4-Ingredient Pumpkin Brownie Bites

These pumpkin brownie bites start with a box of brownie mix and half a cup of pure pumpkin. Four ingredients and one bowl give you 24 soft, fudgy mini brownies with chewy edges all the way around.

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Pumpkin season makes me want pumpkin in everything, but it doesn’t always make me want to pull out the stand mixer and start measuring flour. These brownie bites are my answer to that. A box of brownie mix, half a cup of pumpkin, one egg, and a little oil. That’s the whole list.

Box mixes are my favorite baking shortcut, and fall is when I lean on them the most. My crockpot pumpkin dump cake starts with a box of spice cake mix, and it’s proof that a boxed mix and some pumpkin can turn into something really good.

It stands in for the water and most of the oil and eggs the box calls for, and the brownies come out thick, soft, and fudgy. The chocolate still does most of the talking. The pumpkin stays in the background, keeping every bite moist with a little hint of fall underneath.

Baking them in a mini muffin tin is the other half of the fun. Every brownie gets chewy edges all the way around, and you end up with two dozen little bites that are easy to grab off a tray, pack in a lunchbox, or carry to a fall get-together.

The kitchen smells like warm chocolate the whole time they bake.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Brownie Bites

• The ingredient list is four items long, and there’s a good chance three of them are already in your pantry.
• Prep takes about five minutes and one bowl, with no mixer to pull out or wash.
• They’re bite-size, so they work on a dessert table, in a lunchbox, or after dinner when you want just a little something sweet.
• Chocolate fans and pumpkin fans both get what they want.
• They’re sturdy enough to stack in a container and carry to a potluck, a bake sale, or a classroom party.

What Makes This Recipe Work

• Pumpkin puree is mostly water, so it brings the moisture the box would normally get from water. Its thick body also gives the brownies a dense, fudgy texture that extra oil alone wouldn’t.
• Cutting the oil down to 3 tablespoons keeps the bites from tasting greasy, since the pumpkin is already doing the job of keeping them moist.
• The lower 325°F oven gives the centers time to set before the thin edges of each little brownie dry out.
• It’s the same idea behind my 4-ingredient cake mix banana bread: a boxed mix plus one real ingredient that brings moisture and flavor, so the result tastes homemade without all the measuring.

Ingredients

• 1 box (about 18 ounces) brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines)
• ½ cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Cooking spray, for the pan

How to Make Pumpkin Brownie Bites

Preheat and Grease the Pan

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray, and get the sides of each cup, not just the bottoms.

Brownie batter is sticky, and these bites are small and soft when they first come out of the oven. A well-greased pan is what lets them pop out whole instead of leaving half of each one behind.

Stir Everything Together

Add the brownie mix, pumpkin, egg, and oil to a large bowl. Skip the eggs, water, and oil listed on the back of the box. Everything you need is right here.

Stir with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon until there are no dry streaks of mix left. The batter will be thick, a lot thicker than regular brownie batter. That’s exactly right, so don’t add water to loosen it.

Fill the Muffin Cups

Divide the batter evenly among the 24 cups. A small cookie scoop makes this go fast, since the batter is too thick to pour. Two spoons work too, one to scoop and one to push the batter off.

Keep the portions about the same size so they all finish baking at the same time. If the tops look lumpy, smooth them with the back of a spoon dipped in water.

Bake

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, and start checking at 20. The tops should look dry and set, and a toothpick poked into the center of one should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.

Don’t wait for a completely clean toothpick. Brownies keep cooking from the heat of the pan after they come out of the oven, and little ones go from fudgy to dry quickly.

Let Them Cool in the Pan

Set the pan on a wire rack and leave the brownie bites alone for about 20 minutes. Fresh from the oven they’re soft and fragile, and they firm up as they cool.

This wait matters. Pull one out early and it’s likely to tear in half.

Pop Them Out

Run a thin knife or small offset spatula around the edge of each cup and lift the bites out. After a full 20 minutes of cooling, they should come away cleanly.

Move them to a plate or wire rack. Serve them just as they are, or try one of the ideas below for dressing them up.

Make It Your Way

These are ideas for your next batch rather than versions I’ve tested, so change one thing at a time and keep the base recipe the same.

• Stir ½ cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter for extra pockets of melty chocolate.
• Add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the batter for more of a pumpkin pie flavor.
• Press a pecan half into the top of each bite before it goes in the oven.
• Dust the cooled bites with powdered sugar right before serving.
• Pipe a small swirl of cream cheese frosting on top when you’re setting out a dessert table.

Simple Tips

• If your mini muffin tin only has 12 cups, bake in two batches. Wipe out the pan and grease it again before the second round.
• Let the bites cool completely before you store them. Any warmth left in them turns into moisture in the container and makes the tops sticky.
• Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• If you’re packing them up to take somewhere, layer them between sheets of parchment or wax paper so they don’t stick together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do pumpkin brownie bites taste like pumpkin?

Only a little. The chocolate leads, and the pumpkin mostly shows up in the texture, keeping them soft and fudgy. If you want the pumpkin to come through more, the pumpkin pie spice idea above is the place to start.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pure pumpkin?

Stick with pure pumpkin. Pie filling already has sugar and spices mixed in, and brownie mix is plenty sweet on its own. The two cans sit side by side on the shelf and look a lot alike, so check that the label says 100% pure pumpkin.

Can I use a different brand of brownie mix?

Duncan Hines is what I used, and their boxes run about 18 ounces. That’s the size the pumpkin, egg, and oil amounts are built around, so if you go with another brand, pick a box close to that weight. Bake times can shift a little from brand to brand, so start checking at 20 minutes.

Can I freeze pumpkin brownie bites?

Yes. Once they’re completely cool, freeze them in a single layer on a tray, then move them to a freezer bag or airtight container. Brownies generally keep well in the freezer for about 3 months. Let them thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes before serving.

What can I do with the leftover pumpkin?

A 15-ounce can holds about 1¾ cups, so you’ll have plenty left after measuring out ½ cup. My quick and easy pumpkin crescent pastries use another ½ cup, which makes them an easy second bake. Leftover pumpkin keeps in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Final Thoughts

These pumpkin brownie bites are everything I want from fall baking: four ingredients, one bowl, and a tray of fudgy little brownies that taste like a lot more effort than they took. When you want a few more ideas for the dessert table, these cozy fall desserts and sweet treats are a good place to start.