Pumpkin Brownies

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Made with creamy pumpkin puree sandwiched between two fudgy brownie layers, these gooey pumpkin brownies create an unforgettable fall flavor combo that all ages will love!

Prep Time25

Cook Time45

Freezing time1

Total Time2 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 582kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

Brownie part

170 g Dark Chocolate use high quality semi-sweet chocolate eg. Callebaut or Lindt
170 g Unsalted butter
4 Eggs at room temperature
200 g Granulated sugar
150 g Brown sugar
45 g Cocoa powder unsweetened Dutch processed
120 g All purpose flour
½ teaspoon Salt

Pumpkin layer

215 g Pumpkin puree Half a can of Libby's or make homemade pumpkin puree
226 g Cream cheese high fat
60 g Powdered sugar
½ teaspoon Pumpkin spice optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Start with the pumpkin layer

Mix all the ingredients (pumpkin puree, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and optionally pumpkin spice) with a hand whisk. Grab your brownie pan (the same size pan as you will use to bake the brownie), place parchment paper inside the pan, and evenly distribute the pumpkin filling in the pan. Freeze it for an hour.

Make the brownie

Once your pumpkin layer is well frozen, preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F (no fan) and prepare a 9-inch / 23 cm brownie tin. Brush the inside of the pan with a tiny bit of oil, and then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Gently melt the butter and the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water over low-medium heat. Alternatively, use your microwave; however, ensure that you don't burn the chocolate.
In another bowl, whip together the eggs with sugar with the help of an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until pale, for about 5-7 minutes.
Slowly pour the melted butter and chocolate mixture into the egg-sugar mixture while the mixer is on low speed.
Lastly, sift the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cocoa powder) into the wet ingredients, and fold the mixture together with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix.
Pour half of the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Then, grab your frozen pumpkin filling and place it on top of the brownie batter. Finally, evenly distribute the rest of the brownie batter on top of the frozen pumpkin filling, making sure that you don´t mix the pumpkin layer with the brownie layer (that´s why it is important that the pumpkin layer is well frozen).

Bake

Bake the brownie at 175 C / 350 F for about 45 minutes. The brownie is ready when the edge looks baked and the middle looks slightly gooey but not raw. Do not over-bake! The brownie will set further as it cools.
Let the pumpkin brownie completely cool in the pan before slicing and serving.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES

Use unsalted butter to make the brownies and add the salt separately. This way, you are in control of the quantity of the salt.
The egg should be used at room temperature when making the brownie.
Baking powder is intentionally omitted from the recipe, so your brownies turn out wonderfully fudge and gooey.
The quality of the chocolate chips and the cocoa powder will define the taste of your brownies, so try to use high-quality ingredients, e.g., semi-sweet chocolate from Lindt or Callebaut and Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
For the pumpkin filling, you want to use high-fat cream cheese that is not watery. Likewise, you want to avoid overly watery pumpkin puree unless you drain it first and then measure it. Libby's will work fine.

TECHNIQUE NOTES

A digital scale is required for a consistent, happy baking experience.
If your preferred chocolate melting method is a microwave, not the double boiler, use a plastic container to melt it. The glass can very quickly heat up and might burn your chocolate.
Always preheat your oven and consider using a digital oven thermometer for the best results.
Each oven is different, so you might need to adjust the baking time +/- 5- 10 minutes. This will bake longer than brownies without filling, as the frozen filling takes longer to bake.
You must make sure that the pumpkin layer is properly frozen; otherwise, it will mix with the brownie layer, and you won't get the desired result.
For the best fudge brownie experience, consider slightly underbaking your dessert.

Nutrition