[This post is sponsored by Rodelle. I love their vanilla extract — it’s my go-to baking ingredient for these pumpkin brownies!]
Let’s talk about making friends this fall.
Share pumpkin fudge brownies with everyone you know — they’re guaranteed to spark conversation.
We’re big brownie fans here. Eddie is the biggest brownie lover in the house; he sometimes makes a whole pan for himself on the weekend. Lately we’ve even reached for a boxed mix now and then, which is fine. But for pumpkin brownies I went all in.
This homemade brownie recipe is worth it. The brownies are fudgy — not cakey — which is my preference. The pumpkin layer is silky and almost cheesecake-like, but without tasting exactly like pumpkin cheesecake. The combination of the dense chocolate base and the smooth pumpkin topping makes these the best autumn brownies.
One funny hiccup: Eddie insists he doesn’t like pumpkin. I left a pan of these on the counter after giving most away and he texted me a photo asking WHAT ARE THESE?! I almost didn’t tell him there was pumpkin inside. He could see a faint orange tint and suspected something — maybe pumpkin, maybe butternut squash — but I eventually admitted they were pumpkin fudge brownies. He didn’t try one at the time, which left me with many brownies to enjoy.
Luckily that’s a delicious problem to have.
I’m partnering with Rodelle again to share how much I love their pure vanilla extract and organic Dutch process cocoa. Their vanilla is outstanding and the cocoa brings incredible depth to these pumpkin brownies — it’s a key reason they taste so rich.
The pumpkin layer is creamy and smooth. I keep the spices light because I prefer the pumpkin flavor itself to shine through. If you like a subtler spice profile, this is the version for you — full pumpkin flavor without overwhelming warm spices.
These are ideal for Thanksgiving because you can make them ahead. They’re less fussy than pie and keep well. If you refrigerate them, store the whole pan unsliced and remove it the morning of your meal to slice and bring to room temperature. That frees up time for other entertaining tasks.
Pumpkin Brownies
Pumpkin Fudge Brownies
12 people
1 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Rodelle Organic Dutch Process Cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Pumpkin layer
- 1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together the cocoa, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the sugar until smooth, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Cool 5–10 minutes and whisk in the vanilla.
- Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then stir in the flour. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Make the pumpkin layer: beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the pumpkin, sugar, spices, vanilla, cream, and eggs. Beat until fully combined and lump-free.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture over the brownie batter. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining brownie batter on top and use a knife or skewer to swirl the layers together.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
The swirl just makes me so happy.