Healthy Pumpkin Brownies (1-Bowl, Easy Recipe)

A stack of five pumpkin brownies with chopped pecans and a bowl of pumpkin puree nearby.

Healthy Pumpkin Brownies (1-Bowl, Easy Recipe)

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 28

Total Time 38

Servings:9 brownies

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

These easy and wholesome pumpkin brownies come together in 1 bowl with simple pantry ingredients. Vegan and made with gluten-free oat flour, they have that irresistible fudgy-meets-cake texture. And thanks to pumpkin puree, cocoa, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon, they taste like fall in brownie form!

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

¾ cup pumpkin puree - see Notes
⅔ cup runny almond butter, smooth and unsalted - can sub natural peanut butter or sunbutter
1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt - reduce to ⅛ if using salted nut butter
⅓ cup maple syrup plus 1 tablespoon
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed - see Notes for sub
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup oat flour - see Notes for measuring instructions
½ cup cocoa powder - if using Dutch process, swap baking soda for ½ t baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup dairy-free chocolate chips - or more, if you like!
¼ cup chopped toasted pecans, optional - or walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175°C) and line an 8×8 metal baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, nut butter, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla, and whisk again.
Sift the oat flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda directly into the bowl (you don’t have to sift these, but they tend to be clumpy, so I find sifting helps). Mix thoroughly. The batter should be very thick, almost like frosting.
Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans, if using. Transfer batter to the prepared pan. Since it's thick, it can be a little tricky to spread because of the parchment. I like to use the back of a spoon to spread out evenly.
Bake in the center of the oven for 25-29 minutes or until the top looks dry and set but the center still feels soft. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs. If it's coated in wet batter, bake for another 2 minutes and check again.
Let your pumpkin brownies rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Measuring: A few of the ingredients can significantly alter the texture of the brownies if not measured properly. I recommend using a kitchen scale (tap on "Metric" to see the weights in grams). If you don't own a scale, whisk the oat flour and cocoa to fluff up, then lightly scoop with dry measuring cups, and level off the excess. Measure brown sugar by firmly packing it into the measuring cup.

Spices: If you don't have pumpkin spice blend on hand, you can make your own with these ground spices:

1 ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ tteaspoon cloves

Brown sugar: Coconut sugar can be used instead but the brownies will be drier. Add 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk or water to help offset this.

Store: Let the brownies cool completely, and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, wrap individually in cling wrap, or use parchment paper to prevent sticking, then place inside a freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition