These pumpkin brownies are simply amazing. I think I have never eaten something this delicious. They really taste like brownies, and you don’t even realize that you’re basically just eating pumpkin. They taste so incredibly chocolatey, are heavenly moist and naturally sweetened with dates. I have been loving pumpkin season so far. I put my beloved pumpkin puree in everything: my oatmeal, my coffee and even in my smoothies. Mixing pumpkin with chocolate is like a dream creation: it’s naturally sweet and creamy and tastes like mousse au chocolate. Which is why I have to admit that I almost ate the whole batter of these brownies. It was just so delicious that I couldn’t resist, and since it’s egg-free there’s absolutely no harm in it too. 
There’s so much goodness in these brownies. Pumpkin is not only totally delicious it’s also very healthy. It has amazing anti-inflammatory properties, which mainly derive from its high antioxidant content. Pumpkin is one of the best sources of vitamin A, which is important for our eye health and a functioning immune system. It also contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which keep our heart healthy.
INGREDIENTS:
– 3 cups (350g) pumpkin purée
– 1/2 cup (80g) almonds
– 200g medjool dates
– 1 tsp vanilla powder
– 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (100g) buckwheat flour
– 5 tbsp raw cacao powder
– pinch of salt
– 2 tbsp maple syrup
– 2 tbsp almond milk
optional for a pumpkin pie flavor:
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp ground ginger
– 1/4 tsp nutmeg
– a pinch of ground cloves
METHOD:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.- Start by making the pumpkin purée. While the pumpkin cooks, place the almonds into a food processor, and ground them for about a minute.
- Pit the dates and cut them into little cubes. You can even use your hand to squeeze the dates into a sweet sticky date dough if your blender is not strong enough to blend the dates smooth enough. Add the dates or date dough to your food processor and blend them to a smooth paste.
- Once the pumpkin purée is ready, add it to the food processor with all the remaining ingredients.
- Pour the batter into a lined or greased baking dish and cook for about 30—40 minutes until you can pull out a knife out of it clean.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before removing them from the baking dish. This is very important as the brownies need to set in order to be completely delicious.
Stored in an air-tight container in the fridge, the pumpkin brownies last for about 4-5 days. They actually taste better the day after you make them.
Enjoy!
Hey Lynn. I have coconut flour on hand but not buckwheat. Do you think I could use that instead? If so, how much should I use? Thanks for the recipe. It will be my weekend project.?
Hi Susan, I haven’t tried it with coconut flour yet, but I don’t see why it shouldn’t work. I would use the same amount of coconut flour. Let me know how it worked out when you bake the brownies this weekend.
Have a great Sunday,
Lynn
Hi Lynn. The pumpkin brownies baked with coconut flour are marvelous. I doubled the amt of almond milk since coconut flour is so dense. Great recipe, thanks for posting!
Hope you have a lovely week!!
Susan
Susan! I’m so happy to hear that. I’ll add your comment above that you might have to increase the amount of almond milk if you’re using coconut flour. I still have some coconut flour left too, so I might try it this weekend, too.
Have a lovely week,
xx Lynn
Hey Lynn,
the brownies look super delicious!!! How do you make the pumpkin puree?
I make my pumpkin puree from a hokaido pumpkin. I wash it well then cut it in half. Remove all the seeds and the stringy stuff around the seeds. Place the pieces in a baking form and add a bit of water. Bake it at 190° C for about 45 minutes. I check often to see when it is soft. After it cools off I puree the pumpkin using my Thermomix. Use a mixer if you don’t have a Thermomix. Some people remove the skin first. I always use the hokaido skins and puree the whole thing.
Hi Lara, thanks for asking. You could follow Susan’s instructions above or you could use my tutorial. I’ve added a link to the tutorial above. You can also find it filed unter recipes “How to make pumpkin puree”. Hope this helps.
xx Lynn
I have been having a lot of fun with pumpkin season myself Lynn. I can’t believe all the different color combinations and textures that pumpkins come in these days. When I was growing up. . .you went to the pumpkin patch and came home with the standard round, orange pumpkin. Those days are long gone.
BTW. . .I am really loving these pumpkin brownies. They look so moist and fudge-y. . .and since they are healthier I don’t have to feel guilty eating them. Win-win.
Hi Lynn 🙂
so true…there are so many different kinds of pumpkin squash these days that I have no idea what they are called and how they taste. I think I’m a bit old-fashioned since I usually only buy hokkaido or butternut squash 😉 You can’t go wrong with them.
Thanks for you sweet words to my pumpkin brownies. They really are delicious.
Have a great weekend,
xx Lynn
I love how rich and decadent these are and that you used buckwheat flour! Hooray! And homemade pumpkin puree!! Delicious my dear! I could eat the whole pan too! 😀
Thank you, Traci. There’s nothing better than decadent treats now that the weather is getting dark and grey. It’s just raining over here in Germany today, so I feel like baking some when I’m done with classes for today.
Thank you for your comment!
Xx Lynn
Could you use butternut squash in place of the pumpkin?I also can’t have dates as I’m allergic,could I use raisins maybe? If so what quantity could you suggest please or an alternative Id appreciate.
Thank you in advance?
Hi Rachel,
you could totally use butternut squash instead. You could substitute dates with figs or apricots, but then you need to add more maple syrup as dates are the sweetest of all dried fruit. If you use raisons then you would need about 200g.
Hope this helps,
xx Lynn
Hi there,
What size baking dish did you use for this lovely recipe and how many brownies dies it make?
Thank!
Hi Alice, I use a regular sized baking dish. It’s 18 x 28 cm ( 7x 11 inches) and it makes a total of about 12 brownies.
Hope this helps,
xx
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
These look so delicious. Thanks for posting. I don’t like dates can I use honey instead? And how much would you recommend?
Thanks!xx
Hi Aylin,
the dates provide an extra sticky texture that helps bind all the ingredients together so I am not sure if you can use honey instead. I have not tried it yet, but if you do, please let me know.
xx
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
I just made these brownies – the taste is good but I have some improvement suggestions:
a) one really needs a very small tray – otherwise they get very flat (which they did for me). Isnt that also due to the lack of phosphate-free baking powder? Maybe it woud help to make it more fluffy?
b) processing dates – I would have found it easier to let them soak in water first and then blend.
Even if mine dont look too nice as they are so flat, they taste splendid, thank you for this tip and for all your inspiring recipes!
Cheers
Jana, Munich