Aside from breaking out your sweaters and fuzzy socks, what screams “Autumn has arrived!” more than gooey Pumpkin Brownies? This rich combination of dark chocolate and warming pumpkin spice flavors cannot be beat. But if fudgy, soft, and ultra-moist brownies aren’t enough to convince you, the pumpkin cheesecake topping will definitely seal the deal! My simple recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients and is the perfect budget-friendly fall dessert. May I suggest a leaf-peeping road trip with a batch of these Pumpkin Brownies along for the ride?
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Growing up in New England, my mom made visiting Salem, Massachusetts a tradition for our family; we’re all history buffs and love a good ghost story. I’m proud to say I have kept the Salem tradition alive with my daughter for 3 years running, even though we live in Tennessee, and it takes a bit more effort to get there. There’s just something magical and spooky about autumn in New England, so I hope these pumpkin brownies give you a little taste of the excitement I grew up with every October! This recipe is such a fun twist on classic homemade brownies and gets me in the autumn spirit every time I make them.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe for pumpkin brownies:
- Flour: You only need ¾ cup of all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Salted Butter: Measure out your butter and then melt it before adding it to the brownie batter. The melted butter adds moisture and creates a fudgier texture. Warm it briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop until melted but not hot.
- Spices: I add cinnamon to the brownie batter and pumpkin pie spice to the pumpkin cream cheese topping. These spices are essential for that classic fall flavor.
- Vegetable Oil: Adds moisture and helps create a chewy texture.
- Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Use light brown sugar and regular granulated sugar to sweeten your pumpkin brownies. I also add a little brown sugar to the topping to cut through the tangy cream cheese flavor.
- Salt: For flavor and to balance the sweetness.
- Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder to give your brownies a rich chocolate flavor.
- Eggs: You’ll need 2 eggs for this recipe. They help create a fudgy texture and provide some lift during baking.
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor—use pure vanilla extract for the best results.
- Pumpkin Purée: Be sure to grab a can of 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. You may want to strain your pumpkin purée if it’s particularly watery, which may effect the consistency of the brownies. I’d use any leftover pumpkin purée to make my pumpkin butter, pumpkin cookies or a pumpkin smoothie!
- Cream Cheese: Use room-temperature cream cheese to make the topping.
- Chocolate Chips: I mix some into the brownie batter and sprinkle the rest on top of the pumpkin cream cheese layer. Semi-sweet chocolate chips are delicious in this recipe, but you can use any type you like.
- Pecans: I use chopped pecans to add a little crunch to these pumpkin cheesecake brownies. Walnuts are a great budget-friendly substitute.
- Cooking Spray: For greasing the pan.
Recipe Tips
- Combine the wet ingredients before adding them to the flour mixture to avoid over-mixing. Over-mixing the flour can cause the gluten to develop too much, which creates a tough and not-so-fudgy texture when baked (not ideal!) Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a spatula until combined.
- I highly recommend letting the cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing it with the other ingredients. Have you ever tried to mix a cold block of cream cheese? It’s not easy!
- Don’t forget to grease your baking dish with cooking spray to stop the brownies from sticking. I also line my dish with parchment paper so I can easily lift them out once they’re cooled.
- Your brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with no wet batter. The topping will also look set and slightly golden.
How to Get Even Slices
I’m all about the rustic look when it comes to baking, but crumbly pumpkin brownies aren’t exactly what I have in mind. To get even slices, let the brownies cool for about 30 minutes before cutting them; otherwise, they might fall apart as you slice. They’ll set and slice much better after cooling. You should also use a sharp, straight-edged knife and wipe it clean after each cut. Doing this stops the fudgy brownie bits from sticking to the knife and creating jagged edges. This recipe creates 9 evenly-sized brownies, but you can cut them into smaller or larger pieces—whatever you like!
Storage Instructions
Keep your pumpkin brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. For longer storage, keep them in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before storing and allow them to thaw before serving. These are a great treat for the upcoming autumn holidays!
Pumpkin Brownies Recipe
Servings 9 browniesIngredients
Brownie Ingredients
- ¾ cup flour ($0.08)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.15)
- ⅛ tsp salt ($0.01)
- 12 Tbsp salted butter, melted but not hot ($1.59)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil ($0.08)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar ($0.26)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar ($0.51)
- ½ cup cocoa powder ($1.24)
- 2 eggs ($0.62)
- ½ Tbsp vanilla extract ($0.98)
- ¼ cup pumpkin purée ($0.15)
- ¼ cup chocolate chips, divided ($0.37)
- cooking spray ($0.01)
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Topping Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature ($1.49)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar ($0.36)
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice ($0.09)
- ¼ cup pumpkin purée ($0.15)
- 2 Tbsp pecans ($0.42)
Instructions
- Add flour, cinnamon, and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk melted salted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and cocoa powder together until smooth.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin purée to another mixing bowl and gently beat them together.
