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    Gastronotherapy » Recipes » Chocolate

    Fudgy Vegan Pumpkin Brownies

    Published: Oct 4, 2021 · Modified: Sep 19, 2022 by MaryAnne · 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Fudgy and gooey vegan pumpkin brownies are marbled with a pumpkin spice filling. These healthy pumpkin brownies are a simple but decadent fall treat (prep time is just 10 minutes!), gluten free, high in protein and fiber, and require no special equipment.

    vegan pumpkin brownies stacked on a white plate with a spoon of cinnamon.

    One of the secret ingredients used in these vegan pumpkin brownies is almond butter, which takes the place of butter and eggs in a "normal" brownie recipe. It creates that thick, fudgy texture that we want in a brownie.

    Between the yogurt, canned pumpkin, and almond butter, this pumpkin brownie recipe is high in protein and full of fiber; it's hard to remember that it's healthy!

    These healthy pumpkin brownies are super gooey, chocolaty, and gluten-free, with a delicious pumpkin spice swirl. I recommend placing your brownies in the refrigerator to help set up after cooling - it helps them become extra thick and fudgy.

    Jump to:
    • ⭐️ Why These Brownies are the Best
    • 🎃 Ingredient Notes
    • 📝 Variations & Substitutions
    • 🔪 How To Make Fudgy Vegan Pumpkin Brownies
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🍫 Related Recipes
    • Fudgy Vegan Pumpkin Brownies

    ⭐️ Why These Brownies are the Best

    • Fudgy, thick, and gooey brownies with pumpkin
    • Serve on a Halloween platter, along with spooky oreo spider cookies
    • Healthy brownies with pumpkin puree that are high in protein and fiber, flour-less, dairy-free/vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free
    • Quick and easy - prep time is just 10 minutes
    • Kid-friendly pumpkin brownie recipe
    • Make ahead instructions provided
    • Freezer-friendly brownies

    🎃 Ingredient Notes

    • Canned pumpkin - Make sure you are using canned pumpkin/pumpkin puree (often sold as "100% pure pumpkin") for this recipe, which only contains pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is a different ingredient, and contains sweetener and spices. Use your leftover pumpkin to make vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cream cheese swirl muffins or vegan mushroom risotto with pumpkin.
    • Non-dairy yogurt - You can use any dairy-free yogurt here (coconut yogurt, almond milk yogurt, etc.)
    • Cornstarch or tapioca starch - This helps to thicken our pumpkin swirl.
    • Pumpkin spice - A mixture of warm fall spices that pair beautifully with pumpkin (see below for my homemade pumpkin spice recipe!)
    • Flax eggs - Often used as an egg substitute for vegan baked goods; flax eggs are created by soaking flax seeds in water. Use them to make gooey vegan blondies and creamy flaxseed pudding. To make a flax egg: combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it becomes gelatinous.
    • Almond butter - This is used to replace the butter and eggs typically used in brownies. It has a neutral flavor and contains healthy fats and protein.
    • (Vegan) dark chocolate chips - Guittard makes excellent vegan (60%) chocolate chips.
    Healthy pumpkin brownies cut into nine pieces and arranged on parchment paper.

    📝 Variations & Substitutions

    • Roasted squash or pumpkin. If you have roasted squash or pumpkin cubes leftover from another dish, you can purée them in a food processor, and they will work great.
    • Eggs. If you eat eggs, you can substitute eggs in this recipe and will get similar results.
    • Nut butter. You can substitute any nut butter of your choice here (peanut butter, cashew butter, etc.)
    • Ground chia seed. Chia seeds have a similar flavor and texture as flax seeds, and they are a fine substitute in this recipe.
    • Make your own homemade pumpkin spice. This spice blend varies depending on which spices you want more or less of, but I make this version in my kitchen:

    1 ½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
    1 teaspoon ginger
    1 teaspoon nutmeg
    ¾ teaspoon allspice
    ¾ teaspoon cloves

    🔪 How To Make Fudgy Vegan Pumpkin Brownies

    Make the Pumpkin Swirl

    In a small bowl, whisk together all of the pumpkin swirl ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

    Pumpkin swirl ingredients combined in a mixing bowl.

    Make the Brownies

    Prepare the flax eggs and set aside to set up. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 8"x8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

    In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

    cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl.

    In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the almond butter, canned pumpkin, flax eggs, and vanilla.

    Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and stir just until combined. Pour in chocolate chips and stir lightly once more.

    vegan pumpkin brownie batter in a pan.

    Transfer to prepared baking dish. Use the back of a spoon to make indentations in the batter, and fill with the pumpkin-yogurt mixture. Swirl mixture around using a spoon handle.

    Brownie batter with pumpkin spice swirl in a baking dish.

    Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before slicing. (Refrigerate for optimal fudginess).

    Baked pumpkin brownies in baking dish.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

    • Make sure you are using canned pumpkin/pumpkin puree (often sold as "100 % pure pumpkin") for this recipe, which only contains pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is a different ingredient, and contains sweetener and spices.
    • Storage: For optimal fudginess, store brownies (covered) in the refrigerator. They can be stored for up to 5 days.
    • Make ahead: Assemble brownie batter into a prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as instructed.
    • How to freeze: Place in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 1 hour.
    • Use parchment paper. For easy removal, line your baking dish with parchment paper.
    Chocolate pumpkin brownie cut with a fork and resting on a white plate.

