Kirbie's Cravings

Pumpkin Brownies

Super fudgy, moist, eggless chocolate brownies made healthier by using pumpkin puree. This easy one bowl recipe makes the most delicious brownies!
close-up photo of a stack of brownies

I am so in love with this new brownie recipe. You may recall a few months ago I shared with you my zucchini brownie recipe. It’s a recipe I love so much and have made multiple times for friends and family.

When I was making that recipe for the first time, I immediately knew I was going to have to try making a pumpkin version. And this is it!

I think the pumpkin version is just as amazing as the zucchini version. Plus it’s even easier because you don’t have to grate zucchini and you can use canned pumpkin puree.

close-up photo of brownies on a baking sheet

Using Pumpkin Puree

You can buy canned pumpkin puree at the grocery store. Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.

The pumpkin adds a lot of moisture and structure to these brownies, replacing some of the oil and eggs that would normally go into a brownie recipe. As a result, the brownies are healthier than your classic brownie recipe too.

The flavor of pumpkin puree is very mild so you will likely not taste it in this recipe. I was not trying to make pumpkin flavored brownies– the goal was to make chocolate brownies.

Brownie Texture

These brownies rise higher than traditional brownies, almost cake-like. However, the brownies are incredibly moist and fudgy, which make them feel more like brownies than cake. If you love fudgy brownies you should check out my Dulce de Leche Brownies, too!

Making the Brownie Batter

  • Everything is mixed in one bowl with a whisk and large baking spatula.
  • First, you whisk together all the dry ingredients until they are evenly mixed.
  • Then you add in the oil and vanilla and mix into the dry batter until everything is lightly coated in oil. The batter will be very dry and sand-like.
  • Once everything is moistened, you add in the pumpkin puree. Stir with a large spatula until batter is smooth and thick. Then stir in half the chopped chocolate. The batter will be so thick that you will need a spatula to spread it out, so don’t be alarmed that it doesn’t pour out easily.
  • Dump batter into prepared 9 inch x 13 inch baking pan. Spread the batter evenly across the pan with your spatula. It will not be completely smooth, but this is okay because it will spread out more when it is baking.
  • Finally, sprinkle remaining chopped chocolate over batter surface before placing the brownies into the oven to bake.
    close-up photo of brownies

More Desserts

stack of 3 pumpkin brownies with brownies resting on cooling rack in background

Pumpkin Brownies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Super fudgy chocolatey brownies made a little healthier with the use of pumpkin puree. 
4.89 from 27 votes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup roughly chopped semisweet chocolate

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt. Whisk until evenly mixed.
  • Add in oil, vanilla. Stir until all the batter is just moistened. It should resemble sand.
  • Stir in pumpkin. Mix with a large spatula until the batter becomes smooth. The batter will be quite thick. 
  • Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Use spatula to spread batter evenly across pan and smooth surface. 
  • Sprinkle remaining chocolate across surface of the batter. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Toothpick insert should have a few crumbs clinging and the batter should no longer be liquid inside. Allow brownies to cool for one hour so that they can set before cutting and serving. If you try to cut them right away, the crumb will still be loose and it will be hard to cut the brownies without them falling apart.

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

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Recipe Rating




96 comments on “Pumpkin Brownies”

  1. This is by far the best pumpkin brownie. i have made so many that come out with a funky texture. these are fudgy and decadent. no one realized the pumpkin was in there. so if you are looking to sneak some extra nutrition in these will work

  2. These are so good! I’ve made these several times. Most recently I used sweet potato instead of pumpkin and swapped half the sugar for a super-ripe banana; my kids prefer the original pumpkin version but they are still so fudgy and chocolatey you’d never believe they’re made from pumpkin!

  3. Been searching for the perfect eggless brownie recipe and these are delicious, so easy and no weird ingredients! Mine came out more cakey than fudgy though. Any suggestions on getting the fudgy texture? Maybe i slightly over baked?

    • They might have overbaked, which would dry them out so they’re less fudgy. Also, did you mix the ingredients in the order listed in the recipe?

