These lush vegan pumpkin brownies are swirled with both chocolate and pumpkin spice for the ultimate Fall treat. The recipe is pretty easy but very delicious. Cozy-up and get baking, so you can share these brownies with all your Autumn loving friends.
Brownies are an all-year treat, but these Pumpkin Swirl Brownies are especially delicious when October rolls around and we enter Pumpkin Spice everything season. There is real pumpkin puree in the pumpkin spice swirl portion of the batter and of course, cocoa and chocolate chips in the chocolate swirl.
These Fall themed vegan brownies take their inspiration from my amazing Biscoff Brownies and their big sister recipe Chocolate Banana Brownies, however this time I've removed the banana and used linseed to bind them. The recipe uses half a can of pumpkin puree, so if you want to finish it up, why not try my easy pumpkin oatmeal cookies!
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🎃Ingredients
This delicious brownie recipe comes together with some simple ingredients. I've listed the key ones below to help you with your shopping.
- Pumpkin Puree- Don't use pumpkin pie mix! This recipe uses half a can of pumpkin puree. This is a common ingredient to find in the USA, however, here in in the UK, this is a seasonal product you can find at most larger supermarkets or online. You can substitute cooked and mashed fresh pumpkin or butternut squash if you prefer.
- Plain (All purpose) flour- or your favourite gluten free flour.
- Pumpkin Spice- Use the traditional pumpkin pie spice mix, or if you're in the UK, use mixed spice and add in extra cinnamon to get the fragrant spicing. Alternatively make your own pumpkin pie spice with nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger and cinnamon.
- Cocoa Powder- use quality plain cocoa powder with no sugar in it.
- Chocolate Chips- I use dark (aka semi-sweet) chocolate chips from Tesco. They're vegan and I find the quality pretty decent. You can use your favourite chocolate chopped up instead.
- Ground Linseed/Flaxseed- mixed with water. This becomes the 'egg' binding for the brownies. To do this you mix 1 tablespoon flaxseed with 2.5- 3 tablespoon water.
- Neutral Oil- lots of recipes call for plant butter which gets melted. I find it an unnecessary step in the process to be honest. I tend to use sunflower oil in baking.
- Brown Sugar- light or dark brown sugar makes these brownies extra rich and fudgy. You can use coconut sugar if you wish.
- Plant Milk- I use oat as that's what I always have to hand, but soy, or any other unflavoured plant milk will work.
See recipe card for all ingredients and full quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Follow along with these how-to instructions for the perfect vegan pumpkin brownies!
- In a large bowl, add the linseed/flaxseed and water and mix.
2. To the flaxseed, add the oil, sugar vanilla and milk and mix thoroughly.
3. Now, add in the flour and baking powder and mix.
4. You should end up with a thick smooth batter like this.
5. Divide the batter into two portions (more or less evenly), you will need another bowl.
6. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate chips to one bowl. Add the pumpkin puree and spices to the other bowl. Mix each well.
7. Line a brownie tin, then scoop out the batters, roughly putting them into a sort of checkerboard effect as shown.
8. Use the end of a spoon or a chopstick and swirl the batter around. Add more chocolate chips on top. Bake at 180°C/Gas Mark 4/325°F for around half an hour. The brownies are done when they are just set and still a little sticky when you poke a skewer in to check.
Hint: When the brownies are ready, leave them to cool in the tin for half an hour. This ensures they have that lovely fudgy texture!
🍌Variations and Substitutions
This recipe for pumpkin brownies is already vegan, which makes it dairy and egg free.
- Banana - Swap the ground linseed 'egg' for 300g (2 medium) bananas. I tested this and it works fine, however you will taste the banana a little.
- Gluten-free- - use your favourite gluten-free flour.
- Pumpkin Spice Blondies- Skip the chocolate swirl and just let these be pure pumpkin blondies with chocolate chips. To do this, use a whole can of the pumpkin puree and omit the chocolate and swirl part of the recipe.
