These pumpkin hazelnut brownies are a variation of the chocolate dessert I make so often that I know the recipe by heart. Everyone in my family loves chocolate desserts, so brownies are always an easy choice.
I also like being able to change the recipe a little. This time, I added roasted pumpkin and hazelnuts. Pumpkin isn’t especially popular in our house, and my kids aren’t eager to eat every kind of nut on its own. Mixed into chocolate brownies, though, they’re much more welcome.
I’ve already made this version with two different kinds of nuts that my kids wouldn’t otherwise eat. For this batch, I used hazelnuts. They’re blended with the roasted pumpkin before being stirred into the batter, so there aren’t large pieces of nuts throughout the brownies.
What Makes These Pumpkin Hazelnut Brownies Different?
The pumpkin is mixed directly into the chocolate batter rather than added as a separate layer or swirl. There’s no pumpkin spice in this recipe, either—the focus is on dark chocolate and hazelnuts.
This is also a recipe I bake on a large 30 × 30 cm (about 12 × 12-inch) oven baking tray, which gives me relatively thin brownies that I can cut into squares once they’ve cooled.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Hazelnut Brownies
- Eggs: You’ll need 5 eggs.
- Roasted pumpkin: Use 100 g of cooked pumpkin flesh, weighed after roasting and removing the skin and seeds.
- Hazelnuts: Use 100 g of shelled hazelnuts. Other nuts can be used, but the flavor will change.
- Dark chocolate: You’ll need 200 g. Use a chocolate you enjoy eating.
- Butter: Use 200 g. I make these with 82.5% butterfat butter; European-style butter is a close match.
- Granulated sugar: 1 standard measuring cup, approximately 200 g.
- All-purpose flour: 1 standard measuring cup, approximately 125 g. Spoon it into the cup and level the top without packing it down.
For the chocolate, butter, pumpkin and nuts, I recommend using the gram measurements to keep the recipe consistent.
How to Make Pumpkin Hazelnut Brownies
1. Prepare the pumpkin and baking tray
Start with cooled roasted pumpkin. If you need to roast it first, bake plain pumpkin pieces without sugar or spices until tender. Remove the skin and seeds, let the flesh cool, and weigh out 100 g. Drain any liquid that collects around it.
Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a large rimmed baking tray with parchment paper.
I use the 30 × 30 cm (about 12 × 12-inch) baking tray that came with my European oven. Tray sizes vary, so the thickness of the batter and the baking time may differ in another pan.
2. Blend the pumpkin and hazelnuts
Place the roasted pumpkin and shelled hazelnuts in a blender. Blend into a thick mixture with finely ground nut pieces, stopping and scraping down the sides as needed. You don’t need it to be completely silky, but avoid leaving large pieces of nuts.
3. Melt the chocolate and butter
Break up the chocolate and cut the butter into pieces. Place both in a microwave-safe bowl.
Heat in short 15–20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. You can also melt them together in a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water.
Let the mixture cool until warm rather than hot before adding it to the eggs.
4. Mix the eggs, sugar and flour
Beat the eggs and sugar until combined. Add the flour and mix briefly, just until there are no dry patches.
5. Combine the batter
Gradually mix the warm chocolate-butter mixture into the egg mixture. Add the blended pumpkin and hazelnuts, then stir until evenly combined.
6. Bake
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tray. In my oven, these pumpkin hazelnut brownies take 40–50 minutes at 340°F (170°C).
Start checking earlier if your batter is spread very thinly. The edges should be set, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs rather than liquid batter. It doesn’t have to come out completely clean.
7. Cool and slice
Let the brownies cool in the tray before cutting them into squares. They become firmer as they cool and are easier to slice neatly.
My Notes on This Recipe
- I make brownies often enough that I know this recipe by heart. Adding pumpkin and nuts is one of the ways I vary it for my family.
- I’ve tried this version with two different kinds of nuts. Hazelnuts are the choice for the batch shown here.
- I sometimes experiment with different flours, but they don’t all absorb moisture the same way. For your first batch, use all-purpose flour before trying substitutions.
- The pumpkin weight is for roasted flesh, not raw pumpkin. Keep excess liquid out of the batter.
- Let the melted chocolate and butter cool slightly before adding them to the eggs.
- Baking time depends on the thickness of the batter as well as your oven. My usual baking time is 40–50 minutes, but a thinner layer may finish sooner.
Pumpkin Hazelnut Brownies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a 30 × 30 cm (about 12 × 12-inch) rimmed baking tray with parchment paper.
- Blend the cooled roasted pumpkin and shelled hazelnuts into a thick mixture with finely ground nut pieces. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 15–20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Let cool until warm rather than hot.
- Beat the eggs and sugar until combined. Add the flour and mix briefly until no dry patches remain.
- Gradually mix the warm chocolate-butter mixture into the egg mixture. Add the pumpkin-hazelnut mixture and stir until evenly combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tray. Bake for approximately 40–50 minutes, checking earlier if the batter is spread very thinly. The edges should be set, and a toothpick inserted into the center should have moist crumbs but no liquid batter.
- Let cool in the tray before cutting into squares.
Notes
- The pumpkin is weighed after roasting, with the skin and seeds removed. Drain excess liquid before blending.
- I use the 30 × 30 cm (about 12 × 12-inch) baking tray that came with my European oven. Other trays may produce a different batter thickness and baking time.
- I’ve made this recipe with two different kinds of nuts. Hazelnuts can be replaced with the same weight of another nut.
- I sometimes use different flours, but the measurements here are for all-purpose flour.
- One cup of sugar is approximately 200 g, and one cup of spooned-and-leveled all-purpose flour is approximately 125 g.
- Prep time assumes the pumpkin is already roasted. Baking takes approximately 40–50 minutes depending on the oven and batter thickness. Pumpkin roasting and cooling time are not included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pumpkin hazelnut brownies taste strongly of pumpkin?
Chocolate is the main flavor in this recipe: there are 200 g of dark chocolate and only 100 g of roasted pumpkin. The pumpkin is blended into the batter, so there are no separate chunks of pumpkin in the finished brownies.
Can I use canned pumpkin puree?
Thick, plain pumpkin puree may work as a substitute, but I make this recipe with roasted pumpkin. Use puree without added sugar or spices, not pumpkin pie filling. Excess moisture can change the texture, so avoid watery puree.
Can I replace the hazelnuts?
Yes, you can use another nut, such as walnuts or almonds, using the same weight. Grind them finely with the pumpkin. The flavor and texture may vary slightly.
Does this recipe need baking powder?
No. There’s no baking powder in my recipe. These are relatively thin chocolate brownies rather than a tall, airy cake.
Can I use a different flour?
I sometimes do, but different flours can change the consistency of the batter and the finished texture. The 125 g measurement in this recipe is for all-purpose flour. Other flours haven’t been standardized for this recipe.
How do I know when the brownies are done?
Check the center with a toothpick. Moist crumbs are fine, but there shouldn’t be liquid batter. The edges should be set. Waiting for a completely clean toothpick can leave the brownies too dry.
Why should I let the brownies cool before slicing?
Cooling helps them firm up and hold their shape. Use a sharp knife and wipe it between cuts for cleaner edges.