Vegan Pumpkin Brownies
Vegan Pumpkin Brownies are a decadent, plant-based treat that include canned pumpkin puree. Make these in the fall or at any time of year to satisfy a chocolate craving.
Brownies are a great dessert when that chocolate craving hits, and these are the super fudgy variety!
The pumpkin makes them perfect for fall, and they freeze wonderfully for indulging later on.
These are vegan so they will fit into many diets, and can easily be made gluten-free.
Why You Need This Recipe
- Vegan Pumpkin Brownies are great for parties, lunch boxes, or for emergency chocolate cravings.
- This recipe can almost be made in just one bowl! You will need to gel the chia separately but then everything goes into one large mixing bowl, making it easy on dishes.
- Brownies both freeze and travel well, making them an ideal dessert for sharing.
Key Ingredients
Pumpkin purée is full of vitamin A and offers lots of moisture, meaning you don’t need oil in this recipe. Be sure to buy pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Flour adds structure to the brownies. Use a gluten-free flour if you want these to be gluten-free. Otherwise, you can use a regular all-purpose flour.
Chia seeds are full of fiber and are used as an egg replacer here to hold everything together. You can also use a flax egg, if you prefer.
Unsweetened cocoa powder gives a deep chocolate flavor without excess sugar. Don’t have cocoa powder on hand? See my list of the best substitutes for cocoa powder.
Chocolate chips add texture and even more fudge-y flavor. Be sure to use vegan chocolate chips to keep the recipe dairy-free and free from any animal products. Vanilla extract adds depth of flavor.
Maple syrup adds natural sweetness as well as even more moisture, creating a nice fudgy brownie.
Recipe Steps
Step One
Preheat the oven and lightly oil a baking dish. Or, line the dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the chia seeds with water and let rest.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step Three
Make a well in the dry ingredients and add all remaining ingredients, including chia seeds, but not the chocolate chips. Stir the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together until smooth.
Step Four
Pour batter into prepared dish and top with chocolate chips. Bake and enjoy warm or at room temperature.
I hope you agree that these vegan brownies taste just like traditional brownies!
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Make sure and select dairy-free chocolate chips if you are keeping these brownies vegan.
- Want to add even more seasonal flavor? Add a 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the dry ingredients.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe was tested using canned pumpkin puree. You can try using your own pumpkin that you roast and puree, but it tends to have more water than the canned versions. So, I suggest using canned pumpkin puree for your pumpkin batter.
Definitely. You can use a cup-for-cup gluten-free alternative. You could also use almond flour, but the brownies will be much more dense. See my article on how to substitute almond flour for regular flour.
Most of my baking recipes use coconut oil, but these brownies don’t need any!
This recipe was developed using a mix of liquid sweetener like maple syrup along with a dry sweetener like white sugar, coconut sugar, or brown sugar.
More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes You Might Like
- Vegan Pumpkin Fluff
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Pudding
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Don’t Miss These Vegan Chocolate Treats!
Vegan Pumpkin Brownies
Vegan Pumpkin Brownies are a decadent, plant-based treat that include canned pumpkin puree. Make these in the fall or at any time of year to satisfy a chocolate craving.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (use 1 cup gluten-free baking flour to make these gluten-free)
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup white sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish lightly with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the chia seeds and water. Stir together and set aside to gel.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Then, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the chia egg, pumpkin puree, almond milk, vanilla, and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and top with the chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the brownies cool completely before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 15.4 g
- Sodium: 11.7 mg
- Fat: 2.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.1 g
- Fiber: 4.6 g
- Protein: 3.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with nearly 10 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Can you substitute anything else for the chia seeds?
Yes you can use ground flax instead.
These are my new favorite brownies! So good!!!