These rich chocolate brownies have a secret–they’re made with just 2 ingredients! Swapping pumpkin pie filling 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.
Easy Brownies Made With Canned Pumpkin
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.
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 pie filling and a box of brownie mix. These two things are all you need to make supremely 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!
What Do These Brownies Taste Like?
To manage expectations, these are not going to taste identical to the best homemade brownies (like my Ultimate Fudgy Chocolate Brownies!) They have a lot going for them: they’re convenient, they’re GREAT to make with kids, and they’re a lifesaver if you’re out of traditional brownie ingredients. But their shortcut ingredient list does mean they turn out a bit different.
These pumpkin brownies have a very fudgy texture. Because pumpkin adds quite a bit of moisture, they can run the risk of being too gooey if you underbake them – so definitely make good use of the toothpick test, and make sure they’re baked until just a crumb or two remains on the toothpick after baking.
These brownies improve the longer they sit, so consider making them a day or two in advance so you can enjoy them at their peak.
How to Make 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies
Stir together the pumpkin pie filling 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!
You could also use canned chocolate frosting, if you want a bit of extra chocolate on top but don’t want to make the glaze.
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.
💡 Brownie Tips
- For the pumpkin in this recipe, make sure you use pumpkin pie filling. This is different than pumpkin puree! As the name suggests, puree has just one ingredient: pumpkin. The pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, also has a touch of sweetness and pumpkin pie spice.
- For the brownie mix, I’m a Ghirardelli loyalist, but you can use whatever mix you have on hand, as long as it’s about 18-20 oz total. 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.
- Of course you can eat these once they’re baked and cooled, but I think these brownies taste better after a few days. They start off a little dense, 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.
- These brownies have a very subtle pumpkin taste. If you want more of a fall flavor, add 1-2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice to the mix as well.
🧡 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:
- 1.25 cups canned pumpkin pie filling, (about 12 oz), not pumpkin puree
- 1 box brownie mix, 18-20 oz box, (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 pie filling 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 30-35 minutes, until just set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- 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?
Nutrition
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!
Warning: Don’t try this! I did with a different mix (but with only pumpkin puree as said), and it not only took WAY longer vut the result wasn’t tasty at all. The “brownies” were gummy, and less sweet than when I baked with the same mix the normal way.
Sorry to hear the results weren’t to your liking. What mix did you use? We’ve had good results with Ghirardelli mix, but it’s possible the mix you used was intended for a different pan size or quantity, which could affect the baking time. Since sweetener isn’t typically an added ingredient to brownie mix, using pumpkin puree in place of eggs/oil should not have an affect on the sweetness.
Rubbery and gummy. I followed instructions to a T. They were very easy to make. Disappointing though. My mom, a centenarian, ate some and liked them, which is all that mattered really.