Pumpkin Pie Fudge Brownie Bars.
Last week I met a brownie.
And not the 7-year old, patched up vest-wearing kind.
This kind. The kind with PIE baked on top. And baked in a pan.
After that pumpkin binge last month, I practically swore off the stuff for good.
But I’m a weird creature of holiday habit… celebrating each holiday just up until that holiday – no more – then excitedly moving on to the next, and I love relishing in Thanksgiving because while all holidays are pretty much about food… this holiday is seriously serious about food. Comfort food.
Just my thang!
So I had to throw one more pumpkin recipe in your face before I start baking copious amounts of cookies and eating enough to make the treadmill cry. Well… that’s sort of a lie, because I have one more (that’s it, I swear. stop giving me the stink eye!) pumpkin recipe on tap that I made weeks ago but didn’t deem photo-worthy enough to share. We’re going to make that a Facebook exclusive recipe later this week! Ooooh the excitement.
On the outside, I’m totally holding it together for Thanksgiving and focusing on celebrating the feast full force with boatloads of pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing and pie.
Which is weird, because I could really care less about pie. Except on Thanksgiving… color me crazy.
But inside, I’m getting in the Christmas spirit like no other, playing the Barry Manilow holiday album on repeat more times than Brenda played Losing My Religion after Dylan dumped her.
Shhh. Don’t tell.
Nearly 365 days ago, I made some bourbon pecan pie brownies. Oh my… they were GOOD. That doesn’t even explain their deliciousness but I’ll spare you the typical dramatizations since it’s Monday.
Wait. Except for one: this chocolate layer is the fudgiest, richest little pillow of cocoa you will ever sink your teeth into.
K done. I can’t help myself.
See… I like pumpkin… but it is hard for me to classify something as dessert without some sort of hot chocolate mess going on. I’ll have a bite of pumpkin pie come Thanksgiving (you know… like, uh the final bite of food that makes it necessary to unbutton the top of your jeans?) but I really just want chocolate. And I really just like my whipped cream with a little bit of pumpkin pie. I mean, really… I JUST WANT CHOCOLATE.
I’m a supercalifragilistic chocoholic of the worst kind. And if it means anything, I think I’m making peanut butter pie on Thursday because it’s all I can think about, and once I get something in my head, I become the most annoying person ever.
Shocking, I know.
But I had to tell you, because I love you. Now if you know what’s good for you, you’ll make these brownies.
Pumpkin Pie Fudge Brownie Bars
Ingredients
brownie layer
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 10 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
pumpkin layer
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish thoroughly or spray with nonstick spray.
- In a small bowl, beat eggs and vanilla and set aside. In a double boiler, add butter, cocoa, sugar and salt. Mix until the mixture becomes a batter – this will take approximately 10 minutes and at first will just look like clumps of cocoa power. Be patient! Remove the bowl from heat and whisk in the egg mixture (very slowly while whisking, so you don’t have scrambled eggs!) until combined. Stir in flour until batter is smooth, then pour in baking dish. Use a 9×13 dish for thin bars, and an 8×8 for thicker bars. For 9×13 dish, bake for 12-13 minutes. For an 8×8 dish, bake for about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely! Then make pumpkin layer.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a bowl, whisk together sugars and egg until smooth. Add in pumpkin and spice, again mixing until combine. Finish by adding in heavy cream, stirring until everything is mixed, then pour on top of the cooled brownie layer and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes (9×13 dish) or 15 minutes (8×8 dish), then reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 18-20 minutes (9×13 dish)/22-25 minutes (8x8dish) or until pumpkin layer is set. Let cool completely (ideally overnight, or about 3-4 hours) then slice and serve.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Because these are good for you. I swear.
165 Comments on “Pumpkin Pie Fudge Brownie Bars.”
Well, I figured out what I’m doing with the rest of the pumpkin puree I have left over from making my pumpkin cookies today. Off to do some more baking!
These are baking in the oven right now and I just want to say THANK YOU because I already know how good they are going to be…….
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I am going to make this!! I’d like to try to do some kind of crust. Maybe shortbread? I’m just wondering if it would overcook during the second baking session. Any thoughts??
Hmmm… I’m not familiar with shortbread, never made it before. I would think if you do that maybe use a ceramic dish or baking pan instead of glass, and set it on top of a baking sheet while baking?
