I’ll show you how to make fudgy pumpkin brownies with only 2 ingredients! A box of brownie mix and a can of pumpkin purée are all you need, and these brownies come out super moist and delicious. Perfect for a fall dessert table!
With fall arriving, you might also love these pumpkin cream cheese bars, chewy pumpkin cookies, and soft-baked pumpkin blondies. If you’re looking for an easy shortcut to chocolate brownies, check out my cake mix brownies recipe.
Sweater weather is around the corner, and it’s honestly the best for baking! I’m sharing my semi-homemade shortcut to extra fudgy brownies with today’s pumpkin brownies recipe. Like my cake mix pumpkin cookies, these brownies need only 2 ingredients, including a box of brownie mix and pumpkin purée. These brownies are full of rich, fudgy chocolate flavor and just the right touch of comforting pumpkin warmth.
The Magic of This Pumpkin Brownies Recipe
- 2 ingredients. This is the EASIEST brownie recipe ever. Of all time. Combine a box of brownie mix with a can of pumpkin, and bake!
- Ultra-moist and fudgy. Pumpkin adds loads of moisture to these bars. The flavor isn’t super pronounced, but the texture is unmatched. You can always spice them up with a pinch of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
- Make them your own. These pumpkin brownies are delicious as-is, and they’re even better frosted with creamy pumpkin spice frosting. I include the recipe below.
Grab These 2 Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need for these easy pumpkin brownies. Scroll to the printable recipe card for the full recipe amounts and details.
- Brownie Mix – You’ll need one family-sized (19.5-ounce) box of your favorite chocolate brownie mix. I use the Chocolate Fudge brownie mix from Pillsbury. You can use any brand you prefer.
- 100% Pumpkin Purée – Pumpkin makes these chocolate brownies all sorts of gooey and dense, in the best way. Not to mention the added flavor! Make sure you’re using pure canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling (they’re surprisingly easy to mix up, and pie filling will NOT work in this recipe).
Optional Pumpkin Spice Frosting
Before we continue, I’m not saying that you need to frost your brownies. But have you ever met a brownie that wasn’t improved by a thick layer of homemade frosting? To make a simple pumpkin spice frosting, you will need:
- Butter – To make the butter easier to mix, take it out of the fridge ahead of time so it softens to room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar. If you have granulated white sugar but not powdered sugar in the pantry, add the sugar to a high-powered blender and blend to create a fine powder.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – This is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves that you’ll find in pumpkin pie. Apple pie spice shares many of the same spices and is a good substitute in a pinch.
If you’d prefer, you could always slather these pumpkin brownies with chocolate cream cheese frosting or top them with my 2-ingredient chocolate frosting.
How to Make Pumpkin Brownies
I promised the easiest brownie recipe of all time, and I’m here to deliver. Here’s how to make the best pumpkin brownies in 3 quick steps.
- Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F while you line a baking pan with foil. I recommend greasing the foil with cooking spray, too, for extra fuss-free removal.
- Mix the brownie batter. Add the dry brownie mix and pumpkin purée to a bowl, and mix until smooth.
- Bake! Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread it around evenly. Bake at 350ºF for about 20-30 minutes. Once the center is set, take the brownies out and let them cool.
Frost the Brownies
If you’re frosting your pumpkin brownies, you’ll need to wait until they’re cooled completely. To make a quick pumpkin spice frosting:
- Cream together the butter and pumpkin spice, then add in the powdered sugar. Beat until the frosting is fluffy.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled brownies.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Brownies
- Use real pumpkin purée. It’s very important to use 100% canned pumpkin purée. Pumpkin pie filling comes with thickeners and sweeteners already added, and doesn’t work in this recipe.
- Don’t overmix the brownie batter. These brownies are already denser than regular chocolate brownies, thanks to the pumpkin puree. Because of this, avoid overmixing the brownie ingredients! This ensures that your brownies still turn out soft and fudgy, and not overly chewy.
- These brownies are fudgy rather than cakey. Following the point above, if your brownies turn out cakey, this could be due to overmixing or overbaking. These pumpkin brownies are finished baking when a toothpick stuck into the center of the pan comes out clean.
