Pumpkin And Chocolate Pair In A Perfect Autumn Treat
Pumpkin brownies are the perfect brownies to say, “Hello, Fall!! They are a beautiful sight, with the chocolatey and pumpkin spice batters swirled together and studded with walnuts and chocolate chips! And they are absolutely delicious!
The unique combination of pumpkin and chocolate creates a delightful contrast of flavors. Pumpkin provides a subtle sweetness and earthy, slightly nutty flavor that complements chocolate’s rich, sweet, and somewhat bitter taste. This balance of flavors can be very appealing to many people’s palates.
Pumpkin puree adds moisture to brownie batter, creating a dense and fudgy texture. The moisture content helps keep the brownies soft and prevents them from drying out.
Because it’s “pumpkin everything” time, y’all! Why should brownies get left out of being pumpkinated? Pumpkin is just right for fall and Thanksgiving, so it’s clear pumpkin brownies will be a very popular treat during the autumn season. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves take the interesting flavor profile over the top!
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Brownies
Pumpkin-spiced desserts and beverages have exploded in popularity in the last few years in the US! The “Everything Pumpkin Season” begins in early August when temperatures are still sizzling! All sorts of pumpkin-flavored treats have become a staple of autumn menus!
Creative bakers and chefs continue exploring and developing new recipes incorporating these flavors to tickle their customers’ taste buds. Not long ago, I saw a spoof on social media featuring pumpkin-flavored motor oil! I doubt that actually ever happens, but the whole pumpkin thing has become an annual phenomenon, with everything from cereal to coffee creamer, cookie dough, marshmallows, nuts, and packaged bread magically becoming pumpkinized!
Who first dared to combine pumpkin and chocolate!? It’s impossible to pinpoint a specific person or moment in history when this combo was first attempted. Creative food pairings often evolve through experimentation and regional variations. However, chocolate and pumpkin have been used in various recipes for many years, and pumpkin pies and pumpkin-spiced desserts date back to the 19th century.
Here’s All You Need To Make Pumpkin Brownies
- Pumpkin Puree (not canned pumpkin pie filling)
- Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Salt
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla
- Butter
- Chopped Walnuts (or your favorite nut, or leave them out if you prefer)
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
Equipment You’ll Need
- Two Medium Mixing Bowls
- Spoons for mixing the batter
- A table knife to swirl the batters
- An 8″ square pan
- Parchment paper, if desired
- Non-stick spray
Here’s How You Make Pumpkin Brownies
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then spray the square pan with non-stick spray; if you like, add some parchment paper (spray it, too) to help lift the brownies out of the pan.
In one bowl, stir together the melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. I’m a rebel here, but at this point, I stir in the salt and baking powder, making sure it’s all well blended. Then, stir in the flour. (Some people say to whisk the dry ingredients together in a third bowl, but I find it unnecessary if the leavening and spices are thoroughly blended in the egg/sugar mixture. Raise your hand if you like fewer dishes to wash.) 😉
Now divide the batter in half. (If you’re a perfectionist, measure it. Otherwise, feel free to eyeball the contents. It’s a SWIRL, after all.) Now add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to one bowl and stir in the walnuts.
Put the cocoa powder in the other bowl, stir it well, then stir in the chocolate chips. You are ready to swirl!
Ready Set Swirl Those Brownies
Spread half of the chocolate batter on the bottom of the pan, then spread half the pumpkin batter on top of it.
Use a spoon or a cookie scoop to plop dollops of both batters on top of the two layers, then use a kitchen knife to swirl the batters gently, leaving visible streaks of both colors.
Don’t over-swirl! You want to see lots of that beautiful color contrast!
Bake for about 45 minutes. A cake tester should come out with no batter clinging to it, but you may get a little melted chocolate on the tester!
Let the yummy pumpkin brownies cool before cutting them into sixteen squares or nine if you want big ones! You can store the cooled pumpkin brownies in an airtight container on the counter for up to three days. In the fridge, they’ll stay fresh for a week.
You can freeze these pumpkin brownies in individual freezer bags for six months. I seriously doubt they will ever last long enough to freeze!
These make an excellent base for an autumn brownie sundae! Mmmm, I can just imagine this with caramel ice cream and caramel or chocolate syrup!
Pumpkin Brownies
A delightful brownie that combines rich chocolate swirled with a perfectly spiced pumpkin batter in a beautiful dessert treat!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sem- sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray an eight-inch square pan with non-stick spray, and if desired, line with parchment paper. Cut the piece long enough to leave some hanging over the edge of the pan to two sides. Spray the parchment paper, too. This can help you lift the brownies out of the pan more easily.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. I'm a rebel here, but I stir in the salt and baking powder at this point, making sure it's all well blended. Then, stir in the flour.
- Put half of the batter into a second mixing bowl. If you're a perfectionist, measure it. Otherwise, feel free to eyeball the contents. Remember, it's a SWIRL.
- Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to one bowl of batter and stir well. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Put the cocoa powder into the other half of the batter and stir well, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread half of the chocolate batter on the bottom of the pan, then spread half the pumpkin batter on top of it.
- Use a spoon or a cookie scoop to plop dollops of both batters on top of the two layers.
- Use a kitchen knife to swirl the batters gently, leaving visible streaks of both colors.
- Bake for about 45 minutes. A cake tester should come out with no batter clinging to it, but you may get a little melted chocolate on the tester!
- Let the brownies cool before cutting them into sixteen squares or nine if you want big ones!
- These make an excellent base for an autumn brownie sundae!
We love all kinds of fall treats here at Yeyfood! Here are some of our favorites! Easy Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake With Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting, and 5-ingredient Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites. If you want more pumpkin ideas, type pumpkin in the search bars, and do let us know if you like one of our recipes! Please give us a 5-star review to help our blog!
MORE OF OUR QUICK AND EASY FAMILY-STYLE RECIPES:
The Ultimate Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe
Oven-Baked Steak With Brown Gravy
Sweet and Salty Fall Snack Mix
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