These rich chocolate brownies have a secret–they’re made with just 2 ingredients! Swapping canned pumpkin for the usual eggs and oil produces a brownie that’s dense and fudgy, almost like candy. I like to add an easy chocolate glaze on top (which does increase the ingredient count!), but they’re just as good plain.
Fast and Easy Pumpkin Brownies
When it comes to brownies, homemade brownies will always be best in my book. Forever and ever, amen. But sometimes we might have good reasons to reach for a boxed mix. Maybe we’re missing key brownie ingredients, or short on time, or baking with kids, or just want some dang brownies in our mouths NOW.
Friends, I have been right there with you, and I am here to tell you that it’s okay. We’ll get through this brownie crisis together.
When your next brownie craving strikes, you can get near-instant gratification just by reaching for 2 ingredients in your pantry: a can of pumpkin puree, and a box of brownie mix. These two things are all you need to make supremely dense, fudgy brownies.
Now, I have a problem leaving well enough alone, so I often like to add a simple chocolate glaze on top of my brownies. I knoooooow…this ruins the instant gratification theme. And the “2-ingredient” claim. But the glaze, while tasty, is COMPLETELY optional, and I definitely enjoy the brownies plain as well.
If you like this simple pumpkin recipe, you won’t want to miss 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, either!
How to Make 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies
- For the pumpkin in this recipe, make sure that you’re using plain pumpkin (aka pumpkin puree), not pumpkin pie filling. The canned pie filling has sugar and spices added as well, and will make the brownies too sweet.
- For the brownie mix, I’m a Ghirardelli loyalist, but you can use whatever mix you have on hand. Just know that the quality of the brownies depends on the quality of the mix you use. I like to use a mix that has chocolate chips already added (because more chocolate is better, obviously) but if yours doesn’t have any chips or chunks, consider adding some if you like that sort of thing.
- These brownies don’t actually taste like pumpkin, so if you want more of a fall flavor, add 1-2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice to the mix as well.
Stir together the pumpkin and the brownie mix in a large bowl. I love that it comes together with just a spatula–no need to haul out the mixer for this one! The batter will be quite thick after mixing.
Spread it evenly in a 9×9-inch pan. I always line my pans with foil, to a) keep them clean, and b) make it really easy to remove the brownies later. It’s much easier to cut neat brownies once they’re out of the pan, too!
Once the brownies are baked and cooled, you can go to town on them! But if you want to make the optional glaze, melt cream and chocolate together, and whisk until smooth and shiny.
This gorgeous glaze, called ganache, is poured on top of the brownies and spread into an even layer. It’s really good, but try not to eat it all before it goes onto the brownies!
Because of the pumpkin theme, and because we’re adorable like that, I added some orange sprinkles onto the brownies. Chopped nuts would also be tasty, or mini chocolate chips.
Once the glaze is set, your brownies are ready to be devoured. They’re good the day they’re made, but honestly, I think these brownies taste better after a few days. They start off a little tough, but they get softer and fudgier as they sit, so don’t be afraid to make them a few days in advance and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
🧡 More Pumpkin Desserts
If you love pumpkin as much as I do, check out my collection of pumpkin dessert recipes! Here are just a few of my favorites:
2-Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 box box brownie mix I use Ghirardelli
For the optional chocolate glaze:
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate (about 1 cup chopped)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with foil, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree and brownie mix. Stir with a spatula, just until moist and well-combined. If your brownie mix does not have chocolate chips, you may want to stir in a few handfuls of chocolate chips as well.
- Bake at 350 F for 30-33 minutes, until just set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Do not over-bake!
- If you want to enjoy them plain, cool them to room temperature, then slice and serve. If you want to glaze the brownies, leave them in the pan to cool to room temperature.
- Combine the chopped chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 45 seconds, and whisk well. If chocolate chunks remain, microwave in short bursts, whisking after each time, until the glaze is shiny and smooth.
- Pour the glaze over the baked and cooled brownies, and spread it in an even layer. If desired, scatter sprinkles along the top of the glaze.
- Refrigerate the brownies until the glaze is set, then cut into small squares to serve. Brownies can be kept in an airtight container for 5 days at room temperature, or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Yum! I’ve seen mixing pumpkin with a cake mix, but never brownie mix. I’m going to need to try this ASAP — and I think a glaze and sprinkles is always worth the extra ingredient count. Thanks, Elizabeth!
Hey Carissa, thank you so much! I’m excited for you to try it out.
These were surprisingly good! I tasted them right after I made them and didn’t like them much–were kind of gummy. But I didn’t want to waste the whole batch, so I set them aside and tasted them the next day. Wow–much better! I would recommend people let them sit if possible because the texture does get better! Next time I might add some spices for more fall flavor.
Hey MaryAnn great idea! Thanks for following along, i’m happy it worked!