Vegetarian Recipes

Pumpkin Brownies

Aside from breaking out your sweaters and fuzzy socks, what screams “Autumn has arrived!” more than gooey Pumpkin Brownies? This rich combination of dark chocolate and warming pumpkin spice flavors cannot be beat. But if fudgy, soft, and ultra-moist brownies aren’t enough to convince you, the pumpkin cheesecake topping will definitely seal the deal! My simple recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients and is the perfect budget-friendly fall dessert. May I suggest a leaf-peeping road trip with a batch of these Pumpkin Brownies along for the ride?

Growing up in New England, my mom made visiting Salem, Massachusetts a tradition for our family; we’re all history buffs and love a good ghost story. I’m proud to say I have kept the Salem tradition alive with my daughter for 3 years running, even though we live in Tennessee, and it takes a bit more effort to get there. There’s just something magical and spooky about autumn in New England, so I hope these pumpkin brownies give you a little taste of the excitement I grew up with every October! This recipe is such a fun twist on classic homemade brownies and gets me in the autumn spirit every time I make them.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe for pumpkin brownies:

Flour: You only need ¾ cup of all-purpose flour for this recipe.
Salted Butter: Measure out your butter and then melt it before adding it to the brownie batter. The melted butter adds moisture and creates a fudgier texture. Warm it briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop until melted but not hot.
Spices: I add cinnamon to the brownie batter and pumpkin pie spice to the pumpkin cream cheese topping. These spices are essential for that classic fall flavor.
Vegetable Oil: Adds moisture and helps create a chewy texture.
Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Use light brown sugar and regular granulated sugar to sweeten your pumpkin brownies. I also add a little brown sugar to the topping to cut through the tangy cream cheese flavor.
Salt: For flavor and to balance the sweetness.
Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder to give your brownies a rich chocolate flavor.
Eggs: You’ll need 2 eggs for this recipe. They help create a fudgy texture and provide some lift during baking.
Vanilla Extract: For flavor—use pure vanilla extract for the best results.
Pumpkin Purée: Be sure to grab a can of 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. I’d use any leftover pumpkin purée to make my pumpkin butter, pumpkin cookies or a pumpkin smoothie!
Cream Cheese: Use room-temperature cream cheese to make the topping.
Chocolate Chips: I mix some into the brownie batter and sprinkle the rest on top of the pumpkin cream cheese layer. Semi-sweet chocolate chips are delicious in this recipe, but you can use any type you like.
Pecans: I use chopped pecans to add a little crunch to these pumpkin cheesecake brownies. Walnuts are a great budget-friendly substitute.
Cooking Spray: For greasing the pan.

Recipe Tips

Combine the wet ingredients before adding them to the flour mixture to avoid over-mixing. Over-mixing the flour can cause the gluten to develop too much, which creates a tough and not-so-fudgy texture when baked (not ideal!) Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients using a spatula until combined.
I highly recommend letting the cream cheese come to room temperature before mixing it with the other ingredients. Have you ever tried to mix a cold block of cream cheese? It’s not easy!
Don’t forget to grease your baking dish with cooking spray to stop the brownies from sticking. I also line my dish with parchment paper so I can easily lift them out once they’re cooled.
Your brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with no wet batter. The topping will also look set and slightly golden.

I’m all about the rustic look when it comes to baking, but crumbly pumpkin brownies aren’t exactly what I have in mind. To get even slices, let the brownies cool for about 30 minutes before cutting them; otherwise, they might fall apart as you slice. They’ll set and slice much better after cooling. You should also use a sharp, straight-edged knife and wipe it clean after each cut. Doing this stops the fudgy brownie bits from sticking to the knife and creating jagged edges. This recipe creates 9 evenly-sized brownies, but you can cut them into smaller or larger pieces—whatever you like!

Storage Instructions

Keep your pumpkin brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. For longer storage, keep them in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before storing and allow them to thaw before serving. These are a great treat for the upcoming autumn holidays!

Overhead view of pumpkin brownies on parchment paper.

