. Feel free to add a pinch of ginger or nutmeg as well.
Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract brings out the sweetness in the brownie base and pumpkin cream cheese filling.
Oil and water – Melted coconut oil is my favorite option here. Vegetable oil works as well. Or swap the oil for a equal amount of melted unsalted butter. You also need one cup of water.
Cornstarch – The recipe uses either cornstarch or ground flax seeds and baking powder to bind the brownies without eggs.
Step by step recipe video
How to make the best pumpkin brownies
- Start by making the pumpkin swirl filling. Add pumpkin puree, room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, spices, and one fourth teaspoon pure vanilla extract to a large bowl or stand mixer machine.
- Use handheld beaters or your mixer to whip the filling until thick and smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit or about 165° Celsius.
- Grease a 9 by 13 inch rectangular baking pan, or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set this pan aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cocoa powder, flour, white sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cornstarch or flax meal. Whisk well.
- Melt the oil if solid. Stir the oil, water, and one tablespoon of pure vanilla extract into the brownie batter until just evenly combined. To avoid a dense or gummy texture, do not overmix.
- Smooth into the prepared pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the chocolate batter out evenly.
- Dollop blobs of the pumpkin mixture over the brownies, swirling with a spoon or a non sharp knife.
- Bake for thirty minutes on the center rack of the oven.
- Carefully remove the pan and let cool before slicing and serving.
Frequently asked questions
These are on the fudgier side, as they call for less flour and no eggs to make them rise. However, the results will vary based on the specific ingredients you choose.
As a general rule, use butter for cakey brownies or oil for fudgy brownies. For chewy brownies, simply swap the amounts of brown sugar and white sugar.
Unlike cakes, you should not use the toothpick method to test brownie doneness. Instead, make sure your oven is calibrated correctly. Remove brownies from the oven when they are still slightly underdone. This ensures your results will be soft, not overcooked or dry, because brownies continue to firm up as they cool.
Let the pan cool completely before covering, to avoid trapping excess moisture. Once cooled, cover and store leftovers on the counter overnight. Or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to six days.
Absolutely. Wrap each cooled brownie tightly in saran wrap or in a container with a layer of parchment paper between each layer of brownies. Thaw fully before serving.
The recipe was adapted from my Vegan Brownies and these Sweet Potato Brownies.
Pumpkin Brownies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (180g)
- 3 oz cream cheese or vegan cream cheese (85g)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar (sifted) (36g)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Brownie Layer
- 1 cup flour (120g spelt, white, or gluten free all purpose) (Or make these Keto Brownies)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (60g)
- 1/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder (20g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup white sugar (140g)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (90g)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or ground flax seeds (16g)
- 1 cup water (240g)
- 2/3 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted (130g)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (15g)
Instructions
- 1. To make the pumpkin swirl layer, whip all pumpkin cheesecake filling ingredients in a stand mixer or in a large bowl with hand beaters until smooth.
- 2. Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit (165° Celsius).
- 3. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with oil, or line the bottom with parchment paper. Set this pan aside.
- 4. Whisk all brownie layer dry ingredients well in a large mixing bowl. Stir in liquid ingredients until just evenly combined. Do not overmix.
- 5. Use a spatula to spread the brownie batter into the pan.
- 6. Dollop blobs of the pumpkin mixture over the unbaked brownies. Then swirl with a spoon or dull knife.
- 7. Bake on the oven's center rack for 30 minutes.
- 8. Remove the pan from the oven when brownies are still a little underbaked. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
More delicious Fall desserts
Hi Katie- I am wondering if you could provide the measurements for preparing 1/3 of this recipe? I am a single lady and found the recipe so delicious I ate the entire pan myself. Eek!
Why don’t you just plug the amounts into a calculator and divide by three? Or set aside some to eat from a larger batch, then freeze the rest :p
Holy Yumballs! Can’t wait to make these for a potluck on Friday. Just stumbled upon your blog…very excited to see healthy vegan treats!
