Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Fudge Brownies
These homemade chocolate pumpkin brownies are a great way to step into the fall season. Each decadent bite is filled with notes of chocolate and pumpkin, making them ideal for chocolate lovers who want a pumpkin version of a traditional brownie.
My favorite thing about the holiday season is the holiday desserts and these easy pumpkin brownies have everything! A layer of chocolate batter, followed by a layer of pumpkin batter and then swirled on top to create a rich pumpkin chocolate flavor. It’s like chocolate brownies and pumpkin cake collide into one delicious pumpkin brownie.
And because pumpkin season means all things pumpkin, be sure to try my Pumpkin Pie Bliss Balls and homemade pumpkin pudding for more easy, delicious and creamy pumpkin recipes.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Only 165 calories per brownie.
- Great way to welcome fall.
- Perfect combo of chocolate and pumpkin.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions for this chocolate pumpkin brownie recipe.
- Sugar: I used white sugar but you can use a sugar substitute, if desired. Note, this will change the taste and texture.
- Eggs: room temperature. You can place eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to quicken this step.
- Butter: I always bake with unsalted butter. If using salted, do not add salt.
- Cocoa Powder: this is what gives the brownies the chocolate flavor.
- Pumpkin Puree: use 100% pure pumpkin for the pumpkin flavor. Save the leftover pumpkin puree for other desserts like, pumpkin donuts or pumpkin banana cookies or save the leftovers for the savory pumpkin cottage cheese pasta sauce. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: makes the brownies creamy and rich. You can also use almond butter.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: homemade or store-bought. For homemade, you can use ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg in its place.
Variations
- Add dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips to the brownie batter.
Dietary Modifications
- For gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour, such as Bob’s 1:1.
- For dairy-free use coconut oil in place of butter but note this will change the taste and texture of your brownies.
How to make these amazing pumpkin brownies (a step-by-step visual guide):
Step 1: preheat and prep
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhand. This will make it easier to remove and slice the brownies later on.
Step 2: make chocolate brownie batter
Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl (image 1) and whisk to combine. Use a hand mixer, if desired. Slowly add in the melted butter, whisking as you go so that any residual warmth from the butter doesn’t scramble the egg (image 2). Once you’ve incorporated the butter, add the cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda to the bowl (image 3). Whisk until you have a smooth batter and there are no longer any pockets of dry ingredients remaining (image 4). Set the bowl aside and give your whisk a quick rinse.
Step 3: make pumpkin batter
Make the pumpkin batter next. Add the sugar, egg, pumpkin puree, and peanut butter to a large bowl (image 5) and whisk until smooth (image 6). Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice (image 7) and whisk until just combined (image 8).
Step 4: layer the two batters
Spread about two-thirds of the chocolate brownie batter on the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer (image 9). Then, gently spread half of the pumpkin layer on top (image 10). Lastly, alternate placing dollops of the remaining pumpkin and brownie batters across the top of the surface (image 11). Gently swirl the dollops together with a butter knife or spoon (image 12), then tap the entire pan on the counter firmly a few times to help settle the batter.
Step 5: bake
Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs (image 13). Cool the brownies in the pan completely before slicing into 16 squares.
Expert Tip!
Do not over-mix wet and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined for the perfect gooey brownies.
Recipe FAQs
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
While it might sound time-consuming it is so worth it! Swirl away friend!
Check out our other delicious recipes!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Pumpkin Brownies
📱 MyFitnessPal & MacrosFirst App Users
You can find this recipe and many others on MyFitnessPal and MacrosFirst by searching: Ohsnapmacros – Pumpkin Brownies
Ingredients
Chocolate Brownie Batter
- 1 cup granulated sugar 192g
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 80g
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pumpkin Batter
- 1/4 cup sugar 48g
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 108g
- 2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter (or almond butter) 33g
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 60g
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhand. This will make it easier to remove and slice the brownies later on.
- Start by making the chocolate brownie batter. Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract to a medium sized bowl and whisk to combine.
- Slowly add in the melted butter, whisking as you go so that any residual warmth from the butter doesn’t scramble the egg.
- Once you’ve incorporated the butter, add the cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda to the bowl. Whisk until you have a smooth batter and there are no longer any pockets of dry ingredients remaining. Set the bowl aside and give your whisk a quick rinse.
- Make the pumpkin batter next. Add the sugar, egg, pumpkin puree, and peanut butter to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice and whisk until just combined.
- Spread about two-thirds of the chocolate brownie batter on the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer.
- Then, gently spread half of the pumpkin layer on top.
- Lastly, alternate placing dollops of the remaining pumpkin and brownie batters across the top of the surface. Gently swirl the dollops together with a butter knife or spoon, then tap the pan on the counter firmly a few times to help settle the batter.
- Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the brownies in the pan completely before slicing into 16 squares.
Notes
- Do not over-mix the wet and dry ingredients. Only mix until combined to ensure rich and fudgy brownies.
- Layering and dolloping the batters might seem tedious, but it’s the best way to ensure each bite is a perfectly marbled combination of chocolate and pumpkin!
- Make sure to allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing. This is a crucial step that ensures a fudgy consistency.
- Check at 30 minutes, all ovens will vary!
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
This recipe was easy and I love that the ingredients are listed in grams, making it even easier. I may have over mixed or something but mine turned out dry. I also am not a fan of the peanut butter because the flavor is overpowering. They taste more like chocolate peanut butter brownies than pumpkin spice.
these are freeeeaaaaking amazing!!! everyone should be eating theses
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I’m so happy you love them!!!
I had just the perfect amount of pumpkin so had to make these. Super easy to put together and baked up beautifully. Could have been a little more moist but flavor was good!
As soon as I saw this recipe I checked to see if I had all the ingredients. Lucky for me, I did…and these were super easy to make AND delicious!!! Yum!
Yay!! So happy you love it!
Woohoo!!! Thank you!
Is there a sub for the pumpkin batter that isn’t a nut based thing?