Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies

Grain-free and oil-free brownies made super fudge-y with almond butter, almond flour, and pumpkin. Bake a pan for a decadent fall dessert! 

Today I tackled my tax preparation for the year 2020.

If you own your own business, you might be familiar with the beast that is tracking and categorizing your annual expenses.

Usually I’m much further along than I am right now.

Partially because Dan used to take care of all of the tax *stuff* for me because he liked spreadsheets and I like that he liked spreadsheets.

Also because when COVID hit the tedious parts of being an entrepreneur felt all the more taxing (ha, pun totally intended).

But I decided recently that I needed to get that ish done for several valid reasons.

For one, the bulging magazine rack stuffed with receipts was always on my mind, which definitely detracted from my creative energy.

Secondly, I think I needed to prove to myself that I could be responsible and organized enough to do this tax prep thing  alone.

It was basically the last thing that I hadn’t officially taken over since the divorce.

So this morning I used up all the ink printing Amazon purchases, online grocery receipts, and business subscriptions.

Then I squinted at the monstrous Excel spreadsheet columns and relearned how to create formulas for cell addition (I’m not an Excel person, guys!).

And, finally, I sat cross-legged on my geometric area rug and shoved receipts into dated manilla envelopes.

The relief I felt when the enormous pile of papers was sorted and the tallied totaled was immeasurable.

I’ll try to measure it by comparing it to the deliciousness of these Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies.

These 1-bowl brownies are vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free with a hint of pumpkin and lots of cacao!

Have You Tried Baking With Pumpkin Yet?

If you’ve been here a while you know that I love using winter squash in my vegan baking.

It’s wonderful in oil-free recipes because it adds moisture and creaminess without any added oils!

One of my most popular recipes this time of year and all year, really, is my 1-Bowl Butternut Brownies.

If you haven’t tried them, you should probably make them right after saving or making this recipe first.

Those brownies cups made with butternut squash are an all time fan favorite!

So, I thought, why don’t we work some pumpkin into that same chocolate-y concept?

That’s just what I did in these Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies.

Here’s What You Need:

• pumpkin purée
• maple syrup
• creamy almond butter
• raw cacao powder 
• baking powder
• Bob’s Red Mill Superfine Almond Flour
• raw pecans or walnuts
• dairy-free chocolate chips

That’s it!

How to Make Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies

I decided to bake these brownies in a pan instead of individual cups.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. 

You can also grease the pan with coconut oil for baking, but I prefer using the parchment paper for ease of clean up and an oil-free option!

Start by adding the the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and almond butter to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Make sure you use try pumpkin purée and not a pumpkin pie filling here! 

If your stomach is already growling at the thought of pumpkin, almond butter, and maple syrup, I feel you.

But it gets better.

Almond Flour Is the Star!

Next, add in the cacao powder, sea salt, and baking powder and stir to combine.

Add in the almond flour and stir until you have a thick batter. 

I used Bob’s Red Mill Superfine Almond Flour to make this recipe entirely grain-free and gluten-free.

If  you’ve been baking with me for a while, you know this is my absolute favorite flour to work with.

It’s light, fluffy, nutty, and packed with healthy fats.

It makes these brownies super moist and decadent!

Pick Your Toppings

After mixing the batter well, transfer it to the parchment-lined baking dish and spread into an even layer using a spoon or rubber spatula.

Now you can get artistic if you’d like by topping your brownies with a little extra texture and crunch!

Top the brownies with optional nuts and chocolate chips, lightly pressing them into the raw batter. 

Transfer the dish to the oven and bake your brownies on the center rack for 30-35 minutes.

The Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies are done when the edges start to pull from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. 

Remove from the oven and let your brownie pan cool completely before slicing and serving.

How to Serve

Once the pan is cool, carefully lift the brownies out of the pan and slice them into squares.

The beauty of these brownies is that you can serve them warm or cool. 

I personally love mine gooey and warm straight from the oven.

Store your leftover brownies in an air tight container in the fridge for one week– if they make it that long!

You can also freeze them for longterm storage for several months.

Notes on Substitutions

If you’re missing some ingredients or would like to mix up the recipes, try some solid substitutions.

• Sub any winter squash smash for the pumpkin purée
• Sub any nut or seed butter for the almond butter
• Sub oat or hazelnut flour for the almond flour for varying results
• Sub date paste or honey for the maple syrup

You can also get creative with your toppings here.

I love walnuts and chocolate chunks, but you could also sprinkle on dried fruit, seeds, or another nut!

How to Enjoy Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies

These Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies are perfect for a fun fall dessert or sweet snack.

The recipe is easy to make with just eight easy ingredients.

And those ingredients are stuff you can feel good about, like protein-packed almond flour and almond butter and Vitamin-A rich pumpkin.

It’s a fun recipe to make with your family for Halloween and all of autumn!

I love to have mine with a tall glass of unsweetened almond milk for an afternoon snack or after dinner treat.

While I haven’t personally tried this (yet), I think they’d be fantastic served warm with some dairy-free ice cream.

Wink, wink.

Enjoy!

If You Make These Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies Let Me Know!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.

For more healthier brownies, try my 1-Bowl Butternut Brownies, Black Sesame Butter Brownies, and Super Fudgey Vegan Brownies.

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XO Lauren

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This post is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Photography by Hot Pan Kitchen