Pumpkin Protein Brownies

Fudgy pumpkin protein brownies are the best sweet snack or dessert any time of the year (but especially during fall). These protein pumpkin brownies are so easy to make and you will not believe how fudgy the texture is every single time! These brownies are naturally vegan, egg free, gluten free, dairy free and can be made without protein powder!

Why you will love this recipe

• Super fudgy – If you have never tried pumpkin + chocolate before, you are going to have your mind blown by how amazing this combination is!  Don’t worry about tasting the pumpkin though, it tends to just add the moisture but the taste just slips into the background, the chocolate is really the star!
• Easy to make – These healthy pumpkin brownies are made with easy to find ingredients and are so incredibly simple to make! All you need is one bowl and about 30 minutes! Trust me you are going to want to make these on repeat once you try them!
• Lower carbs, high protein snack! Because these protein pumpkin brownies are made with protein powder, they tend to be lower in carbs than traditional brownies! The great thing is even if you don’t have protein powder, you can use almond flour to keep the carb count down!

Ingredients

• Ground Flax -acts as the eggs and helps to bind together the mixture
• Water – used to help set up the ground flax
• Pumpkin puree -adds moisture and helps to create that super fudgy texture.
• Maple Syrup: Adds a depth of flavor, sweetness, and moisture
• Vegan protein powder (vanilla or chocolate) – this acts like flour in this recipe and absorbs the liquid just like flour. If you don’t have protein powder, see the substitutions below. Note: this recipe has not been tested with whey protein.
• Cacao powder – adds a rich chocolate flavor. Be sure to use cacao powder not cocoa powder as cocoa powder can be bitter.
• Gluten free flour of choice (all purpose gluten free flour, oat flour, tigernut, cassava are all great choices) – this helps the brownies set up during baking.
• Almond butter – a little bit of fat helps with the gooey, fudgy quality
• Pumpkin pie spice – optional but I think it takes these brownies to the next level, especially as a fall dessert
• Baking powder – helps the brownies rise slightly during baking
• Chocolate chips (vegan) – adds creamy chocolate as they melt during baking. Use whatever dairy free chocolate chips you have on hand. I love Pascha chocolate and have really been enjoying the Whole Foods Organic Chocolate Chips lately.
• Non-stick spray – this ensures that you can get your brownies out of the pan!

How to make pumpkin protein brownies

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl combine the ground flax, water, pumpkin puree and maple syrup. Stir well to get the flax well incorporated.

Add the protein powder, cacao powder and gluten free flour to the pumpkin mixture and stir well, getting all the flours well incorporated.

Add the pumpkin pie spice, almond butter and baking powder and stir well.

Fold in the chocolate chips to the bowl and stir until incorporated.

Spray an 8X8 or 9X13 pan with non-stick spray and pour the batter into the baking dish.

Use a spatula to even out the top of the brownies before baking, as these do not rise so the top will not change much during baking.

Add additional chocolate chips  (optional), be sure to press them into the batter. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Take out of the oven and allow to cool completely for best flavor and texture. These brownies are actually best cold or heated up after being cooled.

Top tips

• Allow the brownies to cool completely for the best texture. These brownies are incredibly rich and fudgy and get even fudgier as they cool down. If you have the time, these brownies are really best when they have had time to cool down completely in the fridge. At minimum I would allow these to fully cool to room temperature before serving.
• These brownies can be reheated in the microwave or in a toaster oven after cooling and the flavor is great! They just need that initial cool down period to really get the best texture and flavor.
• Choose your favorite gluten free flour for this recipe. You can use your favorite all purpose gluten free flour (a 1:1 swap), oat flour, tigernut flour or cassava flour. I would not recommend coconut flour. 

Other mix ins

• Chopped pecan, walnuts or almonds
• Dried cranberries, dried cherries, chopped pitted dates
• Cacao nibs (for a bit of a crunch)
• White chocolate chips
• Coconut flakes

Toppings to take these to the next level

• Whipped coconut cream or whipped cream (if you aren’t dairy free)
• Greek style yogurt combined with some maple syrup or honey
• Homemade pumpkin butter
• Ice cream
• Cashew maple frosting
• Tahini chocolate frosting

Common questions

What is the best protein powder to bake with?

Vegan protein powders are my go-to for baking. They absorb liquid like traditional flour and do not dry out the baked goods like whey protein tends to. Because of this I only recommend you using a vegan protein powder in this recipe. If you cannot find vegan protein powder, please use the substitution below with almond flour and omit the protein completely.

My go to brand of protein powder is Nuzest. I have been using it for the last 3 years and love that it’s made with clean ingredients, made from peas that are tested for heavy metals and it’s naturally gluten free and dairy free. If you cannot tolerate pea protein or want this recipe to be paleo friendly, I recommend Octonuts Almond Protein Powder.

Can you make these brownies without protein powder?

Yes, if you do not have protein powder on hand or want to use something like collagen peptides which have no taste or change the texture, you can instead use 1 cup of almond flour + 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup in place of the protein powder in this recipe.

What are the health benefits of pumpkin

Pumpkins are a great source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, fiber, potassium and are naturally low in calories and sugar.

Adding pumpkin to brownies adds moisture to the batter, making them rich and fudgy without much fat or calories.

Storing leftovers

• Fridge: These pumpkin brownies are great stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (although they have never lasted that long at my house).
• Freezer: You may be able to freeze these, but due to the pumpkin the texture may change during defrosting. I have not tried freezing these brownies so if you do, please leave a comment to let me know.

Substitutions

• Pumpkin puree: It’s important that you use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix. The mix is full of sugar and other ingredients. If you cannot find canned pumpkin, you could also used mashed butternut squash or even mashed sweet potatoes.
• Ground flax: You can also grind down chia seeds in the high speed blender to replace the ground flax.
• Maple Syrup: You could also use honey, coconut nectar or even date syrup.
• Protein powder: Like I mentioned above, if you don’t have a vegan protein power, I would not advise using a whey based for this recipe. Instead you can use 1 cup of almond flour + an additional 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for sweetness. This will create a similar fudgy brownie without the protein powder.
• Cacao powder: This is really important for creating that fudgy chocolate flavor. If you can only find cocoa powder, you may need to add 1 more tablespoon of maple syrup to offset the bitterness from cocoa powder.
• Almond butter: you can also use tahini, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter in place of the almond butter.

If you love this recipe, you should try

• Single Serve Protein Brownies
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Black Bean Brownies
• Sweet Potato Brownies

Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in October of 2015, but was published again in October 2020 to include step by step directions, recipe notes and new photos.