  4. NUTRITION INFO BY MY CALCULATIONS:
    For 18 brownies using Nestle Tollhouse semi sweet chocolate chips. (Please double check my values if you have health concerns)
    Calories 251
    Total fat 10.1g
    Sat fat 2.7g
    Cholesterol 0mg
    Sodium 172mg
    Carbs 38.7g
    Fiber 2.2g
    Sugar 25.8g
    Protein 2.5g

  5. An outstanding recipe just as written.  No one believes me when I tell them there is pumpkin in them.  Second time I made them I was a little short on oil so added almond butter to meet the amount needed.  Still turned out perfect and got some protein in the bargain ?.
    Great flavor and consistency.  Baked for the stated time and the result was perfection.  
    Mine stayed fresh in the frig at least a week.  No chance to see if they’d last longer because they were gone!

  6. Hello! How are you!? Looks amazing I am going to try them I f God wills. One question whart is their shelf life? Thank you

    • They should keep for a couple of days at room temperature. Or, you can store them in the fridge for a few days longer.

  7. Wow, big hit for a party. I love the inspiration here of the original recipe, but I made some tweaks and they turned out great. We had a party to christen a new fire pit I built, so I wanted all the food to have a smoky theme. Every year, I decorate with pumpkins in the fall and then smoke them in my smoker for pumpkin butter as gifts. Also, a smoked pumpkin pie with a dark chocolate ganache and lots of whip is mind blowing. Anyhow, back to brownies:  I used my smoked pumpkin, and swapped the oil for browned butter, a spoonful of instant coffee, and added pecans. Huge hit, thanks!

  8. Loved these. More like a cake type brownie, but very moist and chocolatey. I used a whole cup of chocolate chips in the batter, but followed the recipe to T otherwise. These are now my “go to” for the chocolate cravings

  9. I made this for the first time and it was delicious! It was perfect for those who love and do not love pumpkin. My husband loved it and he is not the biggest pumpkin fan. He even asked me to make it again for his work Thanksgiving party! I made it dairy free with DF chocolate chips. Being highly lactose-intolerant, I am so glad to have found a homemade recipe that satisfies my brownie fix and does not skimp on good texture and taste. 

    • Thanks so much for your nice review! Also, we’re glad it worked with dairy-free chocolate chips – thanks for letting us know.

  10. I had some left over pumpkin purée and some left over mashed sweet potato after making some pies. I had just enough of them both to make a batch of this and it is amazing! 

  11. Simply amazing. This recipe goes straight in The Book. One question what could you use instead of pumpkin for when you can’t find them?

  12. Could this be made in muffin tins of a 9 inch round cake pan? Thank you.

    • We haven’t tried it in either of those. Baking them in a muffin pan will require less baking time. For the cake pan, you may need to use two for all the batter. Hope that helps!

  13. Thank you! Thank you! I made this tonight only change I made was I only had white chocolate chips. This is so good and fudgy perfect brownie feel. Cannot wait to make with semisweet chocolate! This is my new go to brownies.

  14. 10/10 would definitely make these again.

  15. Awesome. Only had 2 c puréed pumpkin so added 1 egg and it’s very moist. Should have cooked 2 min longer? So chocolatey regardless. 

  16. Yummy. Can hardly wait until they cool down!

  17. I looked at dozens of recipes trying to find a healthier brownie and finally settled here. It was SO GOOD. Fudgy fudgy fudgy. Not a chewy brownie (which is usually my go to), but moist, almost cake like. Rich and FUDGY and amazing. Maybe my new favorite brownie recipe.

    I halved the recipe and used just 1/2 cup sugar total. Cooked 20 min in an 8×8 pan. They were perfectly gooey. Thank you for this recipe!

  18. The consistency was definitely not fudgy, but it was moist. I would recommend as a quick fix for chocolate cravings 🙂 I made a half batch. I removed 1/4 c flour and added more cocoa powder in it’s place for more chocolate flavor and used equal parts vegetable oil and applesauce. I also only used 1/2 C sugar.
    Do you think I could use agave/honey/maple syrup in places of the sugar next time?

    • We’re not sure how those subs will work in place of the honey but it will definitely change the texture of the brownies.

