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Fudgy Pumpkin Brownies

Fudgy pumpkin brownies with a shiny crackly top and a nearly molten center, made by folding canned pumpkin purée into a deep cocoa batter. Bake at 350°F until the edges set but the center still looks slightly underdone for thick, glossy squares.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 250
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chocolate base
  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
Brownie batter
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
  • 1.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp fine salt
  • 0.25 tsp baking powder
Chocolate chips & finish
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
  • 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the pan
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides so you can lift the brownies out later.
Melt and build the chocolate base
  1. Melt the chopped semi-sweet chocolate and unsalted butter together in a heatproof bowl in 20-second microwave bursts, stirring between each, until glossy and smooth.
  2. Whisk the granulated sugar into the warm chocolate mixture until thick and shiny, about 1 minute, so the batter forms a crackly-top foundation.
Add pumpkin and eggs
  1. Whisk in the large eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition.
  2. Whisk in the canned pumpkin purée and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth and deeply colored.
Fold dry ingredients and chips
  1. Sift the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, fine salt, and baking powder over the batter.
  2. Fold with a spatula just until the last dry streaks disappear, stopping the moment it comes together to avoid cakey brownies.
  3. Fold in ¾ cup of the semi-sweet chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
  4. Spread the batter into the lined pan, smooth the top, and scatter the remaining ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips over the surface.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake 30–35 minutes at 350°F, until the top is set and crackly and a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the edge has thick, fudgy crumbs.
  2. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while hot so it clings to the shiny surface.
  3. Cool in the pan at room temperature for at least 1 hour so the centers set, with the surface staying crackly.
Slice and serve
  1. Lift the brownies out by the parchment and cut into 16 squares with a warm knife, wiping the blade between cuts for clean edges.

Notes

For the most fudgy texture, fold the dry ingredients only until the last flour streak disappears—overmixing makes the brownies cakier even if they look shiny. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lighter option, use reduced-sugar semi-sweet chocolate and reduce granulated sugar by 2–3 tbsp while keeping the baking powder and cocoa the same.