I’ve literally tried sooooo many brownie recipes that my (non-vegan) friends and family like – these are the ones! Absolutely perfect!
Katie. I must say I have followed your blog religiously for quite some time now. I have tried out SO many recipes and always share them with family and friends. I have made these brownies a couple times before but something magical happened when I made them again last night and I felt compelled to share..
These are HANDS DOWN- THEE BEST BROWNIES IN THE WORLD. No joke, they are out of this world good. No one can believe they are vegan and gluten free when I make them (I use gf all purpose and some oat flour).
The fudgiest, most chocolate-y amazing brownies I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Thank you for this drool-worthy recipe!
Thank you so much for trying them 🙂
I made these a few weeks ago and doubled the recipe as I like them thick and was using an 8×8 pan… they were delicious! I made them again yesterday but didn’t have any pumpkin, so I used apple sauce and added an extra half cup and a little extra cocoa powder too… I used almond milk and Splenda for my milk and sugar options… and they had the most amazing texture, almost like a cross between a truffle and a brownie! Thanks for posting this recipe!
Katie! I don’t know if you read all the comments, but this is for you:
My goodness lady – everyone knows that blog recipes with lots of comments are helpful to read before actually making it since little things always go slightly different for different people and then others can share additional ideas or tips – but I have never come across another blog so commented on as yours. That is a HUGE sign of success and I hope you remember that every time you see huge comment sections on your recipes. And ALWAYS remember that you are awesome – even if you never had a single comment. I love that you post recipes that you think are really great even if you feel that others might not feel the same since you are used to healthier tasting treats (in which case they start tasting just as decedent as the traditional non healthy treats, just in their own way) – because although there are probably more people who rather the taste of either sweeter, or more fat-laden desserts, some people like me LOVE the taste of your recipes even when made with less sugars/sweeteners and fat than called for!!! KEEP THEM COMING!
Now for my review:
I made these (double batch to fit an 8 X 8) using home made Jarrahdale pumpkin puree, 2 Tbsp oil and 1/4 c. pureed apple, and 3 pkg. stevia with no other sweeteners.
They were fairly thin, and would probably recommend tripling the recipe for a bit more height, since they don’t rise at all, but they were still ok as a double batch – just preference for a thicker piece.
Tastewise, several hours after baking, taste test revealed pretty bland results, but after sitting in the fridge overnight, they were GREATLY improved!!! Still definitely tasted ‘very healthy’, but if you love that you will love these. I was serving them to others who may not feel the same way, so I chose to call them cocoa squares so as not to get them expecting ‘real brownies’. I also concocted a frosting with coconut, almond milk, raisins, stevia, and cocoa powder all whizzed up in my food processor and then piped into little stars on top of each piece. I wasn’t there, but apparently they dissipated. 🙂
I don’t see when you add the chocolate chips. Are they mixed in the batter or sprinkled on top?
Mixed in
So, I had some pumpkin (a rare occasion) and decided to finally give these a try. In one word: amazing! I doubled the amounts (a must, IMO), used half a cup of sugar and nearly half a cup of agave + some stevia — a lot more sugar than I’m used to, but I felt like being decadent. Also used spelt flour, 1/2 tsp of coffee granules and made your Reese’s Pieces frosting to spread on top. No one could even taste the pumpkin, and it all just came out sooo good. I’d classify it as more of a cake than a brownie, but a really rich, decadent one. Thank you for an awesome recipe <3
I made these in my dorm since I already had all the ingredients, and they lured people in they smelled so good! My boyfriend thinks that eating healthy is silly, and he’s crazy about brownies. I didn’t tell him these were pumpkin or whole wheat, and his first words were “Oh my god these are so good!” We ate the whole batch, and he still doesn’t know. 😉
We agreed that these would be even better topped with chocolate frosting. 🙂 Next time I’ll double the batch so they’re thicker.
http://i44.tinypic.com/ftmsk2.jpg
It was your imaginary friend? :S
Haha I like that! 🙂