The leaves have turned a bright orange color and have covered the streets (and mostly on top of my car) . So obviously we know it’s been PUMPKIN season for a while! The PSL (pumpkin spice latte) trend starts probably just after Labor Day, but since Thanksgiving is next week (seriously, right?), a pumpkin recipe just feels oh so appropriate. So, without further ado, let’s dive into these Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies!
I know, I always say my recipes are “easy”, but I can promise you, that THIS recipe is really just that. It’s only a handful of ingredients. No eggs, no flours. 100% vegan and totally delicious. It’s thick, rich and decadent, yet somehow these brownies don’t feel too heavy. The almond butter give these treats a smooth, almost buttery (well, thank you almond butter) texture and the pumpkin puree acts like a binder, so no eggs were harmed in the making of this dessert.
Almond BUTTER?!?
Okay, but first, I have to share this funny story in regards to these brownies.
I made these on a whim last Sukkot and brought them to my parents house to share with my family. Remember those days, when we all spent holidays together? Oh, how pre-COVID seems like a lifetime ago. I took these out of the fridge and ate a few bites. Yes, be sure to keep them cold since there’s no preservatives, but they freeze well.
My sister Melissa saw me sneaking a few bites of this chocolatey goodness and immediately came right over and asked what was in them, because obviously she wanted to take a bite. Quality control, right? 🙂 I told her, “Pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, almond butter…” And well, she looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. “Almond BUTTER,” she asked quizzically. “Yea, you know, almond butter.”
And after about a 15-20 second pause and a funny slow-motion stare-off, her brain clicked and she said “oh, oh my gosh, almond butter. DUH.” It’s almost as if her brain wasn’t computing the two words “almond” and “butter” and was probably imagining a stick of butter and a bag of almonds. In her defense, yes that does seem like an odd combo. Oh but what a world we live in – with “butters” and “milks” made out of every nut and seed imaginable!
A spin on tradition
All kidding aside (love you Minty), this recipe is beyond easy, and yet it’s so versatile. I like the addition of the chocolate chips since it gives it a bit of texture throughout, and the sprinkle of sea salt just brings out all of the rich chocolatey flavors.
This is a great dessert for a Shabbat table, or even for your Thanksgiving meal. If you want to go the traditional way and still make pumpkin pie, hey, who am I to mess with tradition? I’m just a big fan of whipping up a crowd-pleasing dessert in under 45 min, start to finish. But you know me, I just love to put spins on traditional food – my way!
A quick tip for making these brownies: since the cocoa powder has a tendency to just fly everywhere, you can add all the ingredients into a blender or food processor, instead of hand-mixing. It’ll also give your brownies a smooth texture, if you prefer that. But make sure to add in the chocolate chips after you blend the batter.
Hope ya’ll are staying healthy and safe! And even if you’re Thanksgiving plans are just set for a table for 2 (like they will be at my house), that means we can keep these brownies all to ourselves, HA!
Happy holidays!
Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Course:
Dessert
Ingredients
- 2 15 oz. Cans of Pumpkin Puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 1 1/2 cups Cocoa Powder
- 1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Almond Butter Cashew Butter would be good in this too. I like almond butter for this because it's a mild flavor and pairs well with pumpkin and chocolate
- 1 cup Sugar, or sugar substitute I prefer Swerve sugar substitute brand, or the Monkfruit from Thrive Market
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt Optional, but will help bring out all of the flavors, plus it looks pretty 🙂
- 1 cup Chocolate chips Optional, for extra chocolatey goodness
Instructions
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Pre heat oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper
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In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, almond butter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Using a hand mixer, mix all ingredients together until smooth and fully combined
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Fold the chocolate chips into the batter
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Transfer the batter to prepared pan and sprinkle sea salt on top, if using
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Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 min
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Let cool, slice into squares and serve, maybe with some vanilla ice cream!
Don’t forget to check out some of our other gluten free dessert recipes: