When it comes to fall desserts, these Gooey Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies are the best! They’re made super easy thanks to a boxed brownie mix, too!
Tis the season for all things pumpkin! And unlike most recipes that call themselves pumpkin just because they contain an iota of pumpkin spice seasoning, this recipe uses real pumpkin (and pumpkin pie spice).
Brownies Swirled with Pumpkin Cheesecakes
As far as pumpkin recipes go, I want the full flavor of pumpkin. Not pumpkin pie filling, not a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice. I want the real flavor of pumpkin puree.
And while it’s easy to buy a can of pumpkin puree at the store, it’s also pretty easy to make your own! I actually have a recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Puree that you can check out.
PRO TIP: Sift the brownie mix to remove clumps.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
It’s pumpkin season and these brownies are going to rock your world!
- Perfect combination of flavors – With a pumpkin layer and moist brownies layer, it’s the perfect flavor combination for fall.
- Satisfy your sweet tooth – When you’re craving a fall dessert, these pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies are exactly what you need.
- Great for sharing – Pan desserts are perfect for bringing to get togethers and sharing with friends!
Ingredients
You can find these simple ingredients super easily at your local grocery store.
- Cream cheese – The base of this cheesecake is cream cheese. It is best to work with when softened or at room temperature.
- Flour – The flour helps to thicken the pumpkin cheesecake mixture and bake up nicely, giving it body.
- Sugar – Pumpkin puree itself is not sweetened, so we need granulated sugar to sweeten the pumpkin cheesecake filling.
- Pumpkin puree – Make sure you aren’t using pumpkin pie filling! That’s already sweetened and will make this pumpkin cheesecake brownie recipe way too sweet.
- Vanilla extract – To add a little bit more warmth to this perfect treat, I like to use a good quality vanilla extract.
- Pumpkin pie spice – A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves, the warm spices are a great addition to pumpkin desserts.
- Eggs – We add one of these to the cheesecake batter, and a couple of them to the brownie batter as well.
- Box brownie mix – Use your favorite box mix to make the brownie layer! You will also need the ingredients to make the brownies listed on the box.
- Sweetened condensed milk – We add this on top of the brownie batter. It makes these pumpkin cheesecake brownies so moist and totally gooey.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips – Adding chocolate chips into the mix adds an additional layer of chocolatey deliciousness.
Tips and Tricks
Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure you make the perfect pumpkin swirl brownies the first time!
- Soften cream cheese. Make sure your cream cheese is softened. Take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes or more before making your brownies. To quickly soften cream cheese, place on microwavable plate (wrapper removed) and microwave uncovered for 10 seconds.
- Toothpick test. The toothpick test (a toothpick inserted into the center) doesn’t work on these due to the cream cheese layer and the sweetened evaporated milk. Instead, look for the center to stop jiggling.
- Line the pan. I can not stress this enough: USE ALUMINUM FOIL! Line the baking pan with foil, allowing some to hang over edges of pan. When you are ready to cut or serve, you can easily lift them out of the pan onto a large cutting board, peel foil away and cut into squares.
- Save pumpkin puree. You can freeze leftover pumpkin puree in an airtight container to use for any other recipe that uses fresh pumpkin.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
You are going to love how easy it is to make these pumpkin cheesecake bars!
- Prepare oven and baking dish. Preheat oven and line 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Beat cream cheese. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth.
- Dry ingredients. Add flour and sugar, beating until combine.
- Wet ingredients. Then add pumpkin puree, mixing well again. Add vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice and 1 egg, blending until combined.
- Brownie batter. Make brownie batter according to package directions. Add one additional egg to the brownie batter.
- Add brownie batter to pan. Spoon half of the brownie batter into prepared pan.
- Top with condensed milk. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk and top with semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Top with remaining batter. Spoon remaining brownie batter on top, there might be some holes, this is fine.
- Add cheesecake mixture. Spoon dollops of pumpkin cheesecake batter on top.
- Swirl. Using a cake tester or butter knife, gently swirl pumpkin cheesecake into the brownies. Do not over stir, or you’ll lose the layers.
- Bake and cool. Bake until center no longer jiggles. Remove and allow to cool.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate to set. Remove from pan by lifting out aluminum foil.
- Cut and serve. Cut into squares right before serving so the sweetened condensed milk layer doesn’t escape.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
You can keep these brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Can I Freeze These Brownies?
These brownies also freeze well. Keep in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a common problem and generally, it is because you skipped a step. Beating the cream cheese before adding other ingredients and adding anything liquidy slow is imperative to making sure the cream cheese mixture is smooth.
Is is virtually impossible to reverse after all the ingredients have been added, but the good news is that is doesn’t impact the flavor. Go ahead and use it, it will taste the same.
Because cheesecake is swirled into these chewy brownies, they don’t last quite as long as regular brownies do. Store them in the refrigerator, and they should last about two weeks.
Chances are, if you’re reading this Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies recipe, you aren’t too concerned about sugar. I don’t recommend making any substitutions in this recipe, because the brownies might not set up the way they are supposed to.
More Pumpkin Recipes
I don’t know about you, but I love pumpkin recipes all year round. If you do too, here are some of my favorites.
Pumpkin Pie in a Cup
Pumpkin Apple Pie with Pecan Crust
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 egg
Brownies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter , melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the flour and sugar, beating until combined
- Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla and egg, mixing well again. Set aside.
Brownie Layer:
- In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the melted butter with both sugars for 2-3 minutes or until sugar starts to dissolve
- Stir in the vanilla and eggs.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk or sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking powder.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just mixed.
Make the Brownies:
- Pour 3/4 of the brownie batter into the prepared pan.
- Pour the pumpkin cheesecake over top, trying to even it out as much as possible.
- Using a spoon, dollop the remaining brownie batter over the cheesecake layer. Using a butter knife, cake tester or toothpick, swirl to combine.
- Bake the brownies for 40-45 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test.
- Allow the brownies to cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into squares.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how they were in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
You really make it seem so easy, I hope they taste as good as they look!
Fantastic site. Lots of useful information here. I am sending it to a few pals ans
also sharing in delicious. And certainly, thanks for your
sweat!
Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you finding
the time and energy to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and posting comments.
But so what, it was still worthwhile!
Aw, well thank you! A lot of people think I write too much 🙂
Such a wonderful fall dessert! I love the gooey chocolate oozing out of the brownie!
Pumpkin nCheesecake in a brownie sounds just perfect! I’m loving the gooeyness of it all!
OMG. So good and perfect for fall. I’ll be making more shortly! Mmm
Oh my gosh, this pumpkin cheesecake brownie recipe looks amazing! I wish I could have one right this instant! You have my full attention on this recipe. Saving it to make this coming weekend.