Chocolate, cheesecake and pumpkin unite in this stunning yet simple dessert. Rich chocolate, cool cream cheese and bright seasoned pumpkin combine to make a fudgy brownie layer topped with swoopy swirls of pumpkin-pie spiked cream cheese.
If you’re not feeling the pumpkin, here’s a cheesecake brownie with no extras.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- Butter: As with any great baked good, rich butter is the best way to add the necessary fat for the best texture and great flavor.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Make sure you grab unsweetened chocolate at the store. Coarsely chopping the chocolate allows it to melt more quickly.
- Instant coffee granules: This differs from ground coffee, as the granules dissolve in liquid. Instant coffee is a secret weapon in chocolate desserts. It doesn’t make the dish taste like coffee but amplifies the chocolate flavor. Try it in any brownie recipe or your favorite chocolate cake.
- Pumpkin: Don’t get pumpkin pie filling. Pure canned pumpkin is what you want here. Adding pumpkin into the brownie batter and the cream cheese swirls layers the fall flavor.
- Eggs: Lightly beaten eggs bind the ingredients together for fudgy brownies.
- Flour: All-purpose flour has the right consistency for a thick, perfectly-textured brownie.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- Baking soda: Baking soda causes the brownies to rise, and canned pumpkin is just acidic enough to activate it.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Batter
- Cream cheese: Cool cream cheese is the foundation of the delicious cheesecake layer that complements chocolate brownies so well.
- Canned pumpkin: It adds bright pumpkin flavor and a pretty orange hue to your cream cheese swirls. If you have leftover canned pumpkin, we got you covered.
- Sugar: A bit of granulated sugar sweetens the cheesecake swirls to match the brownies.
- Vanilla: Chocolate and vanilla are opposites but go together so well.
- Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon is a classic out of the three spices that are commonly found in pumpkin pie spice.
- .Ground ginger: Ground ginger is gently spicy, bringing a some warmth to the mixture.
- Ground cloves: Cloves have a strong aroma, so you don’t need a lot, but just a bit rounds out the familiar pumpkin spice flavor.
- Eggs: Lightly beaten egg allows the cheesecake layer to set up.
- Chocolate chips: Semisweet chips are sprinkled over the top, adding little pockets of pure chocolate to the cool, creamy topping.
Directions
Step 1: Melt the butter and chocolate
Add the butter and chocolate to a microwaveable bowl, melt and stir until smooth.
Editor’s tip: To melt chocolate in the microwave, start with 30 seconds and stir, then repeat until only a few chunks remain. The warm melted chocolate will melt the last bits as you stir.
Step 2: Make the brownies
In a large bowl, dissolve instant coffee in boiling water. Stir in the remaining wet ingredients: pumpkin, eggs and melted chocolate. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and gently stir until just combined. Scrape into a 15x10x1 baking pan greased or coated with cooking spray.
Editor’s tip: If you don’t have instant coffee on hand, you can use a 1/2 cup of strongly brewed coffee.
Step 3: Make the cheesecake batter
Beat cream cheese and pumpkin until silky-smooth. Beat in sugar, vanilla and spices. Add the egg and mix until just combined. Dollop the mixture over brownie batter and swirl the cheesecake layer with a knife. Sprinkle it evenly with chocolate chips.
Editor’s tip: Using room-temperature cream cheese will make mixing easier.
Step 4: Bake
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack and cut into bars.
Recipe Variations
- Switch the chocolate chips: Swap semi-sweet chips for white or milk chocolate. You can also use all three!
- Over-the-top toppings: Add chopped pecans before baking or serve with a drizzle of salted caramel.
- Turn up the heat: Add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and pumpkin pie spices for a little Mexican hot chocolate vibe.
How to Store Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
Store leftover bars covered at room temperature for one day or in the refrigerator for three days.
Can you freeze pumpkin cheesecake brownies?
These swirled brownies freeze exceptionally well—store well-wrapped brownies in the freezer for up to three months. Let them sit on the counter or in the refrigerator until completely thawed.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownie Tips
How do you get the perfect swirl?
While these pumpkin cheesecake brownies will taste delicious no matter what they look like, here are some tips for getting a great pattern: Use a knife or a toothpick for the most control. Only swirl the cheesecake layer; don’t push it down into the brownie layer. Please don’t overdo it, or everything will blend together. For a more intricate pattern, spoon the cheesecake batter into stripes, then drag the toothpick in straight perpendicular lines through the batter stripes.
When do you know they’re cooked?
Brownies can be tricky because you don’t want to overbake them. You want the brownie and cheesecake layer to barely set, so watch carefully and check just before the minimum recommended time. The middle should be set but still look a little wet. The brownies may have started to crack around the edges but should not be cracking in the middle. When you insert that test toothpick, it shouldn’t come out clean like a cake, but have some moist crumbs (not wet batter) stuck to it.
What’s a fast way to soften cream cheese?
If you forgot to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator beforehand, a quick way to soften it is to submerge the foil package into a zipper-top bag and submerge it in warm water. It should be ready to go in about 10 minutes.