- Then, add the pumpkin mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
- Pour the dry flour mixture and 3 Tbsp chocolate chips into wet chocolate mixture. Stir with a spatula until batter forms.
- Lightly spray or grease an 8×8'' baking dish with cooking spray. You can also add a layer of parchment paper. Pour batter into the dish and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Combine cream cheese, light brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin purée with a hand mixer on low until smooth.
- Spoon dollops of the pumpkin mix on top of the brownie batter.
- Stir the pumpkin topping into the brownie batter gently using a toothpick. I like to keep the layers separate and irregular, so they look a bit more rustic.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp chocolate chips and pecan pieces.
- Bake for 40 min or until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- 8×8” Baking Dish
Nutrition
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how to make Pumpkin Brownies – step by step photos
Add ¾ cup flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, and ⅛ tsp salt to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk 12 Tbsp melted salted butter, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup light brown sugar, and ½ cup cocoa powder together until smooth.
Add 2 eggs, ½ Tbsp vanilla, and ¼ cup pumpkin purée to another mixing bowl and gently beat them together.
Then, add the pumpkin mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
Pour the dry flour mixture and 3 Tbsp chocolate chips into wet chocolate mixture. Stir with a spatula until batter forms.
Lightly spray or grease an 8×8” baking dish with cooking spray. You can also add a layer of parchment paper. Pour batter into the dish and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine 4 oz cream cheese, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, ¼ cup pumpkin purée with a hand mixer on low until smooth.
Spoon dollops of the pumpkin mix on top of the brownie batter.
Stir the pumpkin topping into the brownie batter gently using a toothpick. I like to keep the layers separate and irregular, so they look a bit more rustic.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp chocolate chips and 2 Tbsp of pecan pieces.
Bake for 40 min or until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
This easy pumpkin brownie recipe is the only way to enjoy pumpkin and chocolate together this fall!
I’m going to try this recipe. I would like to double this recipe using a glass 9 X 13 inch glass dish. other than bake time being a little longer, is there any other changes I should make?
Hey Patty, extended bake time should do it. I would just test with a toothpick in different spots in the middle until it comes out clean. I didn’t test it in a larger pan, but it shouldn’t be a huge issue.
I was a little skeptical of pumpkin in brownies but this recipe won me over completely! I also ended up baking mine about 15 minutes more than the recipe called for but everything was great! I will definitely be making this one again.
Katie, so glad you loved them!
Substituted Aldi’s 40z honey goat cheese for the cream cheese. Amazing! We also discovered that after sitting a day the texture became denser and brownie like than when first baked. And the spices had a chance to blend.
Appreciate the unending inspiration and great recipes from BudgetBytes.
Love a good Aldi swap! Nice one.
Made these for a Halloween/birthday potluck and they were a hit. The birthday girl said they were her favorite food from the evening. I increased the recipe to make 12 brownies, and cooked them a wee bit longer. They were very moist!
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed and the birthday girl approved.
These are easily the best brownies I’ve ever made! Very moist and fudgy. I ended up baking for an extra 15 minutes. Pumpkin pie and brownies are my two favorite sweets, so it doesn’t really get much better than this! Thank you!
You’re welcome! Glad you loved them. Thanks, Nicole.
How was the flour measured for this recipe? I made these and spooned the flour into a measuring cup and then leveled it like I normally do, but the brownies remained very gooey, almost seemed raw after an hour of baking. I’m wondering if maybe I should have packed the flour to achieve a moist brownie instead of (very delicious) goo. Thanks!
We also do a spoon and level! Canned pumpkin can vary in its moisture levels, so it’s possible that could account for the extra gooeyness! You could try spooning your pumpkin puree out on a paper towel before adding to the brownies to allow some of that excess moisture to drain off next time.
Thank you very much! I’ll try that next time.
These were delicious. Really, really good. Incredibly moist with a warm fall flavor.
I might try making them again without the cream cheese topping. It’s good, but I think the brownies would be tasty without it too. The pumpkin makes them very moist, and the spices make them interesting.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! With out without cream cheese topping– they are delish!