Fudgiest. Brownies. Ever. (With a twist…)

I have a thing you need to know about.

Yes, I realize Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I should be posting recipes for stuffing and pumpkin pie.

Family recipes are tough things to mess with, though.

Think of this is your pie alternative for all those pie haters out there.

((they exist…swear))

Also…There’s just something about a brownie.

Not just any brownie…the right brownie.

I have very strong opinions about brownies.

Brownies must be death by chocolate gooey fudgey pretty much just barely baked and middle pieces ONLY!!

Kinda exactly like this

(who invented that stupid pan that makes every brownie an edge piece? stupid!)

((If you’re a cakey brownie/corner piece lover…there are fantastic brownie recipes out there just for you…this is 100% not it.  Sorry.))

I have never been able to make a brownie like I really want it.

But recently…I made a discovery.

It is a deliciously dangerous discovery.

And it migggghhhtt weird you out a little…

…just go with it.

Turns out the secret to the brownie of my dreams is: pumpkin.

I did just recently advise you to put pumpkin in pretty much everything didn’t I?

Turns out I was righter than I thought.

So come with me…it’s time to put vegetables in our dessert and LIKE IT!

Three little bowls.  All in a row. Holding our dry ingredients.

See that bowl of oats on the left there? He gets ground up real quick to make oat flour!

Oat flour? Pumpkin? This is starting to sound suspiciously nutritious….

We’ll let it slide.

Wet ingredients, too!  How else are we gonna get ultimate fudge?

There’s a little bit of oil in there also.

That egg is the only thing keeping these from being vegan.

In fact the original recipe used a “flax egg” which is flax and water that functions as an egg.

However, I am not vegan and I do not have flax. I DO have eggs, though.  So…there you go.

When wet meets dry…you can already tell it’s going to be a mess of fudge heaven

Obviously I added chocolate bits.

It was the right thing to do.

Ridiculous chocolate baked things are great for using up dried out chocolate kisses etc.

When these are fully baked it kinda seems like they aren’t.

Also… even the edge pieces seem like middle pieces.

AND THAT’S JUST HOW I LIKE IT!

Be still, my heart.

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

Fudgey Pumpkin Brownies

Recipe adapted from Sweet Potato Brownies

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup oat flour ((you can just grind up some oats in a blender or food processor)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Chocolate bits/chocolate chips (optional..kind of..except totally necessary)

1. Spritz a 8-inch square baking pan with some canola oil. Set aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, combine the pumpkin with the oil, egg, vanilla, and sugar. Mix until smooth.
5. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until everything is well moistened. Then stir in your choco-bits!
6. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. These are kind of tricky because they pretty much never stop looking wet.  As long as the middle is set you’re good to go. A toothpick will probably never come out clean (thank you, ridiculously gooey fudge)

**Notes:

-The original recipe uses sweet potato puree….which would be awesome.  I used pumpkin mostly because I had a can in my pantry that didn’t require roasting/blending a potato.  Pure laziness.  Still awesome.

-You might not really need that full cup of sugar.

-These do have kind of a unique taste.  I can’t decide if it’s the pumpkin I’m tasting or if it’s just really really intense chocolate flavor.  I realize that’s weird…pumpkin or chocolate…make them and you’ll see what I mean.

-You’re wonderful. Especially if you read this far =)