Pumpkin Brownies

These pumpkin brownies are inspired by tiramisu but are the perfect version for October. They start with an ultra-fudgy dark chocolate base — rich, dense, and just a little gooey in the middle — then get topped with spiced pumpkin mascarpone cream. It’s everything we love about fall baking: cozy, creamy, and deeply chocolatey.

Step-by-Step: How to Make the Pumpkin Brownies

1. Melt the chocolate and butter

Start by melting your butter and chopped chocolate until smooth and glossy. This mixture of butter and chocolate is the base of everything. The large quantity of chocolate makes the brownies dense and fudgy. Let it cool slightly while you prep the rest.

2. Whisk the eggs and sugar

In a separate bowl, whip the eggs with both sugars until pale and thick — you want the mixture to fall in slow ribbons when you lift the whisk. This step gives the brownies that perfect balance of dense and chewy, without being heavy. It also gives them a beautiful crinkle top.

3. Fold it all together

Use a spatula to fold in the melted chocolate, then the flour and cocoa. Don’t overmix — this is one of those “just until combined” moments. The batter should be rich and velvety.

4. Bake until just set

Spread the batter into a parchment-lined 9×13 pan and bake until the top looks crackly but still feels soft in the center. That slight underbake is what keeps the texture fudgy instead of cakey.

5. Make the pumpkin cream

While the brownies cool, beat together mascarpone and cream until smooth, then add pumpkin purée, vanilla bean, powdered sugar, and all the spices. It’s like pumpkin pie meets tiramisu — creamy, gently spiced, and light enough to balance the chocolate.

6. Assemble and dust

Spread the pumpkin cream over the cooled brownies and finish with a generous dusting of cinnamon. The layer should look soft and creamy

7. Chill, slice, and serve

Chill the pan for about an hour so the cream sets a bit — it makes slicing much easier. Then grab a sharp knife, wipe it between cuts, and enjoy

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Pumpkin Brownies

Servings 12

Ingredients

Brownies:

• 1 cup salted butter 227 g
• 14 ounces Chocolove 70% strong dark chocolate coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dutch cocoa powder 60 g
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 120 g
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 140 g
• 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
• 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon if iodized
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin layer:

• 16 oz mascarpone
• 2 cups heavy cream 480 ml
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of nutmeg

Dusting:

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder

Instructions

Brownies:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Butter and line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking dish with parchment paper
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
• Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. If the heat from the butter does not fully melt the chocolate, put the pan back over the heat for 10 seconds and stir until melted.(note: if you are using a chocolate bar, you will need to melt the chocolate longer on the stove)
  
• Set chocolate mixture aside to cool.
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugars, salt, and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or hand mixer), beat on high speed until the mixture thickens and becomes pale in color and falls from the beater in a wide ribbon that folds back on itself and slowly dissolves on the surface, 4 to 5 minutes.
  
• Using a rubber spatula, fold the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture.
  
• Add the flour and cocoa powder and fold it in quickly but gently with the rubber spatula so that you don’t deflate the air that’s been incorporated into the eggs.
  
• Pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top with a spatula.
  
• Bake until the top looks slightly cracked and feels soft to the touch, about 25 minutes.
• Let cool completely on a wire rack before topping with pumpkin cream.
  

Pumpkin Cream:

• In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 30 seconds.
• Add the sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, pumpkin puree, and spices. Continue to beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes.
  

Assembly:

• Top the cooled brownies with the pumpkin cream. Use a spatula evenly distribute the cream into an even layer
• Using a fine mesh sieve dust the top of the brownies with cinnamon
• Cut into pieces and serve or store in the fridge until ready to serve