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Pumpkin Brownies

Pumpkin brownies with a fudgy dark chocolate base and a marbled pumpkin cheesecake swirl. Bake until the edges set and the center stays moist with only moist crumbs on a toothpick, then cool fully for clean squares.
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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 chopped
  • 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 softened
  • 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 brownie base
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment for easy lifting. Lightly grease if your parchment doesn’t stay put.
  2. Melt unsalted butter and dark chocolate together, then cool for 10 minutes to avoid cooking the eggs. The mixture should look glossy before cooling.
  3. Whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. The batter should look thick and cohesive.
  4. Fold in all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt just until no dry streaks remain. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.
  5. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Use the back of a spoon to level the surface.
Pumpkin cheesecake swirl and bake
  1. Beat cream cheese, pumpkin puree, sugar, egg, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until smooth. The swirl should be free of lumps and thick but spoonable.
  2. Dollop the pumpkin swirl over the brownie batter in several spoonfuls across the top. Keep the dollops fairly evenly spaced for marbling.
  3. Use a knife to create a marbled swirl pattern by dragging through the dollops and batter once or twice. Stop before fully mixing so you still see distinct swirls.
  4. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350F until the edges are set and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. The center should not look wet like raw batter.
  5. Cool completely before slicing to set the swirl and prevent crumbling. Cut into squares only once fully cool.

Notes

For the cleanest marbled look, keep the pumpkin swirl dollops on top and use only a couple of gentle knife passes—overmixing blurs the pattern. Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. For a dairy-light option, use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat butter substitutes (the texture may be slightly softer).