Paleo Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

Ingredients

Pumpkin Filling:
• 1 cup baked pumpkin pulp (8.5 oz, or 241 g)
• 75 g coconut butter (That's 1/3 cup if it’s soft)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons sweetener to taste such as Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener, or 1 1/2 teaspoons PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or 2 tablespoons raw honey, or your favorite sweetener.
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• Zest of 1/2 orange
Brownies:
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup baked pumpkin pulp (105 grams) (if mixing by hand, mashed)
• 1/2 apple in chunks including the peel (if mixing by hand, grated)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted but not hot
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon unprocessed salt
• Sweeten to taste with 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener, or 1 cup raw honey, or your favorite sweetener.
• 1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes. (If mixing by hand, use 1/2 cup coconut butter, which is 113 grams)
• 1/2 cup pure cacao powder
• 1/4 cup black chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped nuts, such as walnuts or almonds, soaked and toasted if possible (See All About Nuts)

Instructions

Pumpkin Filling:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper that hangs over the edges like handles. I use photo clips to hold it in place.
2. In a food processor or mixing bowl, add all the pumpkin filling ingredients and mix well until creamy and smooth. Patience, this may take longer if any of your ingredients are cold. When you're finished, pour the mixture into another container and set aside.
Brownies:
3. In a food processor or mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients: eggs, pumpkin, apple, oil, vanilla, salt, and sweetener. Process well until smooth.
4. Add shredded coconut and process very well until the coconut is liquefied. Patience, this may take a moment, but it's worth it!
5. Add cacao, chia seeds, and spice. Mix well again until smooth and thick.
6. Pulse in the nuts very briefly so they'll remain in chunks. Poor brownie batter into pan and smooth flat.
7. Pour the pumpkin filling over the brownie batter in uneven globs. Then take a narrow spatula and make deep spirals, circles, or infinity designs into the mixture to marble the two batters together. Lift the pan and pound it a bit into the counter to flatten the mixture evenly.
8. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Do not over-bake. They’ll seem soft, but they continue baking after you remove them from the oven. Cool in the pan for 1 hour. Chill for easier slicing. Add frosting if you like. My favorite is Paleo Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting!