Double Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
Even though I try to not bake treats as often as I would like to bake treats, I still can’t give up the fun of making a special little something once in a while to share with others. There are a lot of “healthy” brownie recipes out there, and believe me–I’ve tried just about every type (spinach, sweet potato, quinoa, avocado, black bean, zucchini, banana, you name it!). While some of them are tasty, some of them are not worth eating.
These pumpkin brownies are the best of both worlds. Absolutely decadent, yet still plant-based, cholesterol-free, oil-free, and with lots of nutrition (like vitamin A which is so important during cold/flu season!). Although they are still high in fat, calories, and natural sugar (that’s unfortunately a given in good brownies), they are MUCH healthier than your typical butter/white sugar/eggs brownies. All that being said, don’t think you can lose weight eating these, but they are a healthier option.
This recipe has a lot of nut butter in it (you can use peanut butter, almond butter, or probably any other substitute you’re used to). This much nut butter is excessive if you’re prone to food addiction or are trying to lose weight. In that case, I recommend only eating fruit-based desserts like Nice Cream or my Pineapple Dole Whip, or any of these fruit-sweetened desserts. But if you’re able to enjoy a rich treat without overdoing it, here’s why peanut butter is way better than butter.
Peanut Butter vs Butter (2 tbsp servings)
Calories: 188 204
Fat: 16g 23 g
Protein: 7g 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 0mg 61mg
Fiber: 2g 0g
Calcium: 17g 7g
Potassium: 189g 7g
(Almond butter has even more fiber, iron, and potassium than peanut butter, and I prefer the taste of almond butter in these brownies, but I realize most people usually have peanut butter on hand).
Anyway, nutrition aside, I promise you’ll LOVE these brownies and they won’t taste “healthy-ish” at all! They are
- fudgy
- moist
- oh-so chocolatey
- not at all weird-tasting
- a whole cup of nutritious pumpkin
- gluten-free
Do you love peanut butter and pumpkin? You’ll also love my Peanut Butter Pumpkin Spice Dip!
You'll never guess these super-moist and fudgy brownies have a whole cup of pumpkin in them!
- 2/3 cup oat flour
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar or 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dark mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 3/4 cup nut butter of choice
- 1 tsp vanilla
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Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
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Mix dry ingredients together, making sure baking soda is stirred in well.
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Mix pumpkin, nut butter and vanilla together in a separate bowl, then stir into dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.
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Pour batter into the parchment-lined pan, and spread evenly. Sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips because sprinkled things look good.
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Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and let cool completely, as they set up even more while cooling.
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Cut into 9 squares. Keeps well covered at room temperature.
Peanut butter will make these taste more like peanut butter brownies (which is by no means a bad thing!). Almond butter puts more focus on the chocolate flavor.
We LOVE this recipe! I have made it twice, now! I use peanut butter, because it’s so much cheaper, and my kiddos devour these! It can be pretty tricky getting kids with neurological issues to eat WFPB, so recipes like this are so great to have! And it takes no time at all! Two thumbs up!
I finally made ’em! They are fudgy and moist. I feel so good knowing that pumpkin provides the moistness instead of oil. I’m adding to my health instead of subtracting. These are delicious and nutritious!