Healthy pumpkin brownies are the perfect fall bake. Made without oil and with whole wheat flour, these brownies are healthier, yet feel indulgent. The result are fudgy, soft, and fluffy brownies that you’ll want to enjoy all fall long.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree – the star of the show that keeps these brownies oil-free, moist, and soft in texture.
- Pure maple syrup – natural sweetener that is lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar.
- Eggs – for binding, moisture, and richness.
- Vanilla extract – vanilla helps amplify the other flavors in the brownies.
- Flour – we like to use regular whole wheat flour for a little bit of extra vitamins and minerals, but feel free to substitute white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour.
- Cocoa powder – we prefer to use cocoa powder over melted chocolate because it helps keep the brownies softer and less crumbly.
- Espresso powder – the secret ingredient that helps bring out the fudgy, chocolatey flavor.
- Salt – makes all the flavors pop!
- Baking soda and baking powder – leavening agents to help make these brownies tall and fluffy
- Chocolate chips – delicious mix in and topping for a little extra chocolatey goodness. We like dark chocolate, but milk chocolate work wells too. We also prefer the mini chocolate chips.
- White chocolate chips – for a sweet drizzle. Feel free to swap in milk or dark chocolate instead or use all three! You can also omit the drizzle.
- Coconut oil – helps keep the drizzle chocolate smooth and will quickly resolidify the chocolate once it has been drizzled.
How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla.
In a second large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix to combine. Fold in â…“ cup of chocolate chips.
Spoon the batter into the baking pan (it will be thick!). Use a rubber spatula to spread the batter into an even layer. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out cleanly (there will be a few crumbs sticking to the knife). Allow the brownies to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
To make the drizzle, add the white chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small microwave safe bowl. Heat for about 30 seconds, stopping every 10-15 seconds to stir the chocolate and prevent tempering. Drizzle the white chocolate over the brownies. Cut into 12 squares. Enjoy!
How to Store
- Room temperature – allow brownies to completely cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days (if you didn’t add a dairy frosting on your own).
- Refrigerator – allow the brownies to completely cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Brownies last longer in the refrigerator, so this is the best storage option if you need longer to finish your brownies.
- Freezer – allow the brownies to cool completely. We recommend keeping the brownies in a single block, rather than cutting them into individual brownies, as this will help retain moisture and prevent dry brownies when frozen. Wrap the brownies in saran wrap and then place in a freezer Ziploc bag. Be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before freezing. Brownies will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Recipe Modifications
- Nuts – walnuts or pecans are perfect additions to these brownies.
- Frosting – try a decadent chocolate frosting, vanilla cream cheese frosting, or pumpkin buttercream frosting.
- Chocolate – we used a white chocolate drizzle in this recipe, but feel free to swap in milk or dark chocolate or use all three!
- Spices – cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice are popular additions to pumpkin brownies if you want to give it a try! We have not tried adding either, as we prefer a more traditional brownie.
What to Do with Leftover Pumpkin
Unfortunately this recipe does not use an entire can of pumpkin puree. It’s annoying, we know! But if you use the whole can in this recipe it won’t result in the desired consistency due to too much moisture, so definitely don’t do that!
But…there are tons of other things you can do with leftover pumpkin. Here are a few of our favorite recipes to use leftover pumpkin in:
- Pumpkin cake (15 oz can / ~2 cups)
- Healthy pumpkin muffins (1 cup)
- Brown butter pumpkin fettuccine alfredo (1 cup)
- Pumpkin cheesecake brownies (3/4 cup)
- Pumpkin miso ramen (3/4 cup)
- Pumpkin pie energy bites (2/3 cup)
- Pumpkin pie smoothie (1/4 cup)
Sally’s Baking Addiction has a fantastic post with tons of recommendations for how to use your leftover pumpkin puree, from cookies and muffins, to breads and cheesecakes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Brownies can last up to 3 days at room temperature, 1 week refrigerated, and 3-6 months in the freezer.
No, brownies can be left at room temperature unless they contain a dairy component, like a cheesecake layer or cream cheese swirl, a fruit topping, or a dairy frosting, like buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Brownies are done when you insert a knife into the center and it comes out cleanly (a few crumbs sticking to it, but no batter streaks).
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. You can also store brownies in a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Check out our other dessert recipes
- Avocado brownies
- Pumpkin cheesecake brownies
- Chocolate chip banana bread
- Vegan peanut butter chocolate pie
- Cherry cobbler
- Blackberry cobbler
Healthy Pumpkin Brownies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Brownies
- ¾ c pumpkin puree
- ½ c pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 c white or regular whole wheat flour
- ½ c special dark or regular cocoa powder
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- â…“ c mini chocolate chips (+ 2 Tbsp for garnish)
White Chocolate Drizzle
- 2 Tbsp white chocolate chips
- ¾ tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla.
- In a second large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix to combine. Fold in â…“ cup of chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter into the baking pan (it will be thick!). Use a rubber spatula to spread the batter into an even layer. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out cleanly (there will be a few crumbs sticking to the knife). Allow the brownies to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
- To make the drizzle, add the white chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small microwave safe bowl. Heat for about 30 seconds, stopping every 10-15 seconds to stir the chocolate and prevent tempering. Drizzle the white chocolate over the brownies. Cut into 12 squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- How long do brownies last – brownies can last up to 3 days at room temperature, 1 week refrigerated, and 3-6 months in the freezer.
- Do brownies need to be refrigerated – no, unless they contain a dairy component, like a cheesecake layer or cream cheese swirl, a fruit topping, or a dairy frosting, like buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
- How to tell if brownies are done – brownies are done when you insert a knife into the center and it comes out cleanly (a few crumbs sticking to it, but no batter streaks).
- How to store brownies – store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. You can also store brownies in a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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