Pumpkin Brownies Recipe

These easy Pumpkin Brownies are moist, delicious, and made from scratch. Topped with a creamy pumpkin cream cheese swirl and crunchy pecans!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost ($8.56 recipe / $0.95 serving)

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings brownies

Calories 481kcal

Author Jess – Budget Bytes

Equipment

Hand Mixer
8×8” Baking Dish

Ingredients

Brownie Ingredients

¾ cup flour $0.08
1 tsp cinnamon $0.15
⅛ tsp salt $0.01
12 Tbsp salted butter, melted but not hot $1.59
2 Tbsp vegetable oil $0.08
¾ cup granulated sugar $0.26
¾ cup light brown sugar $0.51
½ cup cocoa powder $1.24
2 eggs $0.62
½ Tbsp vanilla extract $0.98
¼ cup pumpkin purée $0.15
¼ cup chocolate chips, divided $0.37
cooking spray $0.01

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Topping Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature $1.49
⅓ cup light brown sugar $0.36
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice $0.09
¼ cup pumpkin purée $0.15
2 Tbsp pecans $0.42

Instructions

Add flour, cinnamon, and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk melted salted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and cocoa powder together until smooth.
Add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin purée to another mixing bowl and gently beat them together.
Then, add the pumpkin mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
Pour the dry flour mixture and 3 Tbsp chocolate chips into wet chocolate mixture. Stir with a spatula until batter forms.
Lightly spray or grease an 8×8” baking dish with cooking spray. You can also add a layer of parchment paper. Pour batter into the dish and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine cream cheese, light brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin purée with a hand mixer on low until smooth.
Spoon dollops of the pumpkin mix on top of the brownie batter.
Stir the pumpkin topping into the brownie batter gently using a toothpick. I like to keep the layers separate and irregular, so they look a bit more rustic.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp chocolate chips and pecan pieces.
Bake for 40 min or until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Overhead view of pumpkin brownies in a parchment lined baking dish.

how to make Pumpkin Brownies – step by step photos

Add ¾ cup flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, and ⅛ tsp salt to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Melted butter, oil, sugar, and cocoa in a mixing bowl.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk 12 Tbsp melted salted butter, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup light brown sugar, and ½ cup cocoa powder together until smooth.

Pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

Add 2 eggs, ½ Tbsp vanilla, and ¼ cup pumpkin purée to another mixing bowl and gently beat them together.

Pumpkin puree and egg mixture being poured into brownie batter in a baking dish.

Then, add the pumpkin mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.

Dry ingredients and chocolate chips added to the wet chocolate mixture in a mixing bowl.

Pour the dry flour mixture and 3 Tbsp chocolate chips into wet chocolate mixture. Stir with a spatula until batter forms.

Pumpkin brownie batter in a lined baking dish.

Lightly spray or grease an 8×8” baking dish with cooking spray. You can also add a layer of parchment paper. Pour batter into the dish and set aside.

Sugar, pumpkin puree, and cream cheese in a mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine 4 oz cream cheese, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, ¼ cup pumpkin purée with a hand mixer on low until smooth.

Pumpkin brownie batter topped with dollops of pumpkin cream cheese topping.

Spoon dollops of the pumpkin mix on top of the brownie batter.

A toothpick spreading pumpkin cream cheese topping on top of brownie batter in a baking dish.

Stir the pumpkin topping into the brownie batter gently using a toothpick. I like to keep the layers separate and irregular, so they look a bit more rustic.

Pumpkin brownie batter topped with pecans and chocolate chips in a baking dish.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp chocolate chips and 2 Tbsp of pecan pieces.

Freshly baked pumpkin brownies in a baking dish.

Bake for 40 min or until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This easy pumpkin brownie recipe is the only way to enjoy pumpkin and chocolate together this fall!

Pumpkin Pie

$7.49 recipe / $0.62 serving

Pumpkin Bread

$5.94 recipe/ $0.37 serving

Milk being poured into a bowl of pumpkin pie oatmeal with nuts.

