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 made these today and they are amazing! I don’t know what all the other people with their negative comments are talking about. I did add almost 1 tsp pumpkin spice to the brownie mixture and with the frosting added some vanilla. They are awsome! Genius!
Wow, exciting 😀 I want to second everything April said. Shelly, you have a wonderful sense of humor and it’s clear from this recipe that you can’t please everyone all the time. That said, due to a family food sensitivity, we usually don’t eat dairy. Also, I don’t like to make things that aren’t from scratch, but you gotta live a little sometimes! I was able to do these w/ a GF brownie mix and no dairy in it 😀 My mom taught me a bit of wisdom that I’d like to share with those silly people out there commenting how this isn’t “really” 2 ingredients…If it seems to good to be true, it probably is…so you should probably know better if + you never said 2 whole food ingredients, so there, it really is 2 ingredients if they would just take it at face value 🙂 Thanks again! Happy Fall 😉
Okay, i’m actually in the process of making these. I hope they’re delicious for the hell i’m going through right now. I had to use an 8×8 dish, so I expected them to take longer to bake. But its been 1 hour and they’re still soft in the center. Then I made the frosting and its so think it broke my mixer! I’m still hopeful and haven’t given up yet. Though i’m bitter about my mixer.
What type of mixer do you have?
I just found these on pinterest last night and tried them right away. You may be lazy, but you’re a woman after my own heart !! Yup they taste different and GOOD. I added a cream chhese mixture to the top before I baked them and then cut it throught the batter a bit. Another step I know, but very worth it and NO, you’re right , they are no longer healthy with the cream cheese topping.
Found this on pintrest, made them in the cupcake pan, I’m extra lazy and its easier to just throw one at the kids, who by the way, one is super picky and the other does not like sweets, LOVED these! Gonna check to see what other easy delicious yummys you’ve got!
I wanted to love these. But sadly the texture is too weird for me. ???? so sad.
I have a been a follower of your blog for a year now and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! But since I’ve been trying to get fit and lose weight, I haven’t been making many of your recipes lately. I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course) and plugged in the ingredients into a recipe calculator. I used a 8×8 pan and only got 16 brownies so I adjusted the servings calculation. TURNS OUT 1 brownie is roughly 146 calories with only 3g of fat! Not too shabby Shelly 🙂
Just made these today! I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 cake pan! Delicious! I need to cook it a little longer. The middle was a bit under.
I have these baking in the oven at this very moment. . I must admit that I am not one to ever leave a recipe “as is” , this being said. … I added chopped walnuts, diced pumpkin spice marshmallows and pumpkin pie spice. .. I will also be frosting it with an orange infused cream cheese frosting.
I thank you for the basic recipe that brought out my inner foodie. ….
I can hardly wait for the timer to buzz!!!
do i need the ingredients on the brownie mix box too, like the eggs,water,oil?
No, just the dry mix and one can of pumpkin