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    Gastronotherapy » Recipes » Chocolate

    Fudgy Vegan Pumpkin Brownies

    Modified: Sep 15, 2024 · Published: Oct 4, 2021 · by MaryAnne · 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    These vegan pumpkin brownies are gooey and fudgy, and marbled with a pumpkin spice filling. Almond butter is used, which takes the place of butter and eggs and creates that thick, fudgy texture, like in these dairy free brownies. These pumpkin brownies are a simple but decadent fall treat that are also flour-less, protein-rich, high in fiber, and require no special equipment.

    Fudgy vegan pumpkin brownies stacked on a white plate.

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    Between the yogurt, canned pumpkin, and almond butter, this vegan brownie recipe is packed with protein and full of fiber.

    These vegan 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 Pumpkin Brownies are the Best
    • 🎃 Ingredient Notes
    • 📝 Variations & Substitutions
    • 🔪 How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Brownies
    • 🍽 Storage Instructions
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🍫 More Vegan Dessert Recipes
    • Vegan Pumpkin Brownies

    ⭐️ Why These Pumpkin Brownies are the Best

    • Fudgy, thick, and gooey vegan brownies with canned pumpkin
    • 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 brownie recipe

    🎃 Ingredient Notes

    Brownie ingredients arranged on a table.
    • 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 cookies with chocolate chips.
    • 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 your 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 egg free blondies or egg-less lemon cookies. 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.

    📝 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 seeds. 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 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 mixed together in a small 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.

    Flax eggs setting up in a small bowl.
    8"x8" metal pan sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment.

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

    Dry ingredients whisked together in a large mixing bowl.

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

    Wet ingredients whisked together in a medium bowl.

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

    Wet ingredients mixed into dry ingredients with chocolate chips.

    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.

    Using the back of a spoon to make indentations into brownie batter.
    Dropping spoonfuls of pumpkin swirl onto brownie batter.
    Using a spoon handle to swirl pumpkin mixture into brownie batter.

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

    Eggless pumpkin brownies on a cooling rack with crumbs.

    🍽 Storage Instructions

    For optimal fudginess, store brownies (covered) in the refrigerator. They can be stored for up to 5 days.

    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.

    👩🏼‍🍳 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.
    • Make ahead: Assemble brownie batter into a prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as instructed.
    • Use a metal pan. For the best brownie texture, I recommend using a metal pan (as opposed to a glass pan). Not only does it conduct heat better, allowing for more even baking, but it gives you perfectly straight edges. Check out this article to learn more about glass vs. metal baking pans.
    • Use parchment paper. For easy removal, line your baking dish with parchment paper.

    💬 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.

    🍫 More Vegan Dessert Recipes

    • Stack of vegan pumpkin cookies arranged on parchment paper.
      Easy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Vegan blondies stacked on parchment paper with chocolate chips in background.
      Gooey Vegan Blondies
    • gluten free peanut butter cookies arranged on a baking sheet.
      6-Ingredient Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Creamy vegan truffles arranged on a white plate with cup of chocolate in background.
      Fudgy Vegan Truffles (3 ingredients)

    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, TikTok, and Facebook.

    Subscribe to my email newsletter to get a FREE e-book of 15 Healthy Weeknight Recipes, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox every week!

    Fudgy vegan pumpkin brownies stacked on a white plate.

    Vegan Pumpkin Brownies

    Author: MaryAnne
    These vegan pumpkin brownies are gooey and fudgy, and marbled with a pumpkin spice filling. Almond butter is used, which takes the place of butter and eggs and creates that thick, fudgy texture. These pumpkin brownies are a simple but decadent fall treat that are also flour-less, protein-rich, high in fiber, and require no special equipment.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 9 brownies
    Calories 303 kcal

    Equipment

    • 8"x8" baking dish
    • small bowl
    • medium bowl
    • large bowl

    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. Set aside.
    • 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).

    Video

    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.
    • Use a metal pan. For the best brownie texture, I recommend using a metal pan (as opposed to a glass pan). Not only does it conduct heat better, allowing for more even baking, but it gives you perfectly straight edges.
    • 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
    5 from 8 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Hi! I’m MaryAnne, the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind Gastronotherapy, where I bring vibrant, delicious, and thoughtfully crafted mainly vegetarian and vegan (flexitarian) recipes to life. While my focus leans toward wholesome, nourishing dishes, my love for dessert ensures that indulgence always has a place at the table!

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