Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

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Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars — 🍁🧡🤎 These EASY pumpkin bars are super soft, dense, and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good! Best of all, it’s a ONE BOWL, NO-MIXER recipe so that you can whip these up anytime you’re craving pumpkin!

stack of four pumpkin chocolate chip bars

It’s no secret I love pumpkin recipes of any kind. But when pumpkin and chocolate get together, watch out. My kryptonite.

If you’re looking for the best ever pumpkin chocolate chip cake, I’ve got you covered, but these bars aren’t cake. They’re super soft, moist, and full of robust pumpkin flavor. They’re dense like a blondie rather than cakey.

These pumpkin chocolate bars are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge. When I want an easy, fuss-free recipe that I know everyone will love, I call upon my trusty blondie base. With 25+ versions and counting, it never lets me down.

It’s an easy no-mixer, one-bowl recipe that takes just minutes to whisk together. There’s an abundance of chocolate in every bite, and pumpkin and chocolate is such a winning combo.

Reader Favorite Recipe with a Fun Fact!

I originally posted this recipe on September 13, 2014. And without checking, trying, or use of any complicated spreadsheets, I decided to republish it on…September 13, 2024. Ten years, to the date!

With over 3000 recipes on my site, I can’t keep track of the dates of every single post other than I have a rough mental map of when something needs to be recirculated so that new readers can discover it and enjoy it too. Although this is such a fan favorite, I shouldn’t have waited 10 years to re-share it!

overhead view of nine sliced pumpkin chocolate chip bars

Ingredients in Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Trust me when I say these chocolate chip pumpkin bars are going to be the BEST dessert you make this fall. In addition to being easy to prepare, the ingredients list is short. 

To make these chocolate chip pumpkin bars, you’ll need: 

  • Unsalted butter
  • Egg
  • Pumpkin puree
  • Light brown sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • Cinnamon
  • All-purpose flour
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

stack of three pumpkin chocolate chip bars

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars 

These are such easy pumpkin bars to make! Full instructions are given in the recipe card at the end of this post. 

Here’s an overview of how to make the pumpkin chocolate chip bars recipe: 

  1. Whisk together the wet ingredients, then stir in the dry.
  2. Fold the chocolate chips in last. Be careful not to overmix!
  3. Turn the batter into a greased and foil-lined 8×8-inch baking dish.
  4. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. 
stack of four pumpkin spice bars

Recipe FAQs

Can I Add Other Mix-Ins? 

Most likely, yes! I added 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips to the batter. Feel free to mix and match up to 1 1/4 cups mix-ins total. I think a blend of baking chips, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and /or dried fruit would all work nicely. 

Can I Double This Recipe? 

Yes, you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch baking dish. The bake time should be roughly the same. 

Can This Recipe Be Made in Advance? 

Absolutely! In fact, they taste better on the second day after the flavors have married. As a bonus, the bars get softer and moister. 

Can this recipe be made with canned pumpkin pie filling?

No! This recipe calls for plain pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and would make these bars far too sweet. 

Storage and Freezing

At room temp: Store bars in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

In the freezer: Store in an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 6 months. When ready to eat, thaw on the counter.

Stack of chocolate chip pumpkin bar slices.