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’m not vegan, have an enormous sweet tooth, and I still LOVE your recipes!! Stumbled on to your website from Pinterest a while ago and have been so glad ever since! I had a question about this recipe: Could you use Applesauce instead of the oil? Will it hold together as well? Thanks so much! 🙂
Sorry, I don’t know.
I think you can sub applesauce for the pumpkin and maybe some of the oil (up to half?), but if you get rid of all the oil they’ll be gummy. I’m trying it now with banana in place of pumpkin (all out).
How many servings would you say this recipe yields? They look AMAZING! 🙂
Hi Brooke,
It fills up 1/2 an 8×8 pan. So double the recipe for a regular 8×8.
These are my new favorite chocolate fix! Found you on Pinterest thank you!
I made these tonight for a family gathering. Everyone loved them, even the omnivores! The way to tell if they are telling the truth is if they get seconds. And nearly everyone did. Thank you Katie!
Aw that really makes me so incredibly happy!
These look excellent–and healthy too! I was wondering if you’ve ever tried subbing the flour for almond meal in this recipe? I have been doing that with a lot of recipes due to my intolerance for most grains and I think this recipe could be a good candidate for this. Thank you for the recipe and the inspiration. 🙂
I haven’t… but if you try it I would absolutely LOVE to hear the results! 🙂
(Also, if you haven’t seen the following recipe, it’s one of my other brownie recipes–a raw one–that can use almonds in place of the walnuts: https://lett-trim.today/2011/08/12/hot-fudge-brownie-larabars/%3C/a%3E%29%3C/p%3E
Thanks! I’ll definitely let you know how they turn out! BTW, I was reading your comment on how for some reason these taste much sweeter after they cool for awhile and I don’t think it’s your imagination. I THINK it may be the xylitol that does that, at least that’s what I’ve found in using xylitol for most of my baked goods. Just when I think I’ve messed up the recipe and it’s not as sweet as it should be, some time goes by and I taste it again and find it much better. go figure.
It’s the same even if you use sugar or agave. I’ve found the same thing happens to quick breads and other recipes too… maybe it’s like leftovers? Leftovers always taste better the next day! 🙂
Oh–duh–that makes sense! 😛
id probably want to use date syrup for sweetener what do you think? Also I dont know what you mean when you said it would make it “gummier”
Hey Katie! I made these last night and they are delicious! Thank-you so much to sharing. Quick question – what is the nutrition info for these brownies? Thanks again!
PS I lllloooovvveeeee your blog!!! 🙂
Sorry, I don’t have the stats for those!
I do have the stats for my original Fudge Daddies, though… maybe they’re similar?
Holy moley! I had all the ingredients on hand so I just made them and first off I couldn’t stop eating the batter. It’s dangerous! I doubled the recipe since my fiance usually eats everything I bake within a matter of a day or two. I’m going to try and hold off on eating an actual cooked once until after dinner tonight but if they taste anywhere near how good the batter tasted then I know I’m in for a treat. Thank you for such a great recipe!