    • Do you think it could be the fact that you ended up making a completely different recipe than what was posted? ? I will never understand people who do that and then complain when the end result isn’t what they expected.

  19. Super moist with the pumpkin purée. Love that they are egg and dairy free!

  20. absolutely wonderful! a family favorite 
    they’re usually gone within a day

  21. Have you tried preparing with an egg? Would the recipe need to be adjusted?

  22. What are the nutritional facts for this recipe?

  23. Love these! They are so delicious and have been added to our favorites.

  24. No egg? Just want to make sure I’m making this right, thanks!

  25. Could you use boxed brownie mix in lieu of the dry ingredients? 🙂

  26. Thanks! That’s was sooooo gooood !

  27. Mine turned out mushy in the middle … not sure what I did wrong! Flavour was nice but texture was not appealing. Would love to make this again but need advice!

  28. Made these with leftover pumpkin puree from the fall & they are DELICIOUS!

  29. Kids love these! I love they are a one bowl recipe and so quick!  I but sugar to 1 cup and no one notices!  Thx for a fabulous recipe. 

  30. I happened upon this recipe because I was looking to use up the remaining pumpkin puree I had. Glad I found it, because these turned out great. I probably cooked mine for about 40-45 minutes, and used vegan chocolate chips. Very easy recipe, I would definitely make them again.

  31. Just made these pumpkin brownies. I was sceptical as I have made sweet potato brownies (somebody else’s recipes) and hated them. These were amazing! I did use more chopped dark chocolate on the top of the brownie, and had to bake them for longer than 30 minutes. However, that being said they were really fudgy and chocolately, great brownies. Could not taste the pumpkin at all, so I think they could easily pass as a regular brownie, just a little better for you!

  32. I made these for a Halloween party, added white chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate, still great.

  33. Mine are currently in the oven as we speak! If I make these again, I would mix in the pumpkin purée into the dry ingredients before the oil and vanilla. Trying to mix only a half cup of oil into almost 5 cups of dry ingredients didn’t mix evenly. I also ran out of white sugar, so my batch is 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Dark chocolate chips (because it’s all I have on hand). Still excited to taste though!

  34. Delicious brownies , my family loved them. Good way to get some extra vegetables into my son, thanks for the recipe

  35. I’m stuck in Bolivia during this quarantine and luckily the farm I’m living on has a huge number of pumpkins that just keep growing. We tried everything with pumpkin and finally found this recipe. It’s so good! Cocoa isn’t available here so we just skipped it, and the chocolate available isn’t great either but it still somehow works and tastes great!

  36. Really amazing. Baked longer than 30 minutes for me too. I added cinnamon and nutmeg! 

    The best part is you can eat the batter without worry!

  37. Can I use a non gluten flour ie coconut, almond, etc? I will also use monk fruit “sugar” vs came or white sugar. Thanks for this recipe 

  38. I used 1 for 1 sugar replacement and they came out great!

  39. Can I use the half of this sugar? I dont like it too sweet but I also dont want it to be tasteless

  40. Makes a yummy brownie. They took longer to bake than the recipe states. I will be making these again.

  41. Yummy brownie. I ended up baking the brownie for more than the stated 30 minutes. Despite the disparity, I will make these again.

  42. I only have 1.5 cups of pumpkin but do have eggs on hand. Any suggestions?

    • Sorry I don’t have any suggestions. You can look online for pumpkin puree to egg ratio substitutes and try it out.

  43. Omg sooooo yummmmmy I’m new to vegan/plant based and this recipe is awesome my friends and family have started to request these brownies at our gatherings as it makes so much and are absolutely delicious. They are always shocked when I tell them the ingredients  

  44. Made this a few times now and as always its its amazingly perfect. What I love about this recipe is it’s really adaptable but still turns out great and most of its practical 1 of the 5 a day right?!
    Keep up the good work!

  45. Could you make these with almond flour??so they could be gluten free.

  46. Have you ever made this without the oil but using applesauce?

  47. Can these freeze well? 

  48. Thanks for your recipe. This is exactly what I was looking for. I used oatmeal and brown sugar. It really looks like a brownie