Buttery, glutin-y, sugary-sweet little nuggets of –

I haven’t lost my mind, don’t worry. But, don’t worry, these pumpkin cheesecake brownies are just as satisfying.

One of the most popular recipes of all time on A Clean Bake/Buttercream Fanatic is the Flourless Black Bean Brownies I guest posted on my friend Kylie’s blog Imma Eat That. They are moist and fudgy and incredibly easy to make – just throw all of the ingredients in a food processor and pour it all in the pan. And no one ever tastes the black beans, don’t worry. That recipe is the first layer of these brownies, so you know they start off on the right foot.

And then we have cheesecake. Who doesn’t love cheesecake!? Well, actually, I don’t usually, except when it is made with goat cheese, as they are here, to make them easier to digest. The goat cheese gives these brownies an unusually tangy flavor that has been a big hit, but if goat cheese isn’t for you, you can swap in regular or vegan cream cheese in a 1:1 ratio (i.e. exactly the same amount as goat cheese) instead.

As for pumpkin in April…well, I have no excuse other than it’s delicious. If anything improves cheesecake, it’s pumpkin, right? Pumpkin can be a little difficult to find this time of year, but most major supermarkets carry it on the bottom shelf of the baking aisle. It just takes a little bit of an eagle eye to find, but it’s there. Double check to make sure are not buying pumpkin pie filling, though, which as a whole lot of sugar and additives mixed it. You want pure pumpkin puree.

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Secretly-Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

gluten free, naturally sweetened

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Ingredients

Ingredients for the brownie layer

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons dark chocolate chips
• 1 15- oz can of black beans, just over 1 1/4 cups, rinsed and drained
• 1 large egg or flax egg
• 1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 cup plain dairy-free yogurt, or Greek
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sweetener of choice, or to taste

Ingredients for the cheesecake layer

• 1/2 cup softened plain goat cheese, cream cheese or vegan cream cheese, packed and heaping
• 1/3 cup + 3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons granulated stevia or sweetener of choice, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

For Garnish

• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray an 8"x8" pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips on high in the microwave. This will take about 1-2 minutes, in 30 second intervals (stir in between). The chocolate may not be completely melted, so stir until completely smooth (the residual heat will melt the remaining chocolate as you stir).
3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the melted chocolate with the beans, egg, vanilla, salt, baking powder, yogurt, cocoa powder, and sweetener. Process until smooth.
4. Pour brownie into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
5. Using an electric mixer, combine goat cheese, pumpkin, egg, salt, vanilla and sweetener and mix until completely smooth. Pour over the brownie layer and spread evenly to level.
6. Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave the same way (about 1 minute, then stir until completely smooth). Pour several evenly spaced parallel lines of chocolate across the cheesecake layer, then drag a knife or toothpick perpendicularly across the pan to create the "swirl" pattern.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Yield: Makes 9-12 brownies, depending on how you slice them.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave me a comment and rating, or tag me on Instagram using @nora_acleanbake or #acleanbake!