Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

A brownie batter is topped with a pumpkin cream cheese mixture, swirled, and baked in a square pan. The top sets with a glossy crust while the center stays soft and fudgy, with clear ribbons of pumpkin filling in each square.

By Julienne

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 15 ml neutral oil for greasing the pan
• 170 g unsalted butter melted
• 250 g granulated sugar divided
• 2 each large eggs room temperature, divided
• 5 ml vanilla extract divided
• 95 g all-purpose flour sifted
• 60 g unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
• 3 g fine salt divided
• 225 g cream cheese softened
• 120 g pumpkin purée
• 50 g granulated sugar divided
• 1 each large eggs room temperature, divided
• 5 ml vanilla extract divided
• 50 g light brown sugar packed, for the pumpkin swirl
• 15 g all-purpose flour for the pumpkin swirl
• 2 g pumpkin pie spice for the pumpkin swirl
• 1 g fine salt divided
• 1.5 g ground cinnamon for the pumpkin swirl
• 0.5 g ground ginger for the pumpkin swirl

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 175°C. Line a 22 cm x 22 cm square pan with parchment, leaving overhang on two sides, and lightly grease the parchment and exposed pan with the neutral oil. The oven is fully preheated and the pan is lined and greased.
2. In a bowl, whisk the melted butter with 250 g of the granulated sugar until glossy. Whisk in 2 eggs and 5 ml of the vanilla until smooth. The mixture looks thick, glossy, and fully combined.
3. Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and 3 g of the salt just until no dry streaks remain. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. The brownie batter is evenly spread and looks thick but smooth.
4. In a second bowl, beat the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, remaining 50 g sugar, remaining egg, remaining 5 ml vanilla, brown sugar, flour for the swirl, pumpkin pie spice, remaining 1 g salt, cinnamon, and ginger until smooth and pourable. The pumpkin cream cheese mixture is smooth with no visible lumps.
5. Spoon the pumpkin cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter in dollops, then drag a knife or skewer through both layers to create swirls without fully mixing them. Distinct marbled ribbons are visible across the surface.
6. Bake for 32 to 35 minutes, until the edges are set, the center no longer looks wet, and a toothpick inserted in the brownie portion comes out with moist crumbs rather than wet batter. The top is set and slightly glossy; the center jiggles only slightly when the pan is nudged.
7. Cool in the pan for at least 25 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and cool completely before slicing into 12 squares. The brownies are fully cool and cut cleanly into squares.