Description
Healthy Seasonal Recipes recipe for pumpkin brownies made with a whole grain brownie base, creamy pumpkin swirl and delicious pumpkin pie spice flavor! This is a healthy pumpkin dessert that’s also a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pumpkin Swirl
- 4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat or reduced fat cream cheese)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Brownie Base
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup avocado oil, organic canola oil, or neutral oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Line parchment so the paper is overhanging the sides.
- Make Pumpkin Filling: Beat Neufchatel and ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until complely smooth. Add 1 egg and beat until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and beat until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat Fat and Melt Sugar: Microwave butter and oil in a large microwave safe bowl with high heat, covered with plastic wrap, until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot, about 2 minutes. Remove plastic wrap. Stir in granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Continue heating on high, stopping to stir the mixture after 30 seconds or so, until the sugar has dissolved slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Melt Chocolate: Remove from the microwave and whisk in 3/4 cup chocolate chips, until shiny and chips have melted, about 30 seconds. Stir eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla into the chocolate mixture until the eggs are just mixed in.
- Make Chocolate Brownie Batter: Stir flour, cocoa, salt, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and the remaining ¾ cup chips into the chocolate mixture until just combined.
- Swirl Pumpkin Brownie Batters and Bake: Spread 2/3 of the brownie batter into the pan. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the brownie batter. Dollop on the remaining brownie batter. Swirl with a clean knife.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in a pan for about 2 hours on a cooling rack. Cut into 24 brownies.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 291
- Sugar: 23 g
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g