These pumpkin swirl brownies are decadently sinful and completely irresistible. Creamy pumpkin filling is swirled with chocolate on top of a thick, chewy and supremely fudgy brownie.
The pretty marbling on top makes the pumpkin cream cheese brownies especially perfect for fall and Halloween.
Why This Recipe Works
- If you love a chewy and fudgy brownie, this is it!
- The pumpkin flavor is just enough. It blends perfectly with the cocoa without overwhelming it.
- Perfectly sized. An 8×8-inch pan may seem small but they’re thick and just the right size for a dessert bite.
Ingredient Notes
- Semi-sweet chocolate – You can absolutely use a semi-sweet baking bar, but if you always have semi-sweet chocolate chips standing by in your pantry (like I do), they’ll work great. And bonus, they don’t need to be chopped.
- Cocoa powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Granulated sugar
- Pumpkin – Be sure to look for pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Cream cheese – Not light or fat-free; use the real deal.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: In a medium bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, pumpkin, egg, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt until fully incorporated and smooth. Set aside.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently.
Step 3: Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup sugar until blended.
Step 4: Beat in eggs, one at a time until well blended.
Step 5: Stir in flour, cocoa and ½ teaspoon salt until blended.
Step 6: Reserve 1/3 cup of the brownie batter; set aside.
Step 7: Spread remaining brownie batter in the bottom of an 8×8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Step 8: Spread pumpkin mixture evenly over brownie batter. Optional: Add festive Halloween sprinkles for a pop of color.
Step 9: Drop reserved brownie batter by teaspoonfuls over pumpkin layer; draw tip of knife through top of both batters to marbleize.
Step 10: Draw tip of knife through top of both batters to marbleize.
Step 11: Bake 40-50 minutes or until center is set and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. A toothpick inserted in center will have fudgy crumbs on it. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.
Store pumpkin swirl brownies in the refrigerator.
Related Recipes
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Brownies
- ½ cup butter, unsalted (1 stick)
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, pumpkin, egg, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt until fully incorporated and smooth. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup sugar until blended. Whik in eggs, one at a time until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa and ½ teaspoon salt until blended. Reserve 1/3 cup of the brownie batter; set aside, then spread remaining batter into prepared baking pan.
- Spread pumpkin mixture evenly over brownie batter. Optional: Add festive Halloween sprinkles for a pop of color. Drop reserved brownie batter by teaspoonfuls over pumpkin layer; draw tip of knife through top of both batters to marbleize.
- If reserved brownie batter has thickened too much while standing, microwave on low power 20 to 30 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds.
- Bake 40-50 minutes or until center is set and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. A toothpick inserted in center will have fudgy crumbs on it. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 16 squares. Store in refrigerator.
