These brownies are dense, fudgy, not too sweet and healthy enough to be a snack or a dessert. Pumpkin and tahini (or any nut butter) give them a velvety, fudgy texture that I absolutely love! Loads of cocoa powder, a touch of maple syrup, and (optional) chocolate chips add a rich chocolate flavor. Plus, you won’t get a massive sugar spike thanks to a healthy balance of fiber, protein, and fat and only 7g of sugar per brownie.
Ingredient highlight
Cocoa powder! Cocoa powder comes from the beans found in the fruit of a cacao tree that are roasted and ground. Cacao is high in minerals like iron, magnesium, and zinc. It’s also high in antioxidants like flavanols, polyphenols, and theobromine.
Servings 9 brownies
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
- 1 cup (236g) pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (131g) tahini
- ¼ cup (84g) maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (40g) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼-½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a medium/large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, tahini, maple syrup, vanilla, and egg until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and use a rubber spatula to mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips (if using, or sprinkle them on top).
- Transfer to the baking dish and spread out into an even layer (scatter chocolate chips on top, if using).
- Bake for 30 minutes or until it feels relatively firm when you gently press it with your fingers. These brownies are naturally very moist and fudgy and are hard to over bake.
- Sprinkle the top with flaky salt. Let them cool for at least 30 minutes so they hold together better. You could eat them sooner, but just know they will be a bit messy.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make the brownies.
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, substitute with a liquid egg replacement or bake without the egg. If you go with no egg at all, they will be a lot messier and harder to slice, but still delicious!
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- I actually love these cold right out of the fridge, but you could warm them up in the microwave if you’d like or just leave them out for a few minutes.
- These are really good cut up on top of vanilla ice cream (or just put a scoop on top!).
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