Skip the flour, these Healthy Pumpkin Brownies are unbelievably rich and fudgy thanks to canned pumpkin and almond butter. Many readers have confirmed these are their favorite healthy brownie recipe ever; see the comments below! The batter comes together in 5 minutes with 1 bowl. No oil, butter or refined sugar. Plus, they're vegan and gluten free!

I'm brownie obsessed, no shame. I blame my mother, who whipped up Hershey's brownies (ya know, the kind on the side of the cocoa powder box) on the regular. And always with walnuts!
Dare I say this is my favorite brownie recipe yet? Because yes, yes it is.
The intense chocolatey flavor and supreme fudgy texture simply knocks my socks off.
Between my beloved Banana Brownies, Healthy Zucchini Brownies, date-sweetened Sweet Potato Brownies (Max's fave), and my Avocado Brownies, we've got not shortage of chocolate on the blog.
But this recipe is the brownies of ALL brownies!
Ingredients
- Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. The only ingredient should be pumpkin.
- Almond butter: This provides most of the structure in our brownies and keeps them flourless and gluten free. You want the drippy kind, unrefrigerated. I get mine from Costco or Trader Joe's. You can also use drippy natural peanut butter like I do in my Flourless Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins!
- Cocoa powder: Natural unsweetened baking cocoa. I like Trader Joe's, Rodelle or Guittard. Cacao also works!
- Maple syrup: Our unrefined sweetener to make the brownies perfectly sweet. I haven't tried these with honey but I'd guess that would work.
- Flax: Ground flaxseed helps the brownies stay together without offering the fluff that egg does. This means optimal fudginess. An egg will work if you don't have flax; they're just a wee bit less fudgy and more cakey. Still delish!
- Vanilla: Key for yummy brownie flavor.
- Baking soda: For a little bit of rise.
- Salt: To bring out the sweetness and provide balance.
- Chocolate chips: I love biting into a brownie and getting the textural intrigue of a chocolate chip, ya know? Semi sweet all day!
How to make (step-by-step-process)
All you need is a whisk and a bowl and you're on your way to brownie heaven.
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8 in dish with cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, add almond butter, maple syrup, pumpkin and vanilla, whisking well after each addition.
Add cocoa and whisk thoroughly until combined. Add flax, baking soda, and salt, whisking until very smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Top with additional chocolate chips and flaky salt, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes.
Let brownies cool completely before cutting. Use a large, sharp knife to cut and avoid dragging the knife.
What makes these healthy?
Besides being vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free, they're also far lower in sugar than traditional brownies.
As a Dietitian, I'm amazed they have no flour, refined sugar, oil or butter. Did I mention that they're are packed with brain-boosting fats?
Let's not forget they have a vegetable! One brownie has almost 4g of protein and 3g of filling fiber. Hallelujah!
Do they taste like pumpkin?
No! These don't taste like pumpkin. I wanted them to taste like rich, chocolatey, delicious brownies that use pumpkin as a substitute for extra butter or oil.
If you want these to have more pumpkin flavor, you can totally add 1-2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice!
Can I make them nut free?
Yes! Simply use sunflower seed butter. They may turn green post bake, but that's just a harmless chemical reaction that occurs with the baking soda.
How to store
Store leftover brownies tightly wrapped on the counter top for 1 day. Then store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze brownies tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. You can thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave.
Healthy Pumpkin Brownies (flourless and fudgy!)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 brownies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Skip the flour, these Healthy Pumpkin Brownies are unbelievably rich and fudgy thanks to canned pumpkin and almond butter. Many readers have confirmed these are their favorite healthy brownie recipe ever; see the comments below! The batter comes together in 5 minutes with 1 bowl. No oil, butter or refined sugar. Plus, they're vegan and gluten free!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup almond butter*
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed**
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. You can also line with parchment paper for easier cutting and cleaning.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add almond butter and maple syrup. (I like to spray the measuring cup to prevent sticking.) Whisk until very well combined. Add pumpkin and vanilla and whisk again.
- Add cocoa and whisk thoroughly until combined. Add flax, baking soda, and salt, whisking until very smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Top with additional chocolate chips and flaky salt, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Let brownies cool completely before cutting. Use a large, sharp knife to cut and avoid dragging the knife. I like to refrigerate them once cooled to make for even easier cutting. I love the taste right out of the fridge, and they're even better the second day! Incredible topped with Healthy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
Notes
*Almond butter should be unrefrigerated and have a drippy consistency with the only ingredients being almonds (salt is ok too).
**You can sub 1 egg but they will be a tiny bit less fudgy and chocolate-forward. Still amazing, but the flax version is my favorite!
These do not taste like pumpkin as pumpkin is used for moisture versus flavor. Feel free to add 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice if you're looking for that flavor.
Denise says
Love this recipe! Soft, moist, chocolatey. My family devours them every time. I like to add 1/3 c chopped walnuts. A question for you--if I double the recipe, any advice on the cooking time using a 9 x 13 pan? Thank you.
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Yay!! I double it all the time in a 9x13, same baking time, surprisingly. Cheers 🙂
Amanda says
I made these twice in a week, they were so good. Used one egg instead of flax, but kept the recipe the same. Delicious!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed! I have a double batch in my fridge right now 🙂