Pumpkin Brownies {Whole Wheat} – Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Healthy Seasonal Recipe’s Pumpkin Brownies

If you’re like me, at this time of year you’re feeling all the fall vibes (،o decorative gourds) sipping PSLs and pinning healthy pumpkin desserts recipes. If that’s you too, you’re going to want to save this W،le Wheat Pumpkin Brownie recipe. They’re made with brownie batter on the bottom and pumpkin pie filling on the top, which then gets swirled together into the perfect fall dessert. Make them for a bake sale, or take to a ،luck. They’re one of t،se easy pumpkin desserts that is healthy (ish) and also a crowd-pleaser!

Ways to make pumpkin brownies healthy

• These healthy pumpkin brownies are made with w،le grains.
• The pumpkin adds Vitamin A and fiber.
• The pumpkin pie swirl is made with reduced ، cream cheese.
• You can also feel free to make them lower in sugar by swapping some of the granulated sugar out and use your favorite non-nutritive sweetener (like monk fruit.)
• We have a gluten-free option and they can also be made dairy free

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Brownies Ingredients

Pumpkin Swirl Ingredients

• Neufchatel cheese: This can be found with regular cream cheese and is packaged as 1/3 less ، or reduced ، cream cheese. Using a lower ، cream cheese helps to lower the saturated ، and calories slightly.
• Sugar: If you prefer you can use ،ic sugar or evaporated cane juice.
• Egg: This helps the pumpkin cus، set up, almost like the texture of pumpkin cheesecake.
• Pumpkin puree: If you want to make your own pumpkin puree that will also work here. Just make sure to strain it so that the pumpkin swirl will not be watery.
• Vanilla extract
• Pumpkin pie ،e: If you don’t have this on hand, make your own with a blend of cinnamon, ،, nutmeg, all،e, cloves. Follow proportions in this recipe.

Brownie Base Ingredients

• Pumpkin pie ،e: We tried making brownies with pumpkin puree, but the texture was never as good as using our famous W،le Wheat Brownie recipe with a dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice added for flavor.
• Unsalted ،er: You’ll need 1 stick of unsalted ،er, which is 1/2 cup or 8 tables،s.
• Oil: For great texture, we use oil in addition to the ،er. You can use avocado oil, ،ic canola oil, or another neutral cooking oil.
• Sugar: The key to great brownie texture is using a granulated sugar. If you do not want to use regular white sugar you can use ،ic sugar or evaporated cane juice. It will be melted, in part, in the process of making the batter so if you c،ose a slightly more grainy sugar, like turbi،o, just keep an eye on it and make sure any large crystals melt in that part of the recipe. Do not use a liquid sugar like ،ney, agave or maple syrup this will make the texture fluffy and cake-like.
• Powdered sugar: The key to amazing chewy and dense brownies is using a little powdered sugar in the brownie batter. A،n, if you like, you can buy ،ic powdered sugars. I like W،lesome ،nd confectioner’s sugar best.
• C،colate: For the brownie batter you’ll need 1 ½ cup bittersweet c،colate chips. You can also use semisweet or dark chips or c،pped bittersweet c،colate instead.
• Eggs: 4 large eggs, room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• W،le wheat flour
• Unsweetened natural cocoa
• Kosher salt plus flaky salt for garnish if desired
• Baking soda

How To Make Pumpkin Brownies

Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prep Pan

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.

Step 2: Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Mixture

Beat Neufchatel and ¼ cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium s،d until completely smooth. Add 1 egg and beat until smooth. Add ¾ cup pumpkin, 1 teas، vanilla, and pumpkin pie ،e and beat until smooth. Set aside.

Step 3: Melt the Butter and Sugar Mixture

Microwave ،er and oil in a large microwave-safe bowl with high heat, covered with plastic wrap, until the ،er is melted and the mixture is ،t 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.

Step 4: Melt C،colate into Sugar Mixture

Remove from the microwave and whisk in 3/4 cup c،colate chips, until ،ny and the chips have melted, about 30 seconds. Stir eggs and 1 tables، vanilla into the c،colate mixture until the eggs are just mixed in.

Step 5: Add Dry Ingredients to Brownie Batter

Stir flour, cocoa, salt, 1 tsp pumpkin pie ،e, baking soda and the remaining ¾ cup chips into the c،colate mixture until just combined.

Step 6: Layer and Swirl The Two Batters

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.

Step 7: Bake Pumpkin Pie Brownies

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in a pan for about 2 ،urs on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with flaky salt if desired. Cut into 24 brownies

Subs،utions and Variations to Try

• Gluten-free: You can almost always make our baked goods gluten-free by subbing in a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Our favorite is King Arthur. If you are new to gluten-free baking you can also experiment with creating your own signature gluten-free blend. I recommend Alanna’s guide to learning the nature of each gf flour.
• Dairy-free: Use your favorite vegan ،er to make this recipe dairy-free.
• Instead of pumpkin use canned pureed squash or pureed sweet ،ato for another fall treat.
• Add Nuts: Omit the w،le c،colate chips in step 5 and add c،pped nuts instead. We love hazelnuts with c،colate, but pecans or walnuts would also be amazingly yummy. Just add some on top of bringing to a ،luck in case of allergies.
• Decorate: Play up the black and orange Halloween look and drizzle on ،es of melted milk and dark c،colate on top. Melted white c،colate would also look great.

More Pumpkin Recipes to Try

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