These pumpkin swirl brownies are made from scratch and have a fudgy, dark chocolate brownie layer, topped with a moist pumpkin spice cake layer and a chocolate swirl on top! It's a quick and easy recipe made with simple pantry ingredients, all you need are a few bowls and a hand mixer, no special tools required.
Give me pumpkin everything in the fall, from buttery pumpkin scones to fluffy pumpkin mousse. I’ll take every pumpkin dessert I can find!
These brownies have an irresistible combination of pumpkin spice flavors and rich, gooey, fudgy chocolate. Both layers come together quickly, and they bake in about 30 minutes. You can literally come home from work and make these on a weeknight—I have done it!
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Pumpkin swirl brownies ingredients
Brownie layer
- Bittersweet chocolate chips and unsalted butter: We'll melt these together to make a chocolate ganache which will form the rich, chocolatey base of our brownies. Don't use semisweet chocolate chips, they do not have enough cocoa powder to the create structure needed in the batter.
- Eggs, flour, sugar, kosher salt: There's only a little bit flour in this brownie batter, which keeps them really fudgy.
Pumpkin spice layer
- Brown sugar and unsalted butter: These will get creamed together for the base. We are only using brown sugar for the pumpkin layer to add depth of flavor and keep the texture moist.
- Pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla: The canned pumpkin gets whipped into the eggs, vanilla and butter. Make sure you are using pumpkin puree, NOT canned pumpkin pie filling! You'll have some pumpkin left over, so use it to make my easy pumpkin cookies.
- Flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt: The rest of the pumpkin layer has pumpkin pie spice (of course) and just enough baking powder to give it some lift.
*Ingredients with measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
Variations
- Chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, walnuts: Add mini chocolate chips, walnuts, or chopped chocolate into to the pumpkin layer or on top just before baking. Don't add any extra ingredients to the brownie layer, I tested this and it is too thin and won't hold together if you do.
- Instant coffee or espresso powder: For a deeper chocolate flavor, add 1 teaspoon instant coffee to the dry ingredients in the brownie layer.
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How to make pumpkin swirl brownies
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch baking pan. Cut one sheet of parchment so it fits across the bottom and goes up two opposite sides so you have a flap hanging over.
Step 2: Add the chocolate chips and 8 tablespoon cubed butter to a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. Stir gently until all chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add the cooled chocolate and mix on low speed until completely incorporated.
Step 4: Sift the flour and salt directly into the chocolate. Use a spatula to gently incorporate it by hand. Reserve ยผ cup of brownie batter and set aside. Pour the remaining batter into the pan, ensure it is spread evenly into all four corners.
Step 5: In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter and brown sugar together. Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree to the butter and sugar, combine with the mixer on low speed until completely incorporated.
Step 6: In another bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Sift the dry ingredients directly into the bowl with the pumpkin puree. Use a spatula to gently combine just incorporated.
Step 7: Carefully transfer the pumpkin batter to the pan. Use an offset spatula to gently smooth the batter into an even layer, without pressing down, you want two distinct layers.
Step 8: Gently drop a few spoonfuls of the reserved brownie batter onto the pumpkin layer. Insert a toothpick and swirl it around. Bake for 30-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Take care with layering and swirls
- Pumpkin layer: If you press too hard when adding the pumpkin batter, you will squish the brownie batter toward the outside of the pan and cause the pumpkin layer to sink to the bottom.
- Brownie swirls: Don't overdo the swirling or it will just turn into one glob of chocolate! Take a few passes at it and then leave it alone.
Step 9: Transfer the pumpkin brownies to a cooling rack and allow to cool in the pan. Gently lift them out using the parchment paper hanging over each side. Slice into 9 large brownies, or smaller squares if desired.
Expert tips
- Combine wet and dry ingredients by hand: DO NOT use the hand mixer to incorporate the flour into either the pumpkin layer or the brownie layer. This will add too much extra air and change the final texture.
- Do not dust the pan with flour or cocoa powder: Although this is a trick I often use when baking brownies and bars to avoid sticking, it does not apply to this recipe. Either one of these will risk adding color to the edges of your brownies. Since we have two different color layers, we need to ensure that no cocoa or flour residue shows up on either one. The parchment paper makes them so much easier to lift out of the pan!
