Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

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Pumpkin Brownies

I decided to take my favorite brownie recipe, the one I published in The Mom 100 Cookbook a handful of years ago, and turn them into something that says “Hi, pumpkin season, how’ve you been?”

The bottom layer is a fudgy brownie, dense, and with a serious hit of chocolate.  The top layer is a creamy pumpkin cheesecake, scented with those great fall spices.  Then a bit of the brownie mixture (which you will reserve) is dolloped on the top and swirled into the cheesecake mixture for a beautiful brown and pale orange marbled effect.

These are beautiful, they are thick, they are rich, and they are the kind of dessert where you’re going to end up feeling pretty pleased with yourself.   It’s a dessert to impress, with no fancy baking techniques required.

Perfect Halloween and Thanksgiving Brownies

These brownies would be great to bring to a Halloween party (though I will admit the idea of bringing a dessert, even one as super-seasonal and color coordinated as this one perennially strikes me as odd…aren’t we all just intent on riffling through our children’s bags?  To me a little collection of “fun-sized” candy bars trumps a brownie on Halloween.  Even a brownie that I love as much as this one.)

But definitely Thanksgiving then.  Definitely Thanksgiving.  Fall potlucks.  Tailgating.

Make Ahead Pumpkin Brownies

You can store these at room temperature in a tightly sealed container for a day, or in the fridge for several days.   You could also wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then slip them into a freezer-proof zipper top bag and freeze them, I think for about 3 or 4 months.

They’re best served at room temperature.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies: the bottom layer is a fudgy brownie; the top layer is a creamy pumpkin cheesecake with fall spices.

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Other Brownie Recipes:

• One-Pot Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies
• Big Chewy Brownie Cookies with Dried Cherries and White Chocolate Chips
• Fudgy One-Pot Brownies

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

5 from 5 votes

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 24 Brownies

What’s orange and brown and chocolatey all over?

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Ingredients 

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For the Brownie

• ▢ 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• ▢ 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• ▢ ½ cup cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 ½ cups sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake

• ▢ 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature
• ▢ ¾ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup pureed canned pumpkin
• ▢ ⅓ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Generously butter or spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
• Make the brownie batter: Melt together the butter and chocolate in a medium-sized pot over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt, then blend in the vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring quickly so they don’t have a chance to cook at all before they are blended in. Blend in the flour.
• Scrape about 3/4 of the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Set the pan and the remaining brownie batter (about one cup) aside.
• Make the pumpkin cheesecake batter: In a large bowl bet the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves and beat, scraping down the sides, until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the pumpkin, cream and vanilla until smooth. Spread the pumpkin cheesecake batter over the brownie batter in the pan, then use a tablespoon to dollop remaining brownie batter over the top in spots. Use a dull knife to swirl the mixtures together on top, making sure to leave it very streaky, and not blend too much.
• Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out clean.
• Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Cut into 24 squares.

Notes

You can store these at room temperature in a tightly sealed container for a day, or in the fridge for several days.   You could also wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then slip them into a freezer-proof zipper top bag and freeze them, I think for about 3 or 4 months.

They’re best served at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 175mg, Potassium: 130mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 2177IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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