Soft, fudgy Pumpkin Brownies deliciously blend rich, dark chocolate and warming pumpkin spice. As an added bonus, this flourless brownie recipe is naturally gluten free!
Why you'll love this recipe
Looking for an easy treat to add to a fall care package? Want something chocolate, but full of fall flavor too? This is the recipe you need.
These brownies are flourless, making them dense and fudge-like. Pumpkin puree makes the bars super moist and pumpkin spice makes them taste like fall.
All of this deliciousness from a super simple recipe with only a handful of steps. No electric mixer is needed. All you need is a microwave safe mixing bowl and a rubber spatula. Your brownies will be oven ready in minutes.
I included these luscious bars in my Halloween Care Package. Pumpkin Brownies are perfect for the pumpkin theme. Along with some Graham Crackers Sandwich Cookies (decorated with pumpkins), this care package provides plenty of seasonal snacking opportunities.
Ingredients
- Be sure to use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling has added sugar and spices.
- Use semisweet chocolate chips in this recipe for just the right amount of sweetness and rich chocolate flavor.
- Sprinkles, though optional, are what dress the brownies up for Halloween partying.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a large bowl, microwave the butter and the chocolate chips until melted.
- Stir in the pumpkin, spice, sugar, eggs, cocoa, and vanilla.
- Spread the batter into a square baking pan lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray. Add sprinkles on top.
- Bake at 350° F for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting or wrapping.
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Tips
- When shipping, brownies retain their moisture and stay fresh longest if the entire slab is wrapped without cutting into bars. Vacuum seal or wrap in plastic wrap then place inside a gallon size, freezer weight ziplock bag. Include plastic knives in the care package.
- The oven temperature and timing given in the recipe are for baking in a metal pan. If you use a glass baking dish lower the baking temperature to 325° F and check for doneness at 20 minutes. Glass doesn’t heat up as quickly as metal, but will become very hot when heated.
- I don’t recommend using this recipe for hot weather shipping. The moisture in these brownies combined with heat could cause mold. For a hot weather safe brownie recipe, try Chocolate Chunk Brownies.
More Halloween treats
For adorable Halloween snacking, Spooky Grahams are ideal. Easily decorate chocolate covered cookies like pumpkins, ghosts, black cats, mummies and Frankenstein!
Halloween Pretzels are another treat that is almost too cute to eat! These chocolate covered pretzels are fast, easy, and fun. They are a great Halloween activity to do with kids.
Whether you call them Buckeyes or Peanut Butter Balls, this homemade candy shaped like pumpkins and black cats, is perfect for Halloween.
Halloween Marshmallow Owl Pops are super simple chocolate covered marshmallows on a stick!
Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy cookies with lots of creamy white chocolate chips!
Homemade Graham Crackers Sandwich Cookies have melted chocolate and sprinkles in Halloween shapes.
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Pumpkin Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8” x 8” square pan with foil and grease lightly with nonstick spray.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate chips at 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir to combine. If not completely smooth, return to the microwave for 20 second intervals until completely melted.
- Add the pumpkin, pumpkin spice, sugar, eggs, cocoa, and vanilla to the chocolate mixture, then stir until smooth.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly in the prepared baking pan.
- Add sprinkles on top of the batter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. A few crumbs are fine.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. Once cool, lift out of the pan using the overhanging foil.
- Cut into squares or wrap the entire slab for shipping.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container or zip lock bag for up to 1 week.
Notes
- The oven temperature and timing given in the recipe are for baking in a metal pan. If you use a glass baking dish lower the baking temperature to 325° F and check for doneness at 20 minutes. Glass doesn’t heat up as quickly as metal, but will become very hot when heated.
- I don’t recommend using these chocolate pumpkin brownies for hot weather shipping. The moisture in these brownies combined with heat could cause mold. For a hot weather safe, delicious brownies, try Chocolate Chunk Brownies.
- Use up the rest of the can of pumpkin puree in one of these great recipes for another perfect fall dessert; Pumpkin Biscotti, Pumpkin Mini Cakes, or Pumpkin Mug Cake.
- Brownies retain their moisture and stay fresh longest if the entire pan is wrapped without cutting into bars. Vacuum seal or wrap the pan of brownies in plastic wrap then place inside a gallon size, freezer weight ziplock bag. Include plastic knives in the care package.
- To package individual brownies, wrap in plastic wrap and fit securely into a plastic storage container or a freezer weight zip lock bag. Vacuum seal for longer shipping times.
Nutrition
First Published: October 13, 2013. Last Updated: October 1, 2021. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.
Cindy
Wendy, you are the sprinkle queen. These are adorable. I love that they are gluten free. I will be making these for my youngest son, who follows a GF diet. The addition of pumpkin puree is such a surprising ingredient, but I'm sure it really contributes to the moistness in these.
Wendy Sondov
Being a Sprinkle Queen is way better than a Sprinkle Nut! 😉 This is a recipe I originally used for Passover with nut butter (peanut or almond) in place of the pumpkin. The pumpkin version is, not surprisingly, moister and the peanut butter version is a bit chewier. Both are a very dense form of brownie leaning toward fudge. My daughter was delighted that I posted something she could actually eat and she gave them two thumbs up.