Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies – Delicious chocolatey brownies with swirled pumpkin pie filling and cream cheese, both homemade and boxed recipes.Yes, I am part of the crazy obsessed, it’s fall, I need pumpkin flavor in everything, group of people. Luckily, I also use pumpkin in many savory applications. Last year I made chicken and pumpkin pizza and a chicken pumpkin curry. Yeah, you read that right, pizza and curry.

Last weekend we were in California for my beautiful cousin’s wedding. Stephanie and Mike were married on Laguna Beach. Or just above it, a mere 25 feet away on a grassy knoll. She was radiant. He looked utterly happy to be taking her as his wife. The ceremony was just beautiful, even if I do say so myself…as I wrote it and officiated it. (hehehehe)

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Before any trip, I try to use up all the produce in the house along with all remaining dairy, including my coffee creamers. Turns out I used up all the coffee too. We flew in late on a Monday and my daughter had school first thing the next morning.

I had originally intended to buy milk and a few other items on the way home. Alas, that did not happen. I just stopped at the local gas station mart and bought a 12 oz bottle so she could have cereal for breakfast.

As these things go, the morning was hectic. After all the rushing around I wanted some up close and personal time with my coffee maker. I proceeded to add the water, put in a filter, opened my coffee container and gasp, the horror….NO COFFEE.

I did have some instant that I use for travel purposes and some instant espresso for baking. I was saved for at least a few hours until I could get to the store. After I found a stopping point in my morning work routine, I took off to Walmart where I spied International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer in the refrigerated bins.

Now that it is officially the holiday season (Happy HallowThanksChristmakauhNewYear), I will rotate between the Pumpkin Pie Spice, a creamy swirl of season spice flavors inspired by pumpkin pie and the Peppermint Mocha, a rich taste of chocolate meets festive peppermint flavor.

How to Use Flavored Coffee Creamer in Recipes

I try to plan out my blogging/cooking schedule in advance. A few weeks ago I wrote a recipe for brownies with pumpkin and cream cheese swirled in, making an odd blend of brownie, pumpkin pie, and cheesecake.

Once I had the coffee creamer, the mad scientist in me got to thinking and an adaptation of my recipe was born.  Why not use the Pumpkin Pie Spice creamer in both the brownie and to sweeten and flavor canned pumpkin…yes, you can clap now, I’ll pause to let you.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

Thank you. Thank you very much. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies were born!

Since I was on a roll, I decided I wanted to see how the creamer would work with both a homemade brownie recipe and a boxed mix.

When I bake cakes and cookies, I bake from scratch-which we all know is a rare occurrence anyway. But there is something quite delicious about a boxed brownie mix. Plus, I can whip up a batch and have it in the oven in about 3.5 minutes. No judgement. The boxed mix I had on hand was dark chocolate, but if you’re going to make the boxed mix version of this, any will do, it all just depends on how you like your chocolate.

Homemade vs. Boxed Brownies

The consistency between the two Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies were different. The homemade version was cake-ier and the box was chewier, despite following the direction for cake-like brownies and adding 3 eggs. The homemade were a ‘regular’ chocolate taste, since I just used cocoa powder.

The box Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies, well those were dark chocolate, so they were richer. I can’t decide which I like more. It’s like asking a mother to pick what child she likes best. (Luckily, for me, I just have one child so that choice is always easy.)

From Scratch VersionBoxed Mix Version

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cream Cheese, Fall Desserts, Pumpkin, Thanksgiving

Author: Michelle De La Cerda

Delicious chocolatey brownies with swirled pumpkin pie filling and cream cheese, both homemade and boxed recipes 

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Ingredients

From Scratch

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup warmed to hot International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour

Box mix

• 1-18.4 oz box brownie mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/4-1/2 cup oil (depending on package directions)
• 1/4-1/2 cup International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer (replacing the required water amount, depending on package directions)

Pumpkin (for both versions)

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (non-sweetened
• 1/2 cup International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cream Cheese (for both versions)

• 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1.5-2 tbsp HOT/Boiling water (depending on desired consistency)

Instructions

Cream Cheese

1. Place softened cream cheese in a bowl and begin to mix on low speed.
2. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar.
3. After half the sugar has been mixed in, add about 1/2-1 a tablespoon of the water.
4. Continue adding the powdered sugar until it is completed mixed in.
5. Slowly add the remainder of the water until the cream cheese has reached the personally desired consistency. Set aside.

Pumpkin

1. Mix the pumpkin, coffee creamer, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a bowl until combined; set aside.

Box Mix

1. Add the mix to a large bowl.
2. Stir in the coffee creamer, eggs, and oil until mixed.
3. Pour into a greased 13x9 pan.
4. Bake in a pre-heated 350° for at least 28 minutes, but up to 35. Insert a toothpick to gauge done-ness.

From Scratch

1. In a large bowl, sift the cocoa and baking soda together, using either a sifter or a fork.
2. Stir in 1/2 cup of the melted butter, hot coffee creamer and stir until combined.
3. Add in the remaining butter, eggs, vanilla, and sugar and mix until combined.
4. Sift the flour and salt together, using either a sifter or a fork.
5. Slowly stir in the mixture to the liquid batter, using 1/4 cup at a time.
6. Once all the flour has been incorporated, pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Assembly (both versions)

1. Once the batter is in the greased pan:
2. Ladle spoonfuls of pumpkin on top of the brownie batter.
3. Ladle spoonfuls of cream cheese in the holes between brownie batter and pumpkin.
4. Using a butter knife, swirl or mix up the brownie, cream cheese, and pumpkin. Feel free to make a design, letting your artistic flag fly or just mix it up.
5. Bake in a pre-heated 350° oven for at least 28 minutes, but up to 35. Insert a toothpick to gauge done-ness.
6. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting-if you have the restraint.

Thank you for sharing!