Frosted Pumpkin Brownies

For those that follow me on Instagram or Twitter, it comes as no surprise that I am a huge fan of pumpkin recipes. In fact, I have over 30 recipes that use pumpkin on this blog!

So hopefully you’ll allow me to add another one to the list: Frosted Pumpkin Brownies!

So when I had a nagging sweet tooth recently, I figured it was time to also feed my pumpkin need. This recipe for Frosted Pumpkin Brownies is comprised of a chewy, chocolatey brownie topped with a nice thick layer of pumpkin buttercream frosting, resulting in a decadent treat for the chocolate and pumpkin lovers in your life.

Ingredients:

Brownies:

•   coffee extract (can substitute in
•   mini

Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (note: can also just use 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices, if preferred)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Prepare an 8×8 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper and lightly spraying it with cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

In a larger bowl, add the sugar and canola oil, stirring to combine.

Follow with the eggs, water, and extract, stirring to combine.

Slowly add the dry mixture to the large bowl, stirring until just combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into your prepare baking pan.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (as a heads up, you may end up hitting a pocket with the chocolate chips, which will then come out looking uncooked. Try a couple of spots to determine if the brownies are done baking.)

Let cool completely. (This will take at least a hour, so I hope you have some strong willpower to not just eat the brownies without the frosting. I promise it will be worth the wait!)

While waiting for the brownies to cool, prepare your frosting.

Add the butter and pumpkin puree to a large bowl, and beat to combine.

Follow with the vanilla extract, spices, and salt, mixing to combine. Slowly add the powdered sugar, until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. You want the buttercream to be able to maintain its shape a bit but not so thick that you can’t spread it.

When the brownies have completely cooled, frost with the pumpkin buttercream, using an offset spatula or a knife.

Slice and serve.