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Pumpkin Brownies

Pumpkin brownies with a fudgy dark chocolate base and a marbled pumpkin cheesecake swirl. Baked until the edges are set and finished with moist crumbs for a rich, cakey-dense bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the fudgy brownie base:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 8 oz dark chocolate
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup cocoa powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
For pumpkin swirl:
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 0.5 cup pumpkin puree
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment for easy lifting after baking.
Make the brownie base
  1. Melt the unsalted butter and dark chocolate together, then cool for 10 minutes so the batter won’t cook the eggs.
  2. Whisk in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
  3. Fold in the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt until no dry streaks remain and the batter looks thick.
  4. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
Create the pumpkin swirl
  1. Beat the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, sugar, egg, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until smooth and creamy.
  2. Dollop the pumpkin swirl over the brownie batter in spoonfuls, keeping coverage mostly centered for visible marbling.
  3. Use a knife to create a marbled swirl pattern by dragging through the batter in gentle figure-eight motions.
Bake and slice
  1. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until the edges are set and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
  2. Cool completely before slicing so the pumpkin swirl firms up and the brownies hold clean squares.

Notes

For the cleanest marbled look, dollop the pumpkin swirl generously and swirl lightly—overmixing turns the top uniformly orange. Store brownies covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze baked and cooled brownies up to 2 months. For a dairy-light option, use reduced-fat cream cheese in the pumpkin swirl (texture will be slightly softer).