Try These Variations
- Chocolate chip pumpkin brownies. Add a handful of semisweet, white, or dark chocolate chips.
- Pumpkin spice brownies. Spice up your chocolate pumpkin brownies with cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Add nuts. Fill these pumpkin brownies with pecans for crunch. Or, add 1/4 cup of your crushed nuts of choice to the batter. Walnuts and almonds are also good options.
- Top with caramel sauce. Add a generous drizzle of microwave caramel sauce or pumpkin spice caramel sauce.
- More mix-ins. Chop up your favorite candy bars (Snickers, Reese’s, Butterfingers, etc.), or add in M&Ms for a pop of color!
- Make them spooky. Make Halloween pumpkin brownies with frosting (colored orange and topped with sprinkles so it’s extra festive!).
How to Store Pumpkin Brownies
- Store airtight. Store these brownies airtight on the countertop for up to 4 days. They’ll be at their freshest within the first 1-2 days. You can also keep them in the fridge; however, this dries out the texture a little.
- Can I freeze pumpkin brownies? These pumpkin brownies freeze well for up to 3 months. Freeze the brownies in a freezer-safe container, freezer bag, or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. If you’re layering these when freezing, I do recommend placing a piece of parchment paper between layers. Thaw the brownies at room temperature, and enjoy.
More Brownie Recipes to Try
Pumpkin Brownies
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 25 brownies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make fudgy, 2-ingredient pumpkin brownies with a box of brownie mix and a can of pumpkin purée. These easy brownies are perfect for a fall dessert table!
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 “Family Size” box (19.5 oz) brownie mix
- 1 (15 oz) canned pumpkin puree
For the Frosting (optional)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9×9 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- In a bowl, mix the brownie mix and pumpkin until smooth.
- Spread batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until set.
- Let cool completely. Frost if desired.
Add the Frosting (Optional)
- Cream butter and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
- Turn the mixer to low and add powdered sugar.
- Turn the mixer up to medium and beat until fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the brownies, if desired.
I have done this before too and while different, they are good. I had to make vegan brownies for “snack” for a class I was taking and if you use Giradelli brownie mix and pumpkin, you have vegan brownies! I tried them out on my neighbors first and everyone liked them. I think if I had not told them they were vegan they would have just thought I made super fudgey brownies.
shut up! I am so excited. I am making these tonight! 🙂
I’ve made these often as well as others like them and can vouch for the fact that the plate is always empty — i.e. a can of pureed black beans (no has ever guessed the secret ingredient yet – rich, chocolatey and moist!). Nice post!
Love this Shelly! 😀 My kind of brownies!
Wow, these look delicious and so easy – obviously with only 2 ingredients. I totally agree about the blogosphere being overrun by pumpkin. I’ve still got to post my pumpkin recipes, so I guess I’ll be a follower too!
You crack me up!! I think 2 ingredient pumpkin brownies sound too good to be true 🙂
I love short-cut recipes like this one! And honestly, how could you go wrong with pumpkin and chocolate?! Exactly. You can’t.
Our daughter requested these for her birthday.as she wishes she will get them. Love an easy recipe.
Yum! I think I am going to make these today. They sound delish.
Well, 2 ingredients means it is definitely my style of recipe! I will be making these this weekend – but I do think I’ll have to try that frosting too since it includes pumpkin pie spice!
This is my kind of recipe. Anything labor-intensive is OUT lately for me. These look amazing!
PS: Why do they even bother making brownies in the box that are NOT “family size?” Who buys those?!?! Family size is the only way to go.
They make brownie mix in the 8 x 8 size as a single serving – because it serves only one and it will fit in a toaster oven using the small 6 x 9 pans. Perfect for those who live alone.
This is healthy????? Have you READ THE LABEL ON THE BROWNIE BOX????? Claiming that this is healthy is why we have an obesity problem in this country. Throwing a can of pumpkin in here does not make this healthy.
