Fudgy Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
Eye-catching brownies with a wonderful mix of spiced pumpkin and chocolate flavor, 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.
Servings 9 squares
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
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. The strip (or strips) must be as wide as the pan.
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.
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.
