Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
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These Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies are rich, moist, totally yummy and full of fall flavors! Perfect for Thanksgiving and all around fall treat!
Brownies
Yes, it’s pumpkin season and I could not let the season pass without at least one pumpkin recipe, but more will come. I love pumpkin season because I simply love pumpkin! I already have more pumpkin recipes planned so stay tuned – the reward will be worth the wait!
But for now I give you Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies. I know I recently posted my brownie recipe, but I have to say that these brownies are even better. Just look at that color! These brownies are so fudgy, rich, and if you’re a cheesecake lover like me, these brownies are for you!
These pumpkin brownies consist of two layers. A brownie layer and a pumpkin cheesecake layer. The brownie layer is a pretty basic brownie recipe and the cheesecake layer is made with cream cheese, pumpkin and pumpkin spices.
Pumpkin meets cheesecake meets brownie, have you guys ever even heard of such a wild combination? If you think about it it makes perfect sense. The cheesecake is rich and moist, just like the decadent brownie layer, and it all goes so picture perfectly with bright and festive pumpkin pie spices.
Ingredients
Brownie batter
- Wet ingredients – Melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs.
- Dry ingredients – All purpose flour, cocoa powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Cheesecake batter
- Cream cheese – I like to use regular full fat cream cheese for this batter.
- Pumpkin – Regular old canned pumpkin will do just fine, if you’d like to use fresh I’ll be sure to include a section below detailing how to do just that.
- Sugar – I used plain old granulated white sugar for a clean taste that focuses on the pumpkin more than anything else.
- Spices – Cinnamon and pumpkin spice are what we’re using for the flavor profile of this cheesecake element, hey it’s crucial to the whole brownie!
- Wet ingredients – Vanilla extract and eggs.
- Flour – Again all purpose is what we need.
How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- Preheat your oven: To 350 F degrees. Spray an 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking oil then line it with parchment paper.
- Combine the wet ingredients: In the bowl of your mixer add melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract and mix well until well combined. Add in the eggs and continue beating until light and fluffy.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the brownie batter, then gradually add them into the butter mixture and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Form the cheesecake batter:In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and beat it until smooth. Add the rest of the cheesecake batter ingredients and and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Assemble the brownies: Spread about 2/3 of the chocolate batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Spread the cheesecake batter over the brownie batter. Add remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter by spoonfuls. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife or a skewer back and forth through the pan.
- Bake the dessert: Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes (mine took 50 min), or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.
What’s The Best Cream Cheese To Use For Cheesecake
I prefer using Philadelphia cream cheese because it always makes a super silky cheesecake. However, if you can’t find the Philadelphia brand, use a cream cheese that is full fat for best results.
What Can I Serve My Brownies With?
Let’s say you’re making this dessert for a festive party and I mean it would do perfectly for this time of year! Those swirls of brownie with the bright shocking orange, here’s some perfect accompaniments:
How To Achieve Perfect Swirls
If you want two perfect layers as seen in the photos, when you’re swirling with a skewer, make sure you mostly only swirl the top two layers and don’t touch the bottom brownie layer.
Want To Use Fresh Pumpkin?
Well then you’re ambitious I’ll give you that, but it’s totally possible to use fresh pumpkin and to achieve that 100% homemade flavor.
- First halve the pumpkin and scoop out all the seeds.
- Heat an inch of water in a sauce pan till boiling, in the mean time slice the pumpkin into chunks. Boil these pieces of pumpkin briefly before reducing the heat, covering and allowing to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Drain and cool before removing the pumpkin from the peel. Mash it all up and you’re good to go!
Patience Is A Virtue
Baking these brownies takes a little while longer than a regular brownie and that’s because of the cheesecake layer. I strongly recommend waiting for these to cool completely on a rack if you have the patience. However, I prefer to leave mine a bit warm, so that when I serve them with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, the ice cream starts to melt all over the brownies.
What Can I Top My Brownies With?
These brownies may seem like they already have enough going on, but perfection can be improved upon – at least in my world!
- A good drizzle of chocolate sauce
- Caramel sauce, either homemade or store bought
- Dulce de leche
- Candied nuts
- Ice cream – my favorite is vanilla
How To Store Leftovers
Store your leftover brownies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer
Cooked cheesecake brownies freeze really well, just place the cakes fully cooled and uncovered on a pan in the freezer and allow to freeze entirely. Remove them and wrap fully in plastic wrap and aluminum foil till ready to eat. This method should ensure the brownies lasts 3 months.
Craving More Brownies? Try These:
- Brownie Recipe
- Halloween Candy Brownies
- Mile High Guinness Brownies with Guinness Buttercream Frosting
- Butterscotch Brownies
- Triple Bypass Brownies
- Cosmic Brownies
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
Video
Ingredients
Brownie Batter
- ¾ cup butter (unsalted, melted)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Cheesecake Batter
- 8 ounce cream cheese (softened)
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Spray an 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking oil then line it with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of your mixer add melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract and mix well until well combined. Add in the eggs and continue beating until light and fluffy.
- In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the brownie batter, then gradually add them into the butter mixture and mix until well combined and smooth.
- In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and beat it until smooth. Add the rest of the cheesecake batter ingredients and and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Spread about ⅔ of the chocolate batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Spread the cheesecake batter over the brownie batter. Add remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter by spoonfuls. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife or a skewer back and forth through the pan.
- Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes (mine took 50 min), or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.
Equipment
Notes
- If you want two perfect layers as seen in the photos, when you’re swirling with a skewer, make sure you mostly only swirl the top two layers and don’t touch the bottom brownie layer.
- Store your leftover brownies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Cooked cheesecake brownies freeze really well, just place the cakes fully cooled and uncovered on a pan in the freezer and allow to freeze entirely. Remove them and wrap fully in plastic wrap and aluminum foil till ready to eat. This method should ensure the brownies lasts 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
