Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Easy pumpkin cheesecake brownies. Fudgy and decadent chocolate brownies with creamy pumpkin swirl cheesecake layer on top. Our secret is we add lots of pumpkin puree in both the brownie and cheesecake layer for the optimum delicious pumpkin flavor!

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Why This Recipe Works
Ingredients For This Recipe
How To Make Pumpkin Puree
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Expert Tips
How To Store And Freeze
Recipe FAQs
More Pumpkin Recipes
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Why This Recipe Works

Showing the fudgy texture of the brownies.

With this recipe, you'll get rich, moist, fudgy pumpkin brownies with decadent chocolate and pumpkin flavor. The pumpkin cheesecake layer on top is creamy, and smooth and highlights the pumpkin taste even more. Here's why we love these brownie pumpkin cheesecake bars so much!

Double dose of pumpkin. Most recipes only use pumpkin puree in the cheesecake layer but not us! This is a brownie recipe with pumpkin so we've put the pumpkin puree in both layers of the cheesecake and brownie. Imagine the amazing flavor!
Extremely easy. This easy pumpkin cheesecake brownies recipe calls for minimum mixing, around 1-2 minutes each time. It's all about throwing all the ingredients together, mixing, assembling, and baking. You can't go wrong with it.

Ingredients For This Recipe

Ingredients to make pumpkin cheesecake brownies.

Pumpkin puree - I use Libby's canned pumpkin puree for this recipe like in my chewy pumpkin cookies and my healthy mini pumpkin pies, and it works amazingly. Don't confuse it with pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is 100% cooked mashed pumpkin, with no other ingredients in it. Pumpkin pie filling is pumpkin puree combined with other ingredients like sugar, spices, etc. I've written on how to make homemade pumpkin puree down below, in case you don't have canned puree.

Chocolate - Semisweet baking chocolate. I use a 55% cocoa. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more pronounced the bitter taste will be. Just letting you know in case you want to change it.

Cream cheese - I use full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese, like in my delicious cream cheese-filled pumpkin bread loaf. It works the best! You can use other brands but make sure it's full fat. Don't use light cream cheese, as it will affect the consistency of the pumpkin cheesecake layer.

Pumpkin pie spice mix - This enhances the wonderful pumpkin flavor in these pumpkin cheesecake brownies, so don't omit it. If you don't have it then make my homemade pumpkin pie spice blend at home, it's super easy and fast!

⭐ See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Pumpkin Puree

Sometimes life happens and we have no canned pumpkin puree in the pantry. Worry not, you can make pumpkin puree at home. I've used this homemade pumpkin puree to make this pumpkin cheesecake brownies and it came out equally amazing! So here's how to do it.

Prepare the pumpkin. I usually use butternut squash. Scrub it well and cut it into halves. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard them.
Bake. Place both the pieces cut side down, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 400ºF (200ºC) for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of your pumpkin. They're done when you poke a knife into the thickest part and you feel no resistance at all.
Blend. Cool completely and then remove the skin. Blend the pumpkin flesh in a food processor into a puree.
Drain. Pour the pumpkin puree into a fine colander or a cheesecloth and leave it overnight for 8 hours in a bowl. If your kitchen is hot then place the bowl in the fridge. We want to drain and discard as much liquid as possible. I also like to dab the puree with kitchen paper at the end, just to make sure. Now it's ready to use to make your pumpkin cheesecake brownies!

Use homemade or canned pumpkin puree to make my soft pumpkin dinner rolls and my tender pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. They're amazing!

⭐ I don't recommend boiling the pumpkin and then mashing it into a puree. You'll have too much liquid content in the puree. It's not ideal in baking as too much moisture will affect the consistency, texture of the bakes, and baking time.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Make the pumpkin cheesecake batter. Add cream cheese, pumpkin puree, 1 egg, granulated sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a stand mixer bowl. Mix everything well using a paddle attachment, on low speed for 1-2 minutes. Pour into a bowl, and set aside. We're going to use the stand mixer bowl again later.

2. Melt the chocolate. Add chopped chocolate and butter into a bowl and heat in the microwave at 30-second intervals, mixing everything well in between the intervals. You can also use the double-boiler method. Set aside to cool it slightly before using.

3. Mix the wet ingredients. Add both granulated and brown sugar into a stand mixer bowl together with pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, and the slightly cooled melted chocolate. Mix everything well using a paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add in the dry ingredients. Add all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder into a separate bowl, and mix well using a spoon. Pour into the stand mixer bowl, and mix everything well for 1-2 minutes, on low speed. Reserve 2-3 tablespoon of brownie batter to make the swirls.

5. Assemble and bake. Pour the brownie batter into a greased 8x8-inch (20cm) removable bottom square pan. Spread evenly using an offset spatula. Spoon the pumpkin cheesecake batter all over on top, and spread evenly. Put small flat dollops of reserved brownie batter randomly on top. Make swirls using a wooden skewer, making sure to drag the brownie batter around with each swirl. Insert the skewer only in the cheesecake layer, not the bottom brownie layer.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF(175ºC), on the lower ⅔ rack, for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out slightly wet. Cool completely before slicing. Enjoy your delicious pumpkin cheesecake swirled brownies!

Recipe Expert Tips

Use low speed to mix at all times. This is to prevent overmixing the ingredients. Overmixing will make the cheesecake layer crack and the brownie layer tough.
Don't overbake. Check the pumpkin cheesecake brownies at minute 40 and go from there. The skewer inserted in the center should come out slightly wet, to get that fudgy-textured brownies. If it comes out clean it means that it's overbaked.
Use a portable oven thermometer. Each oven is different. I use a portable oven thermometer every single time I bake to get an accurate temperature.

How To Store And Freeze

Store - Keep these pumpkin cheesecake brownies in an air-tight container, in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.

Freeze - Place the sliced portions on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, with some space in between them. Fast-freeze for 1 hour. Once solid, wrap each piece with cling film and keep them in an air-tight container or a ziploc bag, back into the freezer. They're good for up to 3 months. Thaw the amount you want at room temperature.

Recipe FAQs

How to get perfect swirls?

It's not as difficult as it looks. Put small flat dollops (instead of small tall mountains) of brownie batter randomly on the cheesecake layer. Use a wooden skewer and start swirling non-stop, making sure to drag the brownie batter around in each swirl. Insert the skewer only in the cheesecake layer, not the bottom brownie layer.

Can I use fresh pumpkin?

Yes. I've written on how to make pumpkin puree at home in the post above, do refer to it. It's easy, actually. Basically, you just cut the pumpkin in halves, bake until it's soft, blend it into a puree, and then drain it to discard the excess liquid.