🔪Equipment
The great thing about this brownie recipe is that it doesn't require creaming or whipping, just a bit of a mix and two bowls to make the separate mixture in.
You will however need a good brownie tin that is approx 24cm x 24cm (ish)
🥫Storage
This super yummy vegan pumpkin brownie recipe keeps pretty well in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just defrost as needed!
❗Top tip
Don't overbake the pumpkin brownies or they will be cakey and not brownie-like. Check on them at around the 25-minute mark to be sure..
❓FAQ
This usually happens when you overbake the brownies. They should still be a little gooey in the middle when you take them out of the oven.
Don't worry, this won't affect the outcome of the brownies. The cocoa content in the chocolate part stiffens up the batter, but once the two are swirled a bit together it will turn out fine.
Add up to 100g (¾ cup) of chopped nuts or seeds for a crunchy addition to the brownies.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Equipment
- Baking Tin 24 x 24 cm
- 2 Large mixing bowls
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 240 grams (2 cups) plain (all purpose) flour
- 250 grams (2) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoon (10 ½ oz) milled linseed/flaxseed
- 180 ml (12 tablespoon) water (2.5 tablespoons/15ml water to 1 tsbp flax)
- 150 ml (⅗ cups) unsweetened soy milk or oat milk
- 120 ml (½ cups) sunflower or other unflavoured oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Brownie Swirl
- 75 grams (½ cups) dark vegan chocolate chips (Plus extra to sprinkle on top. )
- 50 grams (½ cups) unsweetened cocoa powder
For the Pumpkin Spice Swirl
- 210 g (1 cup) pureed pumpkin (half a 15 oz/400g can)
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (2 teaspoon mixed spice if pumpkin pie spice unavailable)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4/350°F and line a brownie tin (approx 24cm x 24cm).
- In a large bowl, mix the water into the milled flaxseed.4 tablespoon milled linseed/flaxseed, 180 ml water
- Add to that bowl, flour, brown sugar, baking powder & salt.240 grams plain (all purpose) flour, 250 grams brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the other liquids to the flour mix and stir gently until combined.150 ml unsweetened soy milk or oat milk, 120 ml sunflower or other unflavoured oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Divide the mixture evenly into two bowls.
- In one of the bowls, add the cocoa powder and choc chips and fold through the batter.75 grams dark vegan chocolate chips, 50 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
- In the other half of the mixture, add the pumpkin pie spice ,cinnamon and pumpkin puree and mix.210 g pureed pumpkin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Scoop out the batter in a roughly checkerboard pattern (see how-to instructions in main post for how this looks)
- Swirl the batter around with the end of a teaspoon or a skewer and sprinkle over more chocolate chips if desired.
- Put into the oven for around half an hour. Check after 25 minutes.
- (Make sure you don't overbake, or the brownie may not be as fudgy and squidgy).
- Allow to cool in the tin for the best fudgy brownie outcome.
- Cut into pieces and share.
Video
Notes
- When the brownies are ready, leave them to cool in the tin for half an hour. This ensures they have that lovely fudgy texture!
- Don't overbake the pumpkin brownies or they will be cakey and not brownie-like. Check on them at around the 25-minute mark to be sure.
Jessie says
These pumpkin brownies look incredible! Chocolate & pumpkin is a favorite combination of mine and i can’t wait to make these for dessert!
Kim says
I really enjoy the combination of pumpkin spice and chocolate. These look amazing!
Stephanie says
These are so fudgy and delicious. They look so pretty, too! I think I may serve them as a dessert option on Thanksgiving.
Janessa says
Yum! I love the combination of chocolate and pumpkin.
Jovita says
It’s looking delicious! I'll definitely try this 🙂 Thank you so much for such tasty pumpkin brownies recipe!
Stevie says
Hi, am I being really dense? Could you please tell me how much water to add to the flaxseed please? Many thanks
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
Oh I'm so sorry- It should be written on the recipe! It's 3 tbsp water per 1 tbsp of flax, so 15tbsp. I'll update the recipe very soon.