These pumpkin brownies have a wonderful mix of spiced pumpkin and chocolate flavor, are easy to make, and oh so fudgy! The chocolate batter is topped with a pumpkin cream cheese mixture and swirled to get a marbled effect and a scrumptious brownie bar.
Creamy and fudgy
This recipe is the perfect combination of fudgy brownies and creamy pumpkin cheesecake. A favorite mash-up recipe around here, together with these creamy tiramisu brownies.
They're a quick way to get both flavors in every bite and a dessert alternative for fall and holiday parties like Thanksgiving and Halloween.
A sibling to the creamy and fudgy cheesecake brownies, this is another recipe worth making as soon as possible.
- Make ahead. This brownie recipe keeps well for days and can be frozen. Funny to think they will last that long, though.
- It uses simple ingredients.
- Homemade brownies never disappoint, and these will bring raves.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Chocolate: Use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate.
- Cocoa powder: always use unsweetened.
- Pumpkin puree: Use canned or make your own pumpkin puree. Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling, as it's a different ingredient.
- Cream cheese: regular full-fat cream cheese is needed for richness and consistency.
- Pumpkin pie spice mix: store-bought or homemade. I use my own blend of pumpkin spices.
How to melt chocolate
This works for chocolate alone or with butter, cream and other ingredients. Always start with chopped chocolate, as it's easier and quicker to melt without burning.
- Microwave: melt the ingredients on high in 10-second intervals, stirring well between spurts until all the chocolate is melted. Be careful not to scorch it. It can seem it's not melted, but when you stir, you realize it is.
- Stovetop: put the chocolate in pieces with the butter in a heat-safe bowl (glass is the best) and place over a smaller saucepan with an inch of water. Over low heat, let the chocolate and butter melt, stirring frequently. Ensure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water and that no water gets into the bowl. If the water boils too much before the chocolate is fully melted, turn off the heat and let the hot vapor melt the remaining chocolate.
Steps to make pumpkin swirl brownies
Two parts to this recipe: a pumpkin cream cheese batter is swirled into a chocolate brownie layer. Both are very easy.
No need for an electric mixer: a hand whisk should be enough if the ingredients are at the right temperatures.
- Pumpkin cheesecake mixture: use a bowl and a whisk with ingredients at room temperature; there's no need to beat this mixture. It's a thin batter.
- Always sift the dry ingredients, especially the cocoa powder as it tends to clump during storage.
Prepare the brownie pan
Use strips of parchment paper to line the greased pan. They will help you remove the whole block of brownies when ready to cut and serve.
1 strip: cover bottom and two sides. Line the greased pan with strips of parchment paper. When ready to cut and serve, they will help you remove the whole block of brownies
2 strips: make a criss-cross pattern and cover the bottom and all sides.
- Pumpkin cream cheese swirl: pour it on top of the chocolate batter and then lightly swirl with a knife, bringing some of the chocolate to the top. Don't overdo it.
- Baking brownies: they should still jiggle in the middle when you take them out of the oven. That means they'll be fudgy when they cool down. If you wait until they are completely firm, or they'll be dry and cakey.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pan: measure it before using to ensure it's the correct size.
- Test for doneness: brownies should jiggle slightly in the middle when you take them out. They will keep baking a little with the residual heat, so don't be tempted to bake them until completely firm as they will be, most of the time, overbaked and on the dry side.
- Make ahead: these keep well in the refrigerator for several days, always well wrapped, or in the freezer for a month or maybe more, also well wrapped. Thaw at room temperature, but don't let them get too soft.
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Fudgy Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownie layer:
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
- ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
For the pumpkin cheesecake layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a square 8-inch (20cm) pan with soft butter, shortening or baking spray. You can line it with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two sides. The other two sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the bars from the pan.
For the brownie batter:
- Melt 2 ounces semisweet chocolate and ½ cup unsalted butter in a medium bowl.
- Add ¾ cup sugar and stir well. Let it cool until warm.
- Add the 2 eggs and whisk until well combined.
- Sift in 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup all-purpose flour and a pinch of salt and stir until well integrated.
- Fold in ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips. Reserve ½ cup of the chocolate batter and pour the rest into the prepared pan.
For the pumpkin cream cheese layer:
- Mix 8 ounces cream cheese in a medium bowl with ¼ cup sugar and 1 egg. It should be smooth and lump-free.
- Add ⅔ cup pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix blend. Stir until well integrated.Drop spoons of the pumpkin mixture on top of the brownie batter.
- Spoon the reserved brownie on top in mounds.
- Lightly swirl the two batters using a skewer or tip of a knife.Bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the center still jiggles a little.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. I recommend refrigerating it for an hour or two before cutting. It'll be easier.
- Run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to unstuck any bits from the sides. With the help of the strips of parchment paper, lift the whole block of brownies and transfer to a cutting board. Cut 9 squares.
Notes
1 strip: cover the bottom and two sides. Line the greased pan with strips of parchment paper.
2 strips: make a criss-cross pattern and cover the bottom (twice) and all sides. Melting chocolate and butter: always start with chopped chocolate in a microwavable or glass bowl. You can use the microwave (short 10-15 second spurts stirring well between each one until it's fully melted) or a double boiler with the bowl containing the chopped chocolate not touching the water. In both cases, make sure it doesn't scorch. Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. Make ahead: these keep well in the refrigerator for several days, always well wrapped, or in the freezer for a month or maybe more, also well wrapped. Thaw at room temperature, but don't let them get too soft.
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