My comments were clearly written as a joke. No, I certainly don’t think a brownie of any sort is health food, but I imagine that omitting the oil and adding pumpkins might be a slightly better alternative. Anyway…
the buttercream icing came out weird to me. its pretty greasy and would not stick to the top of the brownies when I tried to spread it out. does it matter if you sift the powdered sugar or not? I was using 10X sifted powdered sugar already. also it was way too sweet. but maybe I’m just used to the canned icings? I just wondered if maybe there were any tricks that you do?
I like to take a can of coconut milk and leave in fridge over night. It separates then scoop out solid and beat with 8oz softened 1/3 fat creme cheese sweeten to taste with powdered sugar
Ignore her. She’s just “hangry”. 😛
By adding the pumpkin, you’ve amped-up the fiber content as well as the essential vitamins too. Brownies are never really healthy, but then again, neither is denying yourself a treat now and again and this is a great idea! These brownies “healthy in moderation”… Well done!
Just out of curiosity I have had my brownies in the oven for 40 min now and the center is still not cooked. Is this normal? It reminds me of a pie. Haha great flavor though 🙂
Same with me. At 25 – 30 min. still very “undone.” It took til 40 min. and then still a little dough on toothpick but took them out anyway. Waiting for them to cool now. Smell good.
You have a whole can of pumpkin and a family size brownie mix, which is for a 13×9 pan ,, yet your recipe says a 9×9 pan. Is this correct ?
Yes 🙂
The obesity problem in the World not just this country has not been caused by one little ole box of brownies. Keep on cooking Shelly 🙂
thats why u excerise. simple has that. just saying.
There’s a Debbie Downer in every thread. These look great and I will be making them today. I sure hope I’m not obese tomorrow.
I think in more of the lines that neg cholesterol due to the lack of egg yolk. No oil added. You skip out on those ingredients and it is healthier than the average brownie that include such ingredients
Did you eat your sense of humor, Susan?
Hi, this sounds so yummy and you can easily make it healthier by using all organic products. They have many organic brownie box mixes that are awesome. Here’s a really good one that I use sometimes…. http://www.immaculatebaking.com/product/brownie-scratch-baking-mix-2/#page. They do use organic sugar, but a little is ok in moderation.
This IS healthier than a regular brownie and if you don’t like these than don’t eat them!! Everyone has their soap box and most of it is BS! Get off your butt and walk, Play, work in the yard!! Have you not noticed that , although we stopped using Butter and Lard, sugar, cut back on beef and still the rate for heart disease and other ailments is climbing!! Google Crisco and see what you get!! Nature provides for us, but we have fallen to maximum intake with minimum out put!! Thus all the pills and obesity!! Can you get your kids to eat Pumpkin?? You can Now!!
Please she meant it as a joke woman. Jeez ! ! !
And you’re the reason there’s an Stupidity problem in your country.
Only stupid people would come to a dessert page and rant about how unhealthy it is…smh!
Go and google peas & carrots you idiot!
Haha…all these replies to Susan are making me laugh out loud! There needs to be a like button next to these comments!
AGREED.
Yes, obviously if you’re adding something like pumpkin, that IS healthy and very low in calories, instead of the other ingredients, this WILL be a healthier alternative to the traditional brownie. I believe it comes out to 3 WW Plus Points per brownie, which is much healthier than a regular brownie. LOL.. It’s not about cutting out everything in your life to be healthier, it’s about making healthier choices! And the hangry comment cracked me up, lol.
I agree ,thank you and it has given me some good ideas .im trying a life style change .i have lost 25 pounds and have more to go .
Someone lacks a sense of humor -_-
P.S. I’m making these today. Yay! (I’m petsitting three dogs, in addition to my own puppy and four cats. These will be my reward if I make it through the day!)
Darn tootin’, Rachel, family-sized brownies! Brownies only for 8″ x 8″ pans? Why? Not even enough there to even make a decent batch of brownie muffins! Good enough for multi-layer brownies (like, slutty brownies), but certainly not for stand-alone brownies.
Gonna give this pumpkin brownie thing a try…maybe with frosting…maybe with just CoolWhip.