Delicious healthy chocolate pumpkin brownies, baked full of spicy flavor, and dense fudgy cakey texture that is high in protein and fiber, and free of dairy, gluten, and refined-sugar and full of pumpkin and spices.
Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
Baking pumpkins into brownies isn’t that common? Using sweet potatoes in brownies is more common, like my no-bake recipe here.
But in this recipe, I baked in the pumpkin puree, added mood-boosting cacao powder, fiber-rich coconut flour and more to produce a fudgy, yet cakey gloriously nutritious dessert.
How Healthy in Pumpkin?
Pumpkins are considered incredibly nutritious, high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and having a low impact on regulating blood pressure. They are also high in iron, vitamin A and vitamin C, all great immunity and skin boosters. A low calorie count matched with its high nutrient density makes pumpkin perfect for weight control. And it is a high-energizer, providing a slew of healthy carbs that can help you power through your day. So have one for breakfast! Or a post, and pre-workout snack. Also, being high in antioxidants, sweet potatoes help reverse muscle damage caused by workout stress. And finally, of course, replace the lost potassium.
Is Canned Food Healthy or Not?
I use canned pumpkin puree in this recipe. Did you know that canned isn’t always less healthy?
Studies have shown that actually the canning process can actually preserve and even boost nutrients. And proteins, carbs and fats are said to be unaffected in a bad way by canning.
Vitamins and minerals, often vulnerable to exposure, are retained; see this NIH study here.
And in a few cases, a food becomes more nutritious after the canning process. Two examples, according to this study, are tomatoes and corn – they both contain more antioxidants after the canning heating process.
Finally, this study surprised me so much: NIH found that people who ate 6 or more canned items a week had higher intakes of 17 essential nutrients compared to those who ate 2 or fewer canned foods that week.
And, of course, other pluses are canned foods are often more affordable and convenient to store.
The caution, as you probably know, is that cans can contain negative substances in the actual can, such as BPA, known to be a hormone-disruptor.
The way around this is to buy BPA-free and organic when possible. And always read labels to be sure the ingredients are mostly the food you want to buy with few other additives, such as salt, sugars, chemical preservatives and even fake colors.
Aiming for responsible organic brands is a good place to start. Visit my store – haha, I’m advertising my store – for all the brands I recommend.
I’m always researching brands and I add to this list frequently. I’m always looking to add brands that are responsible with what they put into their packaging, products, how they treat their workers and the planet. Feel free to DM me your recommendations on IG!
Ingredients in Chocolate Pumpkin Brownie
Along with pumpkin puree, these super healthy brownies contain:
Cacao Powder: The raw, healthier version of cocoa powder which has many chocolate nutrients removed. If you are going to eat chocolate, you might as well use the version that is going to give you all the good stuff like magnesium to help you sleep and boost your mood, fiber and a boat-load more. Also cacao tastes more chocolate-y! A big win.
Coconut Flour: I love coconut flour in this recipe because it gives the brownie a wonderful cakey texture. Also it’s perfect for my nut-free friends, although if you don’t have it in your pantry, almond flour would also work although the brownies might be moister. Maybe that’s a good thing to you.
Coconut Butter: I talk alot about coconut butter, haha. I beginning to actually fall in love with this ingredient. I used to avoid it because jars are so expensive and hard to find, and then I learned to make it by just blending (in a high-speed blender) fresh shredded coconut. See me demo this here in my IG stories.
I also used a bit of coconut oil to add to the fudgy texture, and flaxseed eggs, as well as a few other things.
How to Make Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies?
They are quite easy to make actually. It’s a throw-it-all-in-the-processor kind of recipe. Oh, well, you do have to make a flaxseed egg to start, with a 10-minute weight time, but other than that, this recipe is speedy.
I baked it in my six-inch square pan – I love my pans and parchment-matches. It makes baking and clean up go very fast when you can grab a correct-sized pan and matching parchment! See them on my stories and in my amazon store.
And if you are looking for topping options, you could make my frosting, or just dust with cacao powder. Enjoy!
If you like easy chocolate desserts, you will love my chocolate protein bars recipe and how-to as well as my recipe for Chocolate Carmel Cakes. It has a bit longer ingredient list, and but so delicious and nutritious!
And the 3 easiest recipes on the planet:
Try More Vegan Brownies Here
Healthy Cake Like Brownies
Healthy Mocha Brownies
Brownie Bites
No Bake Vegan Brownies
Chocolate Buckwheat Flourless Brownies
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Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup coconut butter
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 flaxseed eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water, sit for 10 minutes)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Dry ingredients
- 6 tbsp cacao powder
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
- pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Dark chocolate drizzle
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
Prep
- Make flaxseed eggs and set aside for 10 minutes.Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 6x6-inch square pan or loaf pan with parchment, and rub any exposed sides with coconut oil.
Make brownies
- Add all ingredients to a food processor, and blend until you have a smooth batter. Add a touch more milk if it is not smooth.
- Pour batter into pan and bake for at least 35 minutes, possible 40, or until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool for 20 minutes, cut and serve. Store in freezer for 3 months.
Make frosting
- Melt the chips and coconut oil in a pyrex measuring cup in a microwave for 60 seconds. Stir the hot chips until all are melted. Pour on drizzle just before eating brownies.
Nutrition
Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients . On this blog you’ll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in immunological nutritional studies and journalism. More about Dee Dine here.
Ela
I love your pumpkin brownies, Dee! They look so moist and fudgy. Such a great and wholesome recipe! 🙂
Dee Dine
Thank you Ela! So glad you like them!