Why choose between cheesecake and brownies? With these rich and decadent Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies, you don’t have to decide! Easy homemade brownies topped with a smooth and creamy layer of pumpkin cheesecake are the perfect fall dessert!

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, there’s no denying that fall is in full swing.  Pumpkins line the steps to rowhomes in our neighborhood.  Everyone is thinking about Halloween costumes for their kids.

And I’m finally willing to step on the pumpkin dessert bandwagon.

It’s not that I don’t like pumpkin desserts — I do!  It’s just that I can’t get into them until it really feels like fall — which is not early September.  Sorry, folks.

But now that we’ve hit the second week of October, it’s about time.  So this week, I’m bringing you not one, but two, pumpkin desserts!

Where are you in the fall dessert scheme?  Team pumpkin? (Find all my pumpkin recipes here!) . Team maple?  (Maple recipes here!)  Team cranberry?  (Cranberry recipes here!)

Personally, I like all three.  But only in season!  (No pumpkin, maple, OR cranberry recipes before October, thank-you-very-much.)

Let’s start with these easy, delicious pumpkin cheesecake brownies.  Simple homemade brownies topped with a smooth and creamy layer of pumpkin cheesecake. Perfect for sharing — or keeping all to yourself!

The perfect combination of rich brownie, smooth and creamy pumpkin, and chocolate coating.  What a delicious way to welcome fall!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Butter: The recipe is written for unsalted butter. Decrease the salt added to the recipe if you bake with salted butter.
• Sugar
• Eggs: Let them sit out at room temperature for a bit before baking.
• Cocoa Powder: Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe.
• Salt
• Baking Powder
• Vanilla Extract
• Flour: To keep these brownies gluten-free, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free baking mix containing xanthan gum.
• Cream Cheese: Bring the cream cheese up to room temperature first so it’s easier to mix!
• Pumpkin: I always bake with canned pumpkin because it’s consistent in water content, but you can use homemade pumpkin puree if you have some on hand!
• Brown Sugar: I love the extra flavor from brown sugar in the cheesecake layer, but if you don’t have any on hand, use granulated sugar instead.
• Pumpkin Pie Spices: The recipe uses cinnamon and nutmeg, but add any other fall flavored spices you like – cardamom is delicious here, too!
• Chocolate: Use chopped chocolate or chocolate chips for the ganache – chopped chocolate is always smoother and melts better, but chocolate chips also work if it’s what you have on hand.
• Heavy Cream: Stick with heavy cream for the ganache – don’t try to substitute in milk or half-and-half!
• White Chocolate: Optional, but I love the look of these brownies with a drizzle of white chocolate on top!

Easy Brownie Recipe

First up, the brownies!  These are easy homemade brownies — we’re talking mix by hand in one bowl easy.  Like, shouldn’t possibly be so easy to make something so delicious brownies.

If you’re not into baking brownies from scratch, you can absolutely use a boxed mix instead. Follow the directions on the box and bake in a 9″ square baking dish.

To make the brownies, whisk together the melted butter and sugar in one mixing bowl and combine the eggs, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract in a second bowl. Add the butter and sugar mixture into the cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth. Finally, fold in the flour, stirring until just incorporated. Pour the mixture into a 9″ square baking dish.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer

Next up: pumpkin cheesecake layer.  You’ll probably want to pull out your mixer for this one, unless you have some serious arm power to beat that cream cheese.  But it’s also super easy — just dump the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Try not to overmix to keep the cheesecake layer nice and creamy!

Pour the cheesecake layer over the brownie batter and bake for 55-60 minutes.

Once they’re baked, we’ll make these finger-food friendly.  No one wants to hold on to a layer of cheesecake.  We’ll solve this problem by adding a layer of chocolate ganache on top, and then a few white chocolate drizzles.

Refrigerating Cheesecake Brownies

This is one of the most commonly asked questions I get about these brownies.  And in order to answer this, we need a little… kitchen chemistry!

Kitchen Chemistry

Sugar acts as a preservative.  Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water.  It can draw the water out of dairy, thus reducing the amount of water available for the growth of bacteria.  Butter, cream, and cream cheese are stabilized by all the sugar, and thus safe to store at room temperature for up to three days if the sugar content is sufficient.

Cream cheese is roughly 33% fat and up to 55% water.  You’d need (roughly) one pound (4 cups) of sugar half-pound (8 ounces) of cream cheese to stabilize the cheesecake layer enough to let it sit out at room temperature.

Of course, these are baked, which does dry out some excess moisture.  But there is still not nearly enough sugar (1/3 cup) to account for all the liquid in the cheesecake layer (cream cheese AND canned pumpkin) to safely store these without refrigeration.

So the answer then is: yes!  These cheesecake brownies should be stored in the refrigerator. And the good news is: they’re delicious straight out of the fridge.  The brownie feels extra dense and fudgy when cold – the perfect compliment to the smooth cheesecake layer.

Recommended Tools to Make Cheesecake Brownies

• 9-inch Square Baking Pan
• Parchment Paper
• Mixing Bowls
• Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
• Stand Mixer
• Beater Blade

Tips and Tricks for the Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

1. Use High-Quality Ingredients: Select high-quality cocoa powder, real pumpkin puree, and good quality cream cheese to enhance the flavor of your brownies and cheesecake layer.
2. Pumpkin Spice: While the recipe calls for nutmeg and cinnamon, feel free to add your favorite fall pumpkin spices, like cloves or cardamom, or use a premade “pumpkin pie spice” blend.
3. Avoid Overbaking: Be cautious not to overbake the brownies, as this can dry out the pumpkin cheesecake layer. Bake until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs
4. Chill for Optimal Texture: After baking, allow the brownies to cool at room temperature for a bit before transferring them to the refrigerator to chill. Chilling helps the cheesecake layer set properly and enhances the overall texture.
5. Store in the Refrigerator: Pumpkin cheesecake brownies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes:

• Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Pie
• Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Bundt Cake
• Nutella Pumpkin Bread
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread