Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Brownies
by Mari Vasseur
Chocolate brownies with a pumpkin cheesecake layer and crumb topping, drizzled with caramel sauce.
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (66g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (g) unsalted butter
Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer
- ¾ cup (170g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (235g) canned pumpkin
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons (75g) sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Brownie Layer
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cubed
- ¼ cup (58ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
- 1 ⅛ cup (225g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (45g) unsweetened Dutch-Process cocoa powder, sifted
- ¾ cup (95g) all purpose flour, sifted
- ½ cup (150g) caramel sauce, purchased or homemade
Crumb Topping
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt until well combined.
Work in the butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture looks sandy. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer
Preheat oven to 325º (165ºC). Line a 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese, with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Add the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and mix until well blended.
Brownie Layer
Melt the butter in the microwave in a large microwaveable bowl. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and creamy. Whisk in the cocoa powder until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Do not over mix.
Spread the brownie batter into prepared baking pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Spread the pumpkin cheesecake batter over the top of brownie batter, then smooth the top. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the pumpkin cheesecake layer.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into pumpkin cheesecake layer comes out clean, about 35-45 minutes. The internal temperature of the cheesecake should be 145º-150ºF (63º-65ºC).
Let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve with warm caramel sauce. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.