Chocolate With Grace

Simple Desserts, Treats and Everyday Recipes

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

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The pumpkin cheesecake swirl in the brownies is worth the extra bit of effort and makes these brownies ultra moist.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies

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This post was originally published in October 2014. I’ve updated the pictures and tweaked the recipe slightly to be even better.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Once upon a time I made a rich chocolatey brownie swirled with with a smooth pumpkin cheesecake and enjoyed one piece after another. Today, I’m eating a bowl of ramen noodles, sitting in my cold office, and staring at these long gone brownies wishfully. Just look at that dark chocolate and pumpkin cheesecake layer!

(I must be on a cheesecake kick this fall, my last recipe also involved pumpkin cheesecake. Oh, and a chocolate pumpkin kick too! Check out these cookies for fall!)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies

This is a standard brownie recipe with pumpkin mixed in for extra pumpkin layer. Then I swirled in a cheesecake layer. Half of that cheesecake layer is plain and half is pumpkin cheesecake. That makes the pretty two-toned effect.

The brownie is thick, dense and soft. Not too chewy thanks to the addition of pumpkin, but rich like a brownie should be. When I tweaked the recipe. I added an extra egg for more chewy brownie texture. 
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies are the Perfect Fall Treat! Such a delicious brownie recipe for this time of year!

How to make pumpkin swirl brownies

Getting the pretty swirl on top isn’t too hard. I chose to use only about 3/4 of the pumpkin mixture and then regretted it because I wanted more cheesecake on top. Take your pick on how much cheesecake batter to use. Using less will probably make prettier swirls, but more will taste better.

I simply spoon the cheesecake mixture on top in strips and then take a butter knife or toothpick and run it through the batter to make a criss cross pattern. Then swirl it in a couple circles for good measure. Be careful not to over-swirl or it will turn into mud.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies

Let me know in the comments if you make this recipe. I think it would be perfect for a fall potluck or party, maybe even Thanksgiving dessert.

This pumpkin brownie recipe is loosely based on my Best Brownie Recipe in the world from scratch. If you’re looking for a great basic brownie recipe, be sure to check it out. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirled Brownies l Fall pumpkin recipes

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

Yield: 24 brownies
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

A rich chocolate pumpkin brownie swirled with a pumpkin cheesecake layer.

Ingredients

For the Brownies

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup cocoa
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

For the Cheesecake Swirl

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and four a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Beat together melted butter, sugar, pumpkin, eggs and vanilla together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  2. To make the cheesecake filling, beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. Reserve about 2/3 of a cup of this mixture. This will be the white cheesecake swirl layer. Mix the pumpkin into the remaining cheesecake mixture. You will have to colors of cheesecake batter. Starting with the white batter, spoon the mixture onto the brownie batter in thin rows. Then do the same with the pumpkin cheesecake batter. Don’t worry if they touch or its not perfect. It’s art. Run a butter knife through the batter in a grid pattern to get the swirled look. Don’t over do it.
  3. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing. Makes 24 brownies.

Notes

The cheesecake layer will be runny, keep baking until set. I've received some comments that the bake time is not long enough. I included a larger baking range, but oven and pans vary. Keep baking until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 brownies Serving Size: 1 brownie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 183 Total Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 46mg Sodium: 196mg Carbohydrates: 29g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 20g Protein: 3g
Nutrition information may vary significantly based on ingredients used and portion sizes. We are not responsible the reliability of this data or your reliance on it. We are not responsible for the results of any recipe you try from this blog/website, Chocolatewithgrace.com. Your results may vary due to differences in ingredients, humidity, altitude, cooking temperatures, errors, or individual cooking abilities.
© Mallory
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars and Brownies
Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies. A rich Brownie swirled with a pumpkin spice cheesecake layer. #pumpkinbrownies #brownierecipe
This recipe first appeared on Uncommon Designs last month where I am a contributor!

Follow along on my pumpkin, cheesecake and chocolate craze with these other recipes!

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake - A perfect fall dessert!

 

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Sandwich Cookies | www.chocolatewithgrace

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies

Reader Interactions

Comments

  15. the bake time cannot be right. im already an additional 20 minutes passed 23 minutes and there nowhere near done.

    Reply

  17. Bake time is not correct…. mine habe been in for 40 min and center is not quite ready. I would say 40-45min.

    Reply

  19. Just finished baking for 20 minutes…. still completely runny in the middle. Also, your recipe does not state when to add in the pumpkin pie spice.

    Reply

    • Just keep baking them till done. Ovens temperatures can be off and the type of baking pan you use can drastically affect baking times. Happy baking.

      Reply

      • Something seems to be off. My “white” part was wicked runny. The bake time is definitely not correct and the recipe doesn’t say when to add the pumpkin pie spice-i added it to the pumpkin cream cheese. Possibly this recipe should be updated to not confuse someone who isn’t familiar with baking.

        Reply

  20. PLEASE NOTE:

    Pumpkin Pie spice should be added into the pumpkin cheesecake portion. This is not stated in the instructions, but is a crucial step. Also, the bake time should be about 40-45 minutes rather than 20-23. Ovens will differ in bake times, but 20 minutes is far too short.

    After following these extra tips, this recipe turned out amazing!

    Reply

  21. Hello, my wife and I waited until tonight to bake these brownies for Thanksgiving tomorrow and were terribly disappointed to find that the cream cheese had a curdled look and the bake time was completely wrong. I guess I’m a bit naive for not reading the comments of every recipe that I’ve found online but this seems to be in need of correction on the original posted recipe. We will not get any more recipes from this site.

    Reply

  22. I don’t usually leave reviews on blog recipes but all of the negative reviews I see here are before the update, so I wanted to add a review based on what’s currently written with the extra egg and longer bake time. I made these brownies tonight to share with my family, and it got mixed but mostly positive reviews. It is a very cakey brownie, not fudgey, but everyone has a different preference there so that’s not really negative. Everyone did agree it could use a stronger cheesecake flavor, maybe just add a ton more of the topping. 45 minutes cooked it through, but it wasn’t crispy the way I like brownies so maybe I should have left it longer even. Everyone liked them enough to eat more than one, and a couple people really loved these, so if you’re on the fence about making it I would say just go for it. It might not be the best tasting brownie I’ve ever had, but it’s one of the prettiest.

    Reply

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