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

$3.84 recipe / $0.64 serving

Side view of a pumpkin pie bar on a white plate with whipped cream on top.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

$5.63 recipe / $0.63 serving

The post Pumpkin Brownies appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Homity Pie (Cheesy Potato and Leek Pie)

If you’re not familiar with homity pie, let me introduce you:

Homity pie is a traditional British recipe, which is essentially a cheesy potato and leek pie. It’s just the sort of thing we Brits do perfectly – simple ingredients, combined to make incredible comfort food. Say what you like about British food, but it’s hard to argue with buttery sautéed leeks, cheesy crushed potatoes, and a flaky shortcrust pastry case.

A slice of homity pie (cheesy potato and leek pie).

I’m not going to lie, this homity pie is a bit of a labour of love. It’s not a quick weeknight meal like most of my recipes – this cheesy pie is definitely one to save for a special occasion (it would be perfect for a vegetarian Christmas dinner!).

Since cooking this pie takes a bit of time and patience, don’t try to cook it against the clock. Give yourself plenty of leeway – perhaps an afternoon where you’ve not got much else on. That way, it doesn’t matter if the potatoes have to sit for a little while so you can finish cooking the leeks, or if the pastry case is ready to fill before the filling is actually cooked – you can just potter away at your own pace, and it can all be assembled when you’re ready.

Overhead shot of a cheesy pie with a slice pulled away.

What’s in Homity Pie?

There are three parts to this recipe:

garlicky sautéed leeks and onion
buttery crushed potatoes (with a cheesy topping)
a crispy pastry case

These 3 elements can all be prepared simultaneously, or one at a time, depending on how good you are at multitasking. I’ve written the recipe in 3 separate parts, but if the timings work out (or if you have someone else helping you in the kitchen), you can prepare them all at the same time.

Once all three parts of the recipe are ready, they can be assembled, and baked one last time to complete your cheesy homity pie.

And by the way, I am 100% not a pastry expert. You may think my homity pie looks decidedly… rustic. But I like it that way If I wanted it to look perfect, I’d have saved myself a couple of hours, and bought one in a shop.

Becca’s Top Tip

Any extra scraps of pastry can be baked on their own, and eaten spread with strawberry jam – my kids love it when I cook with pastry as they always get little jam tarts!

Cheesy Vegetarian Bakes ebook on an ipad screen.

Sign up to get recipes by email, and get a FREE e-cookbook!

(1-2 emails per week, no spam)

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

leek – It’s hard to get the scale from the picture, but the leek I used was absolutely enormous – a proper monster (probably as big as my forearm!). If your leeks are a more normal size, you’ll probably need at least two.
potatoes
shortcrust pastry – I used a ready-rolled sheet of shop-bought pastry, as making pastry is not my forte. Feel free to use homemade pastry if you prefer!
cheddar cheese – If possible, use freshly grated mature cheddar cheese rather than the pre-grated stuff, as it melts more nicely.
onion – I used red onion, but regular onions would also be good.
fresh parsley
egg
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar because I hate chopping large amounts of fresh garlic.
curry powder (optional, but it does add a lovely hint of warmth)

Becca’s Top Tip

If you’re using shop-bought pastry, take it out of the fridge an hour or so before you need to use it. This helps it to soften a little, and means it’s less likely to crack as you unroll it.

Recipe Video

Equipment

I like to use a loose bottomed springform cake tin for homemade pies. It works really well because:

The clip on the side and the loose bottom make it so easy to remove the pie from the tin once it’s finished baking.
It gives a nice tall pie, which looks great, and also gives a wonderfully thick layer of filling.
The metal heats up nicely and helps to crisp up the pastry.

You can use a shallower pie tin to make homity pie if that’s what you have, but I would always recommend a cake tin if you have one.

Here’s a similar one on Amazon, with great reviews:

8-Inch Springform Cake Tin

I love using a loose-bottomed springform cake tin to make homemade pie. If you’re in the UK or Australia, click ‘Buy on Amazon’ to view a local product.

A slice of homity pie with sautéed leeks, potatoes and cheese.

Printable Instructions

Homity Pie (Cheesy Potato and Leek Pie)

How to make the classic British recipe homity pie (cheesy potato and leek pie!) – a tasty vegetarian pie made with shortcrust pastry.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, English

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 427kcal

Author Becca Heyes