Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie Brownies

Yields: 16 brownies

These easy treats are perfect for any pumpkin lover! They have the cozy flavors of pumpkin pie and the same fudgy texture as brownies. They’ll keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

1 ¼ cups (150g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp (21g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée, room temperature (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 ¼ tsp vanilla crème stevia
2 tbsp (30mL) nonfat milk
2 ½ tbsp (35g) miniature chocolate chips, divided

Preheat the oven to 300°F, and lightly coat a 9”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the coconut oil, pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain.* Mix in the stevia and milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake at 300°F for 15-17 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan, and let the brownies rest for an additional 3 hours before slicing for the fudgiest texture.

Notes: For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: ¾ cup (90g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends should work as well, if measured like this.

Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. In a pinch, regular whole wheat flour will work, but the brownies will have a slightly more wheat-y flavor that may mask some of the banana flavor.

Any milk will work in place of the nonfat milk.

For a vegan version, substitute pumpkin purée for the Greek yogurt, and substitute any non-dairy milk in place of the nonfat milk.

I highly recommend using the vanilla crème stevia! It's my favorite no-calorie sweetener, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. The best substitute I can recommend in place of the vanilla crème stevia is 3 ¾ teaspoons of this powdered stevia. If substituting a different sweetener (i.e. coconut sugar, honey, pure maple syrup, etc.), you’ll need about ½ cup, and the baking time and texture will be different.

*If the coconut oil or butter re-solidifies upon adding the Greek yogurt, microwave the mixture for 10-14 seconds to re-melt it (ONLY if your bowl is microwave safe!).

{gluten-free, vegan option, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/09/22/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-pie-brownies/