    💬 Frequently Asked Questions

    How do you make vegan brownies?

    Vegan brownies are simple to make. In this recipe, we use almond butter, which takes the place of butter and eggs in a "normal" brownie recipe. It creates that thick, fudgy texture that we want in a brownie.

    Can I make brownies without egg?

    Brownies made without eggs are very simple, thanks to the magic of flax eggs. By combining ground flax seed with water, it creates a gelatinous mixture that mimics the consistency of eggs.

    How do I make my brownies more fudgy?

    Fudgy brownies contain more fat compared to cakey brownies. Typically, this is created by a higher ratio of eggs, butter, and chocolate to flour. In this vegan brownie recipe, the fat is replaced with almond butter, flax eggs, and plant-based yogurt. Because they are flourless, the brownies are extra thick and fudgy.

    🍫 Related Recipes

    • Vegan Chocolate Avocado Mousse
    • Easy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Gooey Vegan Blondies
    • Vegan S'mores Bars

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

    Subscribe to my email newsletter to get my FREE Guide on Money Saving Tips on Buying Groceries, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox!

    vegan pumpkin brownies stacked on a plate.

    Fudgy Vegan Pumpkin Brownies

    Author: MaryAnne
    Fudgy vegan pumpkin brownies are marbled with a pumpkin spice filling. These healthy pumpkin brownies are a simple but decadent fall treat (prep time is just 10 minutes!), gluten free, high in protein and fiber, and require no special equipment.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 9 brownies
    Calories 303 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the Pumpkin Swirl

    • ¼ cup canned pumpkin
    • ¼ cup non-dairy yogurt
    • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
    • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (*see homemade recipe listed above)

    For the Brownies

    • 2 flax eggs (*see instructions below)
    • 1 cup cocoa powder
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
    • 1 cup almond butter
    • ¾ cup canned pumpkin
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup (vegan) dark chocolate chips (60 % or higher)

    Instructions
     

    Make the Pumpkin Swirl

    • In a small bowl, whisk together all of the pumpkin swirl ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

    Make the Brownies

    • Prepare the flax eggs and set aside to set up. *To make two flax eggs: combine 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed with 6 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it becomes gelatinous.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 8"x8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
    • In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the almond butter, canned pumpkin, flax eggs, and vanilla.
    • Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and stir just until combined. Add chocolate chips and stir lightly once more.
    • Transfer to prepared baking dish. Use the back of a spoon to make indentations in the batter, and fill with the pumpkin-yogurt mixture. Use a spoon handle to swirl.
    • Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before slicing. (Refrigerate for optimal fudginess).

    Notes

    • Make sure you are using canned pumpkin (often sold as "100 % pure pumpkin") for this recipe, which only contains pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is a different ingredient, and contains sweetener and spices.
    • Storage: For optimal fudginess, store your brownies in the refrigerator. They can be stored for up to 5 days.
    • Make ahead: Assemble brownie batter into a prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as instructed.
    • How to freeze: Place in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 1 hour.
    • Use parchment paper. For easy removal, line your baking dish with parchment paper.
    • This recipe is adapted from Feasting on Fruit.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 303kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 9gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 200mgPotassium: 433mgFiber: 8gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 4238IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 152mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barbara Haner

      October 20, 2021 at 7:33 pm

      5 stars
      Another great autumn recipe to try! I am going to be doing quite a bit of baking to experiment with high altitude baking, which is new for me so am excited to try these new recipes.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        October 21, 2021 at 7:27 am

        Good luck with the high-altitude baking! I hope you try these pumpkin swirl brownies - I think you would love them!

        Reply
    2. Gina

      October 23, 2021 at 6:32 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely love the fudgy texture of these brownies and that they're vegan and gluten-free - will be making them this weekend!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        October 23, 2021 at 8:17 am

        Hi, Gina! Yes - these brownies are super fudgy as well as being vegan and gluten-free! I hope you enjoy them this weekend!

        Reply
    3. sue

      October 23, 2021 at 6:43 am

      5 stars
      My daughter has just announced she's vegan, so the timing couldn't be more perfect, thank you!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        October 23, 2021 at 8:18 am

        Perfect - I bet she will love them! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Sharon

      October 23, 2021 at 8:18 am

      5 stars
      I love the layers of chocolate mixed with the swirls of pumpkin batter. The best of both worlds in this dish!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        October 23, 2021 at 8:21 am

        Absolutely, Sharon! I love all things pumpkin and chocolate, but these fudgy pumpkin brownies are on another level with their fudginess!

        Reply
    5. Cathleen

      October 23, 2021 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      These brownies are so perfect for the fall! I can't believe they are vegan! I am definitely giving these a go, thanks so much for the recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        October 23, 2021 at 12:31 pm

        You're welcome, Cathleen! Let me know how they turn out!

        Reply
    6. Michelle

      October 23, 2021 at 8:39 am

      5 stars
      Such a delicious and healthy treat! The kids loved these!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        October 23, 2021 at 12:33 pm

        So happy to hear that, Michelle! 🙂

        Reply

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    MaryAnne from Gastronotherapy

    Hi, I'm MaryAnne! Gastronotherapy is where I create easy recipes that are mainly vegetarian and vegan. And I have a huge sweet tooth, so dessert is never far behind.

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