Pumpkin Brownies

Preperation time
20 m
Skills level

Serving size
yields 12 brownies
Country of origin

Preparation time: 20 m
Cooking time: 20-25 m
Ready in: 60 m
Servings: yields 12 brownies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup white flour (or gluten-free alternative)
  • 1/2-3/4 cup white sugar (I did somewhere in the middle)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can Pumpkin puree, you only need 1 heaping cup
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon coffee
  • 1/2 bar unsweetened chocolate, melted (like Baker's or Hershey's)
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 heaping tablespoon light cream cheese
  • sprinkle of ground sea salt
  • 9 by 13 pan lined with parchment paper (for easy clean up)
  • small handful of mini chocolate chips (for top only) optional
Recipe Type:
Course:

This pumpkin brownie is a fudge-like-brownie, super moist, and very rich with some extra health benefits too! You cannot taste the pumpkin whatsoever, nor can you see any of it! So the kids will not know they are eating their veggies! Bonus. You can easily swap out the white flour for a gluten-free flour. The addition of coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, making this brownie extra chocolatey!

First pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, until you are ready to bake, then you will lower it to 325 degrees. Next, open one can of pumpkin puree. Measure roughly 1 heaping cup, a little over is fine. Then add to that the 2 teaspoons  vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon coffee (leftover from coffeetime!), 1/2-3/4 cup white granulated sugar, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, and mix well. Next, gently warm 1/2 of a bar of unsweentened chocolate. Once completely melted add it to the wet ingredients along with 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder. I use a hand mixer on high to mix everything. Don’t add the cream cheese yet.

Next, in another bowl add in 1/2 cup of white flour (or substitute), 1 teaspoon baking soda and mix. Then pour the dry ingredients into to the wet ingredients and mix well. Lastly, add in a heaping tablespoon of cream cheese. I wait until the last moment to add that because the chocolate is still hot.  Mix until the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Add in a few sprinkles of sea salt and mix with a spoon.

The batter will be very thick, so spoon it out onto a pan lined with parchment paper.  It will not cover the entire pan, that’s fine. It should be about 1 1/2 inches thick and it will expand when it bakes. You may add a few mini-chocolate chips to the top if you wish.

Bake in the middle of the oven 20-25 minutes, and take out right before it’s fully cooked. You want it slightly under baked. Cool 15 minutes, holding the edges of the parchment paper (easiest and least messy way) transfer to a cooling rack. Cool for one hour. My family can never wait that long. Enjoy! It’s a winner!