Vegan Pumpkin Brownies

Grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free

Yes, another brownie recipe. But hear me out.

Who says the pumpkin is just for the holiday season and pumpkin pie? I don’t know about you, but I always end up with an extra can of pumpkin puree in my cupboard after the holiday season is over. Instead of waiting for a year to dig it out of my pantry for the holidays again, I wanted to figure out a way to use it in a way that you would not know that there is any pumpkin in there. 

Lightbulb: brownies, but made with pumpkin instead of eggs. I do look for any excuse to make brownies, but these brownies are perfect. They have a crisp edge, a sunken, fudgy middle and plenty of chocolate flavor. Some savory-sweet halva is the prefect addition to the mix. 

I made these brownies several times this week and I have been thoroughly enjoying having one as my after-work treat. You will not know that they are vegan. I may or may not have bought a whole new can of pumpkin so I can make them again. 

Let’s talk about some of the ingredients. 

Super Dark Chocolate 

The best brownies start with lots of chocolate. In my mind, the best chocolate is the darkest chocolate you can find. Not only can you control the sweetness, but also you get a richer, slightly bitter chocolate flavor when you use uber dark chocolate. 

For me, I always use 95% cocoa content (Taza Wicked Dark is my go-to) or unsweetened. If don’t want to use super dark chocolate, then use at least 70% cocoa content chocolate. 

Pumpkin Puree 

One of the first egg substitutes I used was applesauce. While I do think that applesauce is a great stand-in for eggs, in brownies, it is not my favorite. Not matter what you do, you will get a slight fruity flavor to the brownies. When it eat a brownie, I was all chocolate. The pumpkin puree does have some natural sweetness, but also a more earthy flavor that actually goes so well with dark chocolate. You will not taste pumpkin, I promise. 

I used regular pumpkin puree (I opt for organic), but if you don’t want to use pumpkin, you can use butternut squash or sweet potato puree. 

Olive Oil 

Olive oil make a great brownie. Yes, butter is lovely, but it is not vegan and it can lose some of its moisture during the baking time. Olive oil gives some acidity to the brownies, which leads to a more tender crumb. The fruit flavor of extra virgin olive oil also helps to balance out the chocolate and sweetness. 

Spring for the extra virgin; brownies are worth it. If you really don’t want to, you can use refined coconut oil or avocado oil. 

Black Cocoa Powder 

I have an abundance of cocoa powders in my pantry (i am a baking ingredient pack rat) and I love black cocoa powder. If you have ever seen a blackout cake or cookie, that color is thanks to black cocoa. Black cocoa is essentially extra-dutched cocoa powder. It has an assertive flavor that helps to boost the toasted-roasted flavor you get from the dark chocolate. 

If you do not want to buy a whole new cocoa powder, then use a good dutch-process cocoa. You could use natural cocoa powder (not processed so the acidity is neutralized). You will not get the super dark color, but it will still taste delicious. 

Recipe 

114g (4oz) super dark chocolate (I used Taza’s 95% dark)

2oz (1/4 cup + 2tbsp) olive oil 

35 (2tbsp) tahini 

75g (1/4 cup) maple syrup 

85g (1/2 cup) coconut sugar 

133g (1/2 cup) pumpkin puree

17g (2 tbsp) black cocoa powder (or dutch process) 

117g (3/4 cup) almond flour 

1 tsp espresso powder 

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

40g (about 1/2 cup) crumbled halva 

Preheat your oven to 350F and line an 8-inch square baking dish with aluminum foil (you can also use parchment, I like aluminum foil for brownies). 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, almond flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt. Make sure to get out any lumps in the almond flour. 

In a large bowl, combine the dark chocolate, olive oil and tahini; melt over a double boiler (or in the microwave, going in 30-second increments). Once melted, mix together until combined. Add the maple syrup and coconut sugar, whisk to combine. 

Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients with a spatula, adding the halva at the end. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, topping with some more halva. 

Bake for 20-23 minutes. The edges will start to get crisp and the middle will puff up and deflate once you remove it from the oven. No worries, this makes the middle dense and chewy.