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Regarding the “I JUST WANT CHOCOLATE” comment, I love it! I think I’ll share this post on my facebook page because all my clients (I sell Dove Chocolate Discoveries for a living – super fun!) really need to understand that it’s not something to be ashamed of – they should shout their desire for chocolate from the rooftops every hour on the hour….and perhaps on the half hour as well! Way to be a role model! :)
I really have enjoyed reading your blog over the past few months – thanks for sharing your talent with us! Here’s a chocolate martini toast to you!
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This might sound dumb, but in the brownie recipe it calls for sugar. Is that powdered sugar, or granulated? You specified what type in the pumpkin layer, but I really don’t want to mess it up because these look heavenly. Thanks!
Granulated!
I am so making these for my work christmas lunch… with a little cinnamon whipped cream on top? yumm. can’t wait!
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Thanks for the recipe. Made it for the big thanksgiving dinner and it was a hit!
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This recipe looks amazing! I am glad that I have almost all the ingredients, and a lot of time on my hands starting next week!!!! Bring on the recipes!
Awesome! I have one more can of pumpkin in my pantry and was wondering what to do with it.
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Whoa, these look ridiculously good! Your last picture made me drool ;) Can’t wait to try this interesting creation, pinned!
OMG! I made these last week for Thanksgiving and my boyfriend is obsessed!!! He ate almost the whole batch himself…. he would have eaten every single one if our pug didn’t knock them off the table and eat the rest! lol AND Matt wasn’t mad that our pug ate chocolate and could possibly die…. no… he was pissed because that was the last of the brownies! haha
Another batch is baking right now :)
Thanks for all the amazing recipes!
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Ok-saw these on meals and moves and immediately knew I needed to make them. However, I don’t have a double boiler-what do I do?!
Boil a little water in a pot and put a glass bowl on top. Just be sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl! Melt all of the ingredients in there. Like this: http://gfbrooke.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/4-double-boiler.jpg
What size can of pumpkin puree?
a small can (16 oz) is good. Since the recipe only uses 1 cup (8 oz) you may want to make double batch. :)
Gah! Recipe doesn’t mention greasing the pan and my bars are TOTALLY stuck. Did you butter the pan?
I tried to bake these in a square 8×8 pan because a friend is borrowing my 13×9 pan…it did not turn out well because the layers were so thick. The pumpkin layer would not set, not even after an additional 15 minutes in the oven, by which time the brownie layer underneath had become crumbly and overcooked. It ended up being a rock hard brownie with pumpkin puree on top :( I’m not giving up yet though! Going to get my 13×9 pan back and start over because these look delicious and made my kitchen smell heavenly!!
I LOVE THIS RECIPE! Only problem is, I have made this dessert twice now and both times I had so much trouble getting the brownie out of the pan. I ended up destroying most of it. I tried aluminum foil but the brownies were stuck also. Any suggestions?
I don’t know what happened to my brownies but I had some very weird textures along the bottom of the brownies in some areas. Some spots were very soft, other were very hard to even cut through. :/
WOWZERS!!! Fudgiest brownie ever! I made these in an 8×8 pan then I cooled them in the fridge over night, and they were perfect! I managed to get a small piece before my husband inhaled the entire pan after his afternoon shift – sheesh, now I have to make more : P
My hubby and I are enjoying my love again for baking, thanks for the recipes and your easy to follow instructions :)
I just tried this recipe a couple of days ago, and it completely stuck to the pan. It was totally ridiculous. It’s a shame because every other recipe that I’ve made from your blog has worked out perfectly. I was so excited to eat some awesome pumpkin pie brownies, and it just all turned out to be a mess.
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I’ve got these in the oven right now. I’m a little nervous after reading some of the comments. And I don’t have a double boiler, so I just melted the butter then stirred everything together. We’ll see soon!
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so I just made these (followed the 9×13 pan size directions), and they came out beautifully! the “thin” size is not too thin at all – I’d say the pumpkin layer was even *slightly* thicker than the pictures. can’t wait to bring these to the potluck I’m attending tomorrow :)
FYI: since some reviewers said these stuck to the pan, I used non-stick aluminum foil sprayed generously with nonstick spray. worked like a charm, no sticking whatsoever.
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