These rich homemade Pumpkin Brownies are soft, moist, and bursting with pumpkin spice flavor. These family favorite brownies have a wonderful texture that is not too cakey and not too fudgy. The combination of chocolate with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice is a pure fall bliss.
Table of Contents
It’s always a wonder how a handful of simple ingredients can come together in such an amazing treat! Pumpkin brownies are one of the best fall treats, like pumpkin bread and pumpkin donuts, because all you need are a few simple ingredients and couple of easy steps. (Plus a little patience!)
At the end, you will have soft and moist brownies that have a wonderful texture that is not too cakey and not too fudgy, somewhere in between. If you love pumpkin fall treats, you will love these brownies because they are bursting with pumpkin spice flavor.
You can also put an personal touch on your brownies at home by adding some nuts, caramel chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, and other mix-ins.
Ingredient Notes and Tips
Pumpkin Puree – you can use your favorite store-bought pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree. Just note that homemade pumpkin puree can sometimes be thinner so you really need to pay attention to that! When getting store-bought, make sure to get pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie mix!
Spices – you will simply need pumpkin pie spice mix for these pumpkin blondies. Pumpkin pie spice usually contains a combination of like ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, and ground nutmeg.
Brown Sugar – you can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. The difference between the two is in the amount of molasses added, dark brown sugar containing more, of course.
Flour – All purpose flour works great. Make sure you spoon the flour into the measuring cup instead of dunking the cup into the bag! Then, cut the excess at the top with the back of the knife to level. When you dunk the cup, you really pack the flour into the cup.
Whole milk – whole milk is best to use because of the fat content in it. If you need to have a dairy free option, you can use soy milk or oat milk instead but there will be a slight texture difference.
Butter – use unsalted butter. If you need to, you can use plant based butter.
Chocolate chips – you can use either semi-sweet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips, or dark chocolate chips. It is a completely personal choice but it will affect the sweetness of the brownies.
Baking Soda– Make sure that it is not expired! In order for your baking soda to be potent and work properly, you need to use it within 6 months of opening the container.
See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Pumpkin Brownies
In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt butter, and then add chocolate chips, and brown sugar (1). Keep stirring with a silicone-covered whisk until melted and smooth (2). Stir in vanilla extract and take off heat.
Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl and whisk slowly and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
Once cooled, whisk in eggs until combined and smooth.
Whisk in milk and pumpkin puree just until combined (3). Sift in flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt (4). Whisk until all smooth and all incorporated.
Fold in chocolate chips until evenly incorporated (5). Line a 13×9 baking pan with parchment paper, enough to go up the sides. Pour mixture into the baking dish, spreading evenly (6).
Gently tap on the counter a couple of times to make sure it’s spread evenly. Bake for 25-27 minutes and 350°F.
Once baked, give them an hour or two to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate.
PRO TIP: do NOT cut the brownies until you give them a few hours to chill in the refrigerator!
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Brownies
Choose which chocolate chips you prefer best! You can choose between milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and dark chocolate chips. Make sure to use regular and not mini.
Don’t overmix the batter! Make sure to whisk just until ingredients are incorporated and smooth. Don’t mix too much or whip, that will introduce too much air in your batter and result in more caky brownies.
If you want brownies to be a little more fudgy than cakey, don’t bake them all the way. My recipe is geared towards to more fudgy result so bake them for about 25 minutes. If you want more cakey, bake them extra 5-7 minutes.
Cool brownies first! Cool brownies to room temperature and then refrigerate BEFORE cutting! This will give them time to set and give you the best texture that’s more fudgy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pumpkin spice mix is essentially a combination of spices commonly used in a classic pumpkin pie. A classic pumpkin spice mix consists of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
If you would like to make your own, simply combine:
3 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon,
2 teaspoons of ground ginger,
2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg,
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cloves,
1 teaspoon of ground allspice.
Yes you can! I haven’t texted it in this particular recipe but I have in many other brownies and it works well. If you need to make your pumpkin brownies gluten free, use gluten free all purpose flour. Use your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour blend, you can use it as an equal substitute for the all-purpose flour in this recipe. My personal favorite gluten free blends are Renewal Mill 1:1 baking flour and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour and King Arthur Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour.
(Don’t use almond or coconut flour.)
Almonds, chopped
Pecans, chopped
Walnuts, chopped
White chocolate chips
Butterscotch chips
Caramel chips
You can add these instead of second cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips that is folded into the batter.
Storing Suggestions
It’s best to store pumpkin brownies in the refrigerator. If your baking pan came with an lid, you can store them right in the same baking pan covered with an air-tight lid. Or transfer them into a food storage container with a lid. In the refrigerator, they should last about 5 days.
To freeze brownies, you can wrap each cold slice in parchment paper and place them into a large freezer friendly zip-top bag. Get as much air out as you can, label, and seal. Freeze brownies for up to 2 months. You can easily pull one out and let it thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes.
Some More Brownie Recipes To Try
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Pumpkin Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1¼ cups brown sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ degrees and line a metal 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper up the sides as well.
- In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt butter, and then add chocolate chips, and brown sugar. Keep stirring with a silicone-covered whisk until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla extract and take off heat.
- Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl and whisk slowly and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
- Once cooled, whisk in eggs until combined and smooth.
- Whisk in pumpkin puree just until combined. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until all smooth and all incorporated.
- Fold in chocolate chips until evenly incorporated.
- Pour mixture into the baking dish, spreading evenly. Gently tap on the counter a couple of times to make sure it’s spread evenly. Bake for 25-27 minutes.
- Once baked, give them an hour or two to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours before cutting.
Notes
- Choose which chocolate chips you prefer best! You can choose between milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and dark chocolate chips. Make sure to use regular and not mini.
- Don’t overmix the batter! Make sure to whisk just until ingredients are incorporated and smooth. Don’t mix too much or whip, that will introduce too much air in your batter and result in more caky brownies.
- If you want brownies to be a little more fudgy than cakey, don’t bake them all the way. My recipe is geared towards to more fudgy result so bake them for about 25 minutes. If you want more cakey, bake them extra 5-7 minutes.
- Cool brownies first! Cool brownies to room temperature and then refrigerate BEFORE cutting! This will give them time to set and give you the best texture that’s more fudgy.
- Store in the refrigerator, in an air-tight container, for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in November 2015.
BONNIE HIGGINS says
How much milk?
LyubaB says
Hi Bonnie, I am so sorry there is no milk in this recipe that was a typo. I have corrected it thank you for pointing it out!
Lisa says
The volume of milk is not mention in the ingredients list, please advise
LyubaB says
Hi Lisa, there is no milk in this recipe I don’t know where my head was when typing up the recipe card! I have fixed it!
Becky H. says
Thank you for posting the correction to the salt. I was about to try this recipe and thought, “No way! I’m going to check the website for a correction.”
Cordelia says
This looks wonderful!! Thank you for blessing us over and over!
lyuba says
Awe, thank you, Cordelia!
Brasserie Louis says
This is a great recipe! Every time I make it, people go crazy for it. I used milk and dark chocolate morsels. They are delicious and really good.
lyuba says
I’m so happy to hear that! Yay!