- Swirling tips and tools: When making the chocolate swirl on top, you can use a toothpick, chopstick, or skewer. Don't poke too deeply into the batter, you want to stay pretty close to the surface so the colors don't get muddy.
- To store: Keep pumpkin brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, then transfer the container to the refrigerator for up to 4 more days. Pumpkin brownies have a lot of moisture due to the canned pumpkin puree in the batter. Therefore, they tend to go bad quickly when stored at room temperature. This is why they need to be transferred to the refrigerator within a day or two.
More brownie recipes
Debra's Details: Pumpkin swirl brownies are quick, easy, and decadent!
- Uses pantry ingredients you probably have on hand.
- Comes together quickly in a few bowls and bakes in 30 minutes.
- Has a rich and fudgy brownie layer with a moist and tender pumpkin spice layer.
- You'll love them for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any fall snacking occasion!
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Recipe
Fudgy Pumpkin Swirl Brownies (From Scratch)
Equipment
- hand mixer optional
- sifter optional
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp flour
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Pumpkin Spice Layer
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
Make the brownies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch baking pan. Cut one sheet of parchment so it fits across the bottom and goes up two opposite sides so you have two flaps hanging over. You'll use these flaps to lift the brownies out of the pan.
- Add the chocolate chips and 8 tablespoons cubed butter to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. Stir gently until all chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or a whisk to combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla.
- Add the cooled chocolate to the eggs and sugar and mix on low speed until completely incorporated.
- Sift the flour and salt directly into the chocolate. Use a spatula to gently mix until just incorporated. DO NOT use the mixer for this step. See tips below.
- Reserve ¼ cup of brownie batter and set aside. Pour the remaining batter into the pan, using an offset spatula to ensure it is spread evenly into all four corners.
Make the pumpkin layer
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter and brown sugar together.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree to the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until completely incorporated.
- In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
- Sift the dry ingredients directly into the bowl of the pumpkin puree mixture. Use a spatula to gently combine until the ingredients are just incorporated. Don't overmix and DO NOT use a hand mixer or whisk. See tips below.
- Carefully transfer the pumpkin batter to the pan. Use an offset spatula to gently smooth the batter into an even layer, without pressing down. Take your time, you want two distinct layers. If you press too hard you will squish the brownie layer toward the outside of the pan and cause the pumpkin layer to sink to the bottom.
- Take the reserved ¼ cup of brownie batter, and gently drop spoonfuls of it onto the pumpkin layer in a few different spots. Insert a toothpick into the brownie batter and swirl it around to make a pretty design on top.
- Bake for 30-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool in the pan. Gently lift them out using the parchment paper hanging over each side. Slice into 9 large brownies, or smaller squares if desired.
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Notes
- Try a sifter: A sifter is not required, but it does make it much easier to avoid lumps of white flour sneaking up on you after the brownies are baked.
- DO NOT use the hand mixer to incorporate the flour into either the pumpkin layer or the brownie layer: This will add too much extra air and change the final texture.
- Don't dust the pan with flour or cocoa: Although this is a trick I often use when baking brownies and bars to avoid sticking, it does not apply to this recipe. Either one of these will risk adding color to the edges of your brownies. Since we have two different color layers, we need to ensure that no cocoa or flour residue shows up on either one. The parchment paper makes them so much easier to lift out of the pan!
- Be gentle when layering: You want to ensure that the brownie layer remains intact and doesn't get mixed in with the pumpkin or go up the sides and ruin your layered look.
- Swirl tools: When making the chocolate swirl on top, you can use a toothpick, chopstick, or skewer. Don't poke too deeply into the batter, you want to stay pretty close to the surface so the colors don't get muddy.
- To store: Store pumpkin brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, then transfer the container to the refrigerator for up to 4 more days. Pumpkin brownies have a lot of moisture due to the canned pumpkin puree in the batter. Therefore, they tend to go bad quickly when stored at room temperature. This is why they need to be transferred to the refrigerator within a day or two.
- To freeze: Place the cut brownies into an airtight freezer bag and freeze for up to two months. To serve, place them in the microwave for 30-second intervals until they reach your desired temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated as an estimate. Calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
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