Pumpkin Brownies
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My favorite Fall food combination is chocolate and pumpkin and I’m specifically obsessed with that flavor combination in these pumpkin brownies.
They’re filled with unsweetened cocoa powder and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and have a gorgeous swirl of pumpkin batter mixed with the chocolate brownie batter.
Some of my other favorite brownie recipes are these Sheet Pan Brownies, Brownies with frosting, and my Peppermint Brownies.
These brownies are perfectly fudgy and you’ll love the creamy pumpkin puree that is layered throughout every bite of these very festive treats. By adding in just a hint of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla these pumpkin brownies are swirled together with warm, earthy, spicy notes in every bite.
For a very simple finish once the brownies are baked, I like to sprinkle them with flaky sea salt to enhance the chocolate sweetness and earthy flavors of these pumpkin brownies.
I love baking with pumpkin, especially this time of year. My Pumpkin Pie Bars, Pumpkin Banana Bread, and Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are all worth checking out if you enjoy these Pumpkin Brownies!
You’ll Love These Brownies Because…
- It’s like eating brownies and pumpkin pie together!
- By adding in pumpkin puree, you are actually getting a healthier brownie ?
- They’re easy to make and take less than 30 minutes to bake in the oven.
- It’s the perfect Fall-themed brownie
- The chocolate brownie batter and pumpkin batter get swirled together and it’s so pretty!
Ingredient Notes
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe ingredients and measurements.
- Melted butter: makes the Pumpkin Brownies soft and dense. Be sure to allow the butter to slightly cool so it’s not super hot when you mix in with the other wet ingredients.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: brownies made with cocoa have a deep chocolate flavor and have a soft, moist texture.
- Pumpkin puree: be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, and not the pumpkin pie mix.
- White sugar: since white sugar is a dry sugar, it helps make the Pumpkin Brownies chewier.
- Brown sugar: and brown sugar is a wet sugar. The molasses in brown sugar is responsible for a more fudgy texture.
- Eggs: room temperature eggs are important for this recipe so they can mix more evenly with the eggs white and other ingredients in the brownies.
- Vegetable oil: contributes to the moistness of the brownies
- Mini chocolate chips: I love using the mini chocolate chips but you can use any kind or even a chopped up chocolate bar.
- Other ingredients needed: Vanilla extract, all purpose flour, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
Step by Step Directions
These brownies are easy to make and you’ll love the gorgeous swirl on top! Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions.
- Melt the butter. Whisk in the sugars. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Then whisk in vanilla and veg oil.
- Add the flour and salt. Combine.
- Remove ¾ cup of the batter and add the pumpkin puree to it along with the pumpkin pie spice and the cinnamon.
- To the original batter, add the cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips to create the brownie batter.
- Spread all but 3 tbsp. brownie batter down in a 8×8 metal aluminum baking pan.
- Spread pumpkin layer on top. Swirl remaining brownie batter into the pumpkin. Bake @ 350F for 23-25 min.
Tips and Variations
- To make the even more festive, dress them up with candy corn for Halloween and Thanksgiving, seasonal M & M’s, or top with nuts.
- For even more chocolate goodness, add additional chocolate chips on top.
- This recipe easily converts to gluten free with a 1:1 ratio of King Author’s or Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour.
- To ensure clean cuts, wipe the knife off between cuts, or use a plastic knife!
- Careful not to over bake the brownies. But if you do, no worries. Top with a dollop of peanut butter or melted chocolate to bring some moisture back to the brownie!
- Keep the Pumpkin Brownies wrapped and on the counter for 2-3 days, up to a week in the refrigerator, or wrap them individually and freeze them for up to 3 months.
FAQ
What kind of pumpkin should I use?
I always recommend using pumpkin puree since it has nothing added in expect 100% pumpkin.
Can you taste the pumpkin in the brownies?
Yes, but it’s subtle and the perfect compliment to the chocolate.
Why did my brownies come out dry?
You most likely left them in the oven too long, or used too much flour.
Can’t Get Enough Pumpkin?
Then you’re going to want to check out my Pumpkin Series! It’s a collection of my favorite pumpkin recipes featured on Kroll’s Korner. You’ll find a little bit of everything, from sweet treats to savory dishes. Perfect for Fall baking & cooking!
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Pumpkin Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup 100% pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- sea salt flakes for garnish
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a metal aluminum 8×8 pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl. Let the butter cool slightly. Then whisk in the sugars until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time and then whisk in vegetable oil and vanilla extract.1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, 2/3 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 large eggs, room temperature, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- Add the flour and salt and stir until combined.1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. salt
- Remove ¾ cup of the batter and place in another mixing bowl. Add the pumpkin puree to it along with the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Stir to combine.1/2 cup 100% pumpkin puree, 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- To the original batter the cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips to make the brownie batter.1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- Spread all but 3 tbsp. of the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Spread the pumpkin batter on top. Dollop the reserved brownie batter on top. Then, using a butter knife, twirl the brownie batter into the pumpkin. Bake for 23-25 min or until set.
- Garnish with flaky sea salt. Let cool for 5-10 minutes then slice and enjoy!sea salt flakes for garnish
Video
Notes
- Storage: keep brownies wrapped and on the counter for 2-3 days or up to a week in the refrigerator. You can also wrap them individually and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
These were fantastic! I reduced the regular sugar to 1/2.
thank you so much!
Thanks for this recipe!! My family enjoyed it. I did double the recipe, but please note that when you take out batter for the pumpkin portion, you must take out 1&1/2 cups (when you click 2x the recipe that portion stayed at 3/4 cups).
Here’s my honest review, they were tasty, but I do think the brownie part could use a TINY adjustment. I think the brownies were very cocoa strong, tasting very deep bitter chocolate. The pumpkin balanced this out, but it was still pretty strong. Also the brownie part was a little bit drier and crumbly, however the pumpkin was soft and moist. So I think I would make these again, but I myself would like to do a little less cocoa, little more flour on the brownie portion.
Anyway, still try these!! They were yummy and creative 🙂
Hi Baylee! Thank you for making my recipe and for the helpful review! The recipe card 2x/3x feature is an automatic feature that just pulls the data from the actual ingredient list so that is why in the directions the 3/4 cup didn’t translate when you doubled it. Regardless that is helpful information so I really appreciate you commenting that for others to make note of 🙂 The photo is beautiful! Thanks again! xo, Tawnie