Fudgy Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Vegan pumpkin swirl brownies: a dark, fudgy cocoa base marbled with a spiced cashew-tofu pumpkin cheesecake layer. Made for Halloween and fall gatherings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 38 min
- Rest
- 3 h
- Serves
- 16
Fudgy Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies is a vegan dessert recipe made with raw cashews, silken tofu, pumpkin puree (not pie filling). It takes 63 minutes of hands-on time, plus 3 hours resting, serves 16, and each serving has 211 calories, 3 g of protein and 2 g of fiber.
These brownies get their fudge from melted dark chocolate plus coconut oil, and ground flax holds them together, so you don't need eggs. The cheesecake swirl is soaked cashews blended with silken tofu and pumpkin. A spoonful of cornstarch helps it set firm enough to slice cleanly. Keep the swirl thinner than the batter so it bakes at the same rate as the brownie underneath, then chill the pan to get sharp orange-and-black marbling.
A seasonal flavor profile + texture (Halloween-ready tofu-pumpkin cheesecake swirl over a classic cocoa brownie instead of sweet potato–tahini fudge) take on our Fudgy Sweet Potato Tahini Brownies.
Ingredients
Pumpkin cheesecake swirl
- ⅓ cup45 graw cashews, soaked in boiling water 30 minutes, drained
- ⅓ cup82 gsilken tofu, drained
- ⅓ cup81 gpumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 2 tbsp40 gmaple syrup
- 2 tsp5.4 gcornstarch
- 1 tsp5.1 glemon juice
- 1 tsp2.6 gground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp0.5 gground ginger
- 1 pinch0.2 gground nutmeg
- ½ tsp2.1 gvanilla extract
- 1 pinch0.4 gfine salt
Brownie batter
- 1 tbsp7 gground flaxseed
- ½ cup122 gunsweetened soy milk, room temperature
- 4 oz113 gvegan dark chocolate (60–70%), chopped
- ½ cup109 grefined coconut oil
- 1 cup192 gcoconut sugar
- 1 tsp4.2 gvanilla extract
- ¾ cup94 gall-purpose flour
- ½ cup43 gunsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp2.3 gbaking powder
- ½ tsp3 gfine salt
- 2 tbsp16 groasted pumpkin seeds, for topping (optional)
Kit: 8x8-inch metal baking pan, parchment paper, high-speed blender or food processor, mixing bowls, whisk, butter knife or skewer
Tips
- Use refined coconut oil if you don't want any coconut flavor competing with the pumpkin spices.
- A metal pan bakes more evenly than glass. If you use glass, lower the oven to 325°F and start checking at 40 minutes.
- The swirl sets as it chills. Cutting the brownies warm gives smeared, soft squares.
- Have the soy milk at room temperature. Cold milk can make the coconut oil seize into lumps.
Swap ideas
- Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour instead of all-purpose flour
- Makes the brownies gluten-free. The crumb gets slightly more tender, so chill them fully before cutting.
- Light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar
- Gives a shinier, crackly top and a less caramel-like flavor.
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
- Simpler to make, with a warmer, clove-tinged spice flavor.
- Oat milk instead of soy milk
- Works the same way, with a slightly sweeter, less firm brownie layer.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
211kcal per serving
Everything else · 16 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 7.9 g 40%
- Sugars
- 14.5 g
- Sodium
- 292 mg 13%
- Potassium
- 285 mg 6%
- Calcium
- 97 mg 7%
- Iron
- 1.9 mg 11%
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg 0%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.08 µg 3%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Nuts, cashew nuts, raw, Tofu, soft, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari), Pumpkin, canned, without salt, Syrups, maple, Cornstarch, Lemon juice, raw, Spices, cinnamon, ground, Spices, ginger, ground, Spices, nutmeg, ground, Vanilla extract, Salt, table, Seeds, flaxseed, Soymilk, original and vanilla, with added calcium, vitamins A and D, Chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids, Oil, coconut, COCONUT SUGAR (The Kroger Co., Branded; ingredients: organic coconut sugar), Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched, bleached, Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, Leavening agents, baking powder, double-acting, sodium aluminum sulfate
Method
Cover the cashews with boiling water and soak for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8x8-inch metal pan with parchment so the paper hangs over two sides.
Drain the cashews. Blend them with the silken tofu, pumpkin, maple syrup, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla and a pinch of salt for 1–2 minutes, scraping down the sides, until completely smooth. Set aside.
Stir the ground flaxseed into the soy milk and let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
Whisk the coconut sugar into the warm chocolate mixture for about 1 minute, until glossy. Then whisk in the flax-milk mixture and the vanilla.
Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Fold with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick. Don't overmix.
Set aside about 1/2 cup of brownie batter. Spread the rest evenly in the pan. Drop the pumpkin mixture over it in 8–9 spoonfuls, then dot the reserved batter in the gaps. Drag a butter knife or skewer through the top in figure-eights to marble it. Keep the knife in the top layer only.
Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the edges are set and pulling away slightly from the pan and the pumpkin swirl no longer looks wet or jiggly. A toothpick in a brownie section should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Cool in the pan on a rack for 1 hour. Then refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours, until firm. Lift out by the parchment and slice into 16 squares with a hot, dry knife, wiping it between cuts. Scatter pumpkin seeds on top if you like.
Storage: The swirl contains tofu and cashews, so keep the brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze individually wrapped squares for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.
Questions
- How much protein is in fudgy vegan pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies?
- Each of the 16 servings has 3 g of protein, 2 g of fiber and 211 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is fudgy vegan pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does fudgy vegan pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies take to make?
- 25 minutes of prep and 38 minutes of cooking, so 63 minutes of hands-on time, plus 3 hours of unattended resting.
- Can you make fudgy vegan pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies ahead?
- The swirl contains tofu and cashews, so keep the brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze individually wrapped squares for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.
- What can I substitute in fudgy vegan pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies?
- Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour instead of all-purpose flour — makes the brownies gluten-free. the crumb gets slightly more tender, so chill them fully before cutting.. Light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar — gives a shinier, crackly top and a less caramel-like flavor.. 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg — simpler to make, with a warmer, clove-tinged spice flavor.. Oat milk instead of soy milk — works the same way, with a slightly sweeter, less firm brownie layer..
- Does fudgy vegan pumpkin cheesecake swirl brownies contain gluten or tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten and tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 1, 2026 ·American
