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Moist, chocolatey, with a hint of spice, these Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Brownies are one of the things you have to make, especially in this holiday season! It’s vegan, gluten-free, and slightly healthier (so welcome to make more!)
Story behind these Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
I hope it’s not too late to share this recipe because my motivation of making these pumpkin swirl brownies was from the omnipresent pumpkins I’ve seen in the Halloween season.
And you know (or not), one of the things I like to make almost every week is chocolate brownies. So here is a delicious, gluten-free, super chocolatey Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Brownie recipe that I’ve tested out from last week.
These Pumpkin Swirl Brownies are awesome!
- Moist, fudgy, super chocolatey
- Gluten-free, made with oat flour and almond flour
- Healthier, less oil and sugar
- Vegan, no eggs, no dairy, no animal products
- Beautiful marble looks
- Not too sweet, perfect with ice cream!
Ingredients for Making Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
I tried to make these pumpkin swirl brownies a bit healthier and still delicious, so I used some additional ingredients. Hence, the ingredient list is a tiny bit long. But it’s worth it! We will need:
- Extra-virgin coconut oil: If you know me, you know I love using extra-virgin coconut oil in baked goods. It makes these brownies moist and fudgy.
- Unsweetened applesauce: This is an additional ingredient I added to make these brownies slightly healthier, but the change is unnoticeable. (How tot Make Applesauce)
- Coconut sugar & Golden caster sugar: I adore coconut sugar very much due to its special caramel taste, with golden caster sugar for a more balance flavour. You can use soft light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar if that suits you better.
- Vanilla extract: Just a few drops of vanilla will make these brownies more chocolatey.
- Unsweetened soy milk: You can use almond milk or oat milk as well, but soy milk is the best for these brownies in my opinion.
- Oat flour & Almond flour: I tried to make a special, gluten-free version. So instead of regular wheat flour, I use a combination of oat and almond flour.
- Cocoa powder: Here I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder to give these brownies a darker looks and deeper tasted flavour.
- Baking powder: for the extra softness.
- Ground cinnamon: a bit of cinnamon to make these brownies “spiced.”
- Salt: Just a little bit to bring out more flavour.
- Dark chocolate (70% recommended): These are legit chocolate brownies, i.e. with lots of dark chocolate inside.
- Pumpkin purée: You can use homemade one or store bought one. Make sure the ingredient list should just be one thing: Pumpkin.
- Vegetable oil: We need a bit extra fat to give it a smooth, rich taste. Here I use rapeseed oil. You can use any neutral-flavour vegetable oil.
- Mixed spice: a common spice mix in the UK. It often includes ground cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg. It’s mainly used in the pumpkin swirl for the extra “spice-ness” in this recipe. You can use storebought mixed spice or pumpkin spice or apple pie spice to achieve similiar taste.
How to Make Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Start by preparing for baking: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F / gas mark 4. Line a 1 LB loaf tin with baking paper. Or you can use a bigger/wider loaf tin if you want to make thinner/shorter brownies.
To make the brownie batter:
- In a bowl, whisk coconut oil, applesauce, and sugar together. Then add vanilla extract and soy milk to combine.
- Then to the same bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to incorporate everything evenly.
- Add chopped chocolate to the brownie batter. Stir them into the batter evenly with a spatula.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Set it aside while we make the pumpkin swirl mixture.
To make the pumpkin Swirl
- Mix together the pumpkin purée, soy milk, oil, and vanilla extract in a bowl.
- Then add the sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon, oat flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk all together until the mixture is smooth without any lumps.
To assemble & bake:
- Randomly drop the pumpkin swirl mixture on top of the brownie batter. Use the back of a spoon to create swirls. Make sure to NOT OVER MIX it.
- Put it into in the preheated oven to bake for 25–30 minutes until it pass the toothpick test. (Use a toothpick to insert in the centre, and it should come out clean.)
- Transfer the loaf tin on to a wire rack to cool down completely. Then grab the sides of the baking paper to remove it from the tin. Cut it into squares and enjoy!
How to Store Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Let these pumpkin swirl brownies cool down completely. Then store them in food containers in the fridge for 3–5 days or 2 weeks in the freezer.
Extra Tips for Success
- Weight your ingredients with a kitchen scale. I provide some cup measurement in case someone may not have a scale. But weighing is always better because it’s much more precise than using measuring cups.
- Use a sift for cocoa powder and baking powder. Sometimes these two ingredients will clump. Using a sift to add them in will guarantee an even texture of the brownie batter.
- Adjust the baking time and temperature as needed. No oven is exactly the same. So make sure to make some adjustment to the baking temperature and baking time if you know your oven often goes to a higher/lower temperature.
Final words
These pumpkin swirl brownies have a beautiful marble looks, super moist, and chocolatey with a hint of spice. It’s super delicious and perfect for the holiday season. I hope you will love these brownies as much as I do! — Nora
You might be interested in these recipes as well:
Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Brownies (Gluten-free)
Moist, chocolatey, with a hint of spice, these Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Brownies are one of the things you have to make, especially in this holiday season! It’s vegan, gluten-free, and slightly healthier (so don’t be afraid if you want to make more!)
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
Chocolate Brownies
- 40 g extra-virgin coconut oil, melted (~3.5 Tbsp)
- 40 g unsweetened applesauce, (1/6 cup)
- 45 g coconut sugar, or light brown sugar (a packed 1/4 cup)
- 45 g golden caster sugar, or organic sugar (a scant 1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g unsweetened soy milk, (1/4 cup + 1 tsp)
- 50 g oat flour, use gluten-free oat flour if necessary (1/2 cup +1 Tbsp)
- 30 g almond flour, (~5Tbsp)
- 40 g cocoa powder, Dutch-processed (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp)
- 1/2+1/4 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 40 g dark chocolate, chopped (1/4 cup)
Pumpkin Swirl
- 50 g pumpkin purée
- 30 ml unsweetened soy milk
- 6 g neutral-flavour vegetable oil, I use rapeseed oil (1/2 Tbsp)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp golden caster sugar, or organic sugar
- ½ tsp mixed spice, or pumpkin spice
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- 22 g oat flour, use gluten-free oat flour if necessary
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1/16 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F / gas mark 4. Line a 1 LB loaf tin with baking paper. (You can use a bigger/wider loaf tin if you want to make thinner brownies.)
To make the brownie batter:
- In a bowl, add coconut oil, applesauce, and sugar. Whisk all together evenly. Then stir in vanilla extract and soy milk. Mix to combine.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the wet mixture. Whisk to incorporate all until no flour can be seen.
- Add chopped chocolate to the brownie batter and use a spatula to mix it into the batter evenly.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Set it aside while we make the pumpkin swirl mixture.
To make the pumpkin Swirl
- In a bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, soy milk, oil, and vanilla extract together.
- Then add the sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon, oat flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth without lumps.
To assemble & bake:
- Drop or pour the pumpkin swirl mixture on top of the brownie batter. Use the back of a spoon to create swirls. DO NOT OVER MIX.
- Place it in the preheated oven to bake at 180°C (160°C fan / 350°F / gas mark 4) for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Transfer the loaf tin on a wire rack to cool down completely before removing it from the tin. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Let the brownies cool down completely. Then store them in food containers in the fridge for 3–5 days or 2 weeks in the freezer.
