Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
A rich and fudgy chocolate brownie with swirls of creamy, baked pumpkin cheesecake!
I absolutely love brownies, but they've got to be rich, fudgy and stuffed full of chocolate! No dusty, cakey, dry brownies here!
These pumpkin cheesecake brownies have a rich and fudgy chocolate brownie base with a hint of pumpkin spice. Then feathered through is a delicious baked pumpkin cheesecake mixture. Perfectly spiced and ideal for autumn baking!
The creamy cheesecake mixture balances the rich chocolate flavour so well and the warming hint of pumpkin spice just adds to the yumminess!
This recipe makes one tray of vegan brownies. I like to cut them into twelve small slices or you can cut them into fewer larger pieces. They are best stored in the fridge due to the high chocolate content and cheesecake mixture and need to be eaten within a week.
They are delicious cold straight from the fridge, when the texture is almost fudge-like, or you can slightly warm them in the microwave for a few seconds, so that the chocolate goes all melty and gooey! Serve them by themselves or with vegan ice cream or custard!
They're dairy free, egg free, easily soya free, easily gluten free and of course, completely vegan!
Makes 12 small slices
Brownie base ingredients;
180g vegan butter
320g white granulated or caster sugar
150g dark chocolate chips, buttons or chunks + extra 100g
280g boiling water
70g cocoa powder
200g plain flour
2 tsp pumpkin spice mix - here's my easy recipe; Easy Pumpkin Spice Mix
Cheesecake ingredients;
85g vegan cream cheese
40g pumpkin puree
20g icing sugar
1 tsp pumpkin spice mix
1/2 tsp lemon juice - optional but it makes the tangy cheesecake flavour
2-3 tbs plant milk
You will also need; 7" x 11" baking tin, baking paper, mixing bowl, whisk, spoon, small bowl, piping bag, thin knife
How to make your brownies;
Pre heat the oven to 160°c
Line your baking tin with baking paper, this will make sure your brownie does not stick to the tin
Make your cheesecake mixture. Add the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, icing sugar, pumpkin spice mix, lemon juice and 2 tbs plant milk to a small bowl and mix until smooth
The cheesecake mixture should be smooth, creamy and slightly runny. Depending on what brand of vegan cream cheese you use, you may need to add another tbs plant milk, as some cheeses are wetter than others
Set the cheesecake mixture aside and make the brownie batter
Add the sugar, vegan butter and 150g dark chocolate to a mixing bowl
Add the boiling water whisk together until the butter and chocolate have melted and you have a chocolate syrup mixture. If there are any un-melted lumps, microwave in small blasts until you have a smooth, glossy mixture
Add the flour, cocoa powder and pumpkin spice mix into the bowl and mix well using the whisk so there are no flour lumps
Add the rest of the chocolate chips and gently fold through
Pour the mixture into the baking tin and smooth out with the back of a spoon
Add the cheesecake mixture to a piping bag and snip off the end
Pipe the cheesecake mixture in long lines, into the brownie batter, across the length of the baking tin
Use a thin knife or the handle of a spoon to feather the cheesecake mixture into the brownie batter. Do this by slowly dragging the knife up and down through the mixture across the short side of the tin. Then go back and repeat dragging the knife up and down along the long side of the tin
Bake at 160°c for 20-25 minutes. The brownie is baked when the edges are firm but there is still a slight jiggle to the middle of the tin
Set the brownies aside until they are completely cool before cutting them into pieces. I like to refrigerate mine until completely cold and set
Now your brownies are ready to eat!
Tips & Tricks!
I used Food Thoughts organic cocoa powder (gifted) and Violife vegan cream cheese
I always use Moo Free dark chocolate. You can buy bulk 2kg boxes from Coco's Pantry, who have lots of vegan baking ingredients
Shop brought pumpkin spice mix will work fine or here is my easy recipe; Easy Pumpkin Spice Mix
To feather the cheesecake mixture into the brownie batter, use a thin knife and drag it through the mixture, up and down, across the short side, the whole length of the tin. Then repeat dragging it up and down, across the long side, the whole length of the tin. If this is too fiddly, you can simply just swirl the cheesecake mixture into the brownie batter. It will still taste amazing!
Add as much pumpkin spice mix as you'd like! I love warming spice flavours, so I like a add quite a bit!
Chill your brownie before cutting! I like to refrigerate overnight. This not only improves the fudgy texture, but if you try to cut a warm brownie it's just going to crumble because of all the hot melty chocolate
This is my cake tin - my tin is 7" x 11" x 2" - https://amzn.to/45YU9Do
These are my mixing bowls - https://amzn.to/489iB6s
To make your brownies gluten free, use gluten free plain flour and add 1g of xanthan powder for every 100g flour. It doesn't sound like much but it really helps with the sponge texture. This is the xanthan gum powder I use; https://link.amazon/B0dK7lheE
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