My family always saves room for these brownies, and for good reason! Those luscious swirls of cream cheese running through these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies infused with all the best fall spices make them an extra special dessert for your holiday dinners.
I think that pumpkin and cream cheese are a match made in heaven. They just go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like rock and roll. Like bread and butter. But better.
Even though I call these bars “brownies,” there’s not one dab of chocolate in them. Nope. All pumpkin and spice. And cream cheese. And all yummy! They also have my favorite nut – pecans.
These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies with warm spices and nuts have the texture of a cake-like brownie. They’re nice and springy, with that delicious sweetened cream cheese layer swirled all throughout.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 55 Minutes
Servings: 12
Primary Ingredient(s): Pumpkin puree, cream cheese, butter, flour, eggs, spices, powdered sugar, pecans
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- It contains everyone’s favorite fall flavors!
- There are big swirls of cheesecake-like batter in every bite.
- They’re really easy to make!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“You psyched me out with “brownies,” but in a good way! I was expecting chocolate, but I love all the brown sugary, pumpkiny goodness! Yum!”
— Jenni
Ingredient Notes
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- Pumpkin Puree — You’ll need canned, pureed pumpkin for this recipe, not pumpkin pie filling mix.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, and Ginger — These are the classic ingredients for pumpkin pie spice and are used in many pumpkin desserts. Purchase the ground version of each, or follow my instructions for making your own pumpkin pie spice mix.
- Cream Cheese — Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before using it.
- Powdered Sugar — Powdered sugar is also known as “confectioner’s sugar.”
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Pumpkin Brownies with Cream Cheese
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8×8 baking pan and set it aside.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined. (Note: The butter and brown sugar will have an appearance similar to grainy melted caramel.)
- Beat in the vanilla and eggs until light and creamy.
- Add the pumpkin and beat until combined.
PRO TIP: Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix. The puree is pure pumpkin, whereas the pie mix contains spices and sweeteners.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices.
- Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed of mixer.
- Stir in the pecans.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
Make the Cream Cheese Mixture
- Add all ingredients for the cream cheese batter to a medium bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth.
PRO TIP: Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. Cold cream cheese will not produce a smooth mixture.
- Spoon dollops of the batter on top of the pumpkin layer.
- Lightly swirl the two batters together with a table knife.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining pecans.
Bake the Brownies
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Serve at room temperature.
PRO TIP: To make cutting easier and cleaner, chill the brownies in the refrigerator before cutting.
How to Store
The brownies can be kept at room temperature in a sealed container for a day or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. They may also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer 3-4 months. If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature to serve.
Questions About Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies
Of course, you can omit the pecans in these brownies or substitute them with walnuts.
Yes, you can use fresh pumpkin in your brownies. It’s a bit more work, but not difficult. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy stuff. Cut the pumpkin into chunks. Bring about an inch of water to the boil in a saucepan and add the pumpkin. Let the water return to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the pumpkin. Drain and cool the pumpkin. Remove the Mash with a fork or potato masher and proceed with the recipe.
If I needed more brownies for a big family dinner or other occasion, I’d double the ingredients and divide the mixture between two 8×8 pans.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownie batter:
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling mix)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup chopped pecans divided
For the cream cheese batter:
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined. (The butter and brown sugar will have an appearance similar to grainy melted caramel.)
- Beat in the vanilla and eggs until light and creamy.
- Add the pumpkin and beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices.
- Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed of mixer.
- Remove mixer from bowl and stir in the pecans.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
- Add all ingredients for the cream cheese batter to a medium bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth.
- Spoon dollops of the cream cheese onto the pumpkin batter.
- Lightly swirl the two batters together with a table knife.
- Sprinkle the top with remaining pecans.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely. Slice and serve. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
- Use canned, pureed pumpkin for this recipe, not pumpkin pie mix.
- To make cutting easier and cleaner, chill the brownies in the refrigerator before cutting.
- The brownies may be kept at room temperature in a sealed container for a day or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. They can be wrapped tightly and frozen for 3-4 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on October 27, 2015. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
I agree that the combination of pumpkin and cream cheese is a match made in Heaven. I love that they’re in a brownie form – I’ve GOT to make them!
The recipe sounds great. And, I have to compliment you on the photograph! Well done.
Miss P
These look scrumptious!!! Goes to show that brownies can be fantastic without chocolate :)
My boys have been asking for cream cheese brownies for awhile now. I think I’ll surprise them with these instead!
These look amazing Lana – perfect for fall!
Pumpkin and cream cheese – I’m there! And even though I’m a certified chocoholic, I’ll go with these as “brownies” of a most delectable sort.
Pumpkin, cream cheese and pecans, this is dessert perfection! Can’t wait to try it!
I’ve been thinking about making a pan of pumpkin brownies…but after seeing yours, I skip the chocolate and go your way! These look incredible.
A great flavor combination.
I have never had pumpkin brownies – and the cream cheese swirl just puts these brownies over the top!
What I said when I saw the photo and read your description? Oh Yum! And that’s about right…I’m so with you on pumpkin and cream cheese. OH YUM!
They look absolutely delicious. Love cream cheese with pumpkin.
You psyched me out with “brownies,” but in a good way! I was expecting chocolate, but I love all the brown sugary, pumpkiny goodness, Lana! Yum!
As a chocolate fan, I don’t think I would miss the chocolate one bit here. These look perfect!