Pumpkin Swirl Brownies (Recipe Inspired by THE WHISPER MAN)

My October baking game is starting strong with Pumpkin Swirl Brownies!

The Whisper Man is definitely one of the creepiest books I’ve read in a long time — which means it’s a perfect October read.

And, with their dark brown and bright orange whirls, Pumpkin Swirl Brownies are the perfect October treat.

This book-inspired recipe was created because I needed some comfort food after reading that scary-ass novel.

And, because I couldn’t decide if said comfort food should be brownies (tried and true!) or pumpkin bread (because, helloooooo, we’re smack in the middle of pumpkin spice season!).

Then, I realized: I don’t have to choose.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies are the best of both worlds. I married my favorite brownies with my favorite pumpkin bread, and their delicious baby is the baked good gorgeousness that you see here.

Every fall, my Pinterest feed becomes clogged with numerous versions of “pumpkin brownies,” but I’ve never tried any of them. Foolishly, I didn’t think the combo of pumpkin spice and chocolate would be appealing.

**looks around to see who the crazy person talking is. Oops, it’s me**

YEAH. I was wrong about that.

The smell in my house as these Pumpkin Swirl Brownies baked was mouthwatering. Mouthwatering. Cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and chocolate filled the air, making my house feel like it was wrapped in a seasonal hug.

[Note: this scent should seriously be made into a candle. Hear that, Yankee Candle?? Get on it! I’ll take 20% royalties, thankyouverymuch.]

The pan was barely out of the oven before I threw myself at it.

Like, I don’t think the Pumpkin Swirl Brownies were even fully cooled when I unceremoniously hacked off a chunk and shoved it into my mouth.

This dessert tastes like all of your childhood fall and winter holidays put together. The flavors weave in and out of each other, thanks to the marbled batter, so each and every moist, fluffy bite is bursting with pumpkin pie spice and rich chocolate.

See all those crumbs? I may have licked my finger and picked up each and every one of them.

So, yes, Pumpkin Swirl Brownies are my new fall food obsession. Give them a try and they’ll be your new obsession, too.

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 16 brownies

Ingredients

  

BROWNIE BATTER INGREDIENTS

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

PUMPKIN SWIRL BATTER INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz pumpkin puree
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• heaping 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• heaping 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• heaping 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• pinch of ground ginger

Instructions

 

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Spray an 8x8 baking pan with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS

• Make the BROWNIE BATTER first: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Whisk in two eggs and beat mixture until thick.
• In another small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet, starting with a whisk to break up any clumps, then switching to a spatula to fold everything together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• Next, make the PUMPKIN SWIRL BATTER: In a medium bowl, add one egg and whisk until broken up, then whisk in the pumpkin puree, oil, and sugar until all ingredients are combined.
• In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet, starting with a whisk to break up any clumps, then switching to a spatula to fold everything together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• Take your prepared baking pan and scoop about half the brownie batter into the bottom of the pan. Smooth the batter into even layer. It's okay if the batter doesn't reach edge-to-edge.
• Pour all of the pumpkin swirl batter over the brownie batter that's in the pan, then carefully smooth the pumpkin swirl batter into an even layer.
• Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the pumpkin swirl batter.
• Use a knife to swirl the two batters together to create a marbelized effect on top, but be careful not to mix the two batters completely together. Less is more here.
• Bake the pumpkin swirl brownies in the oven at 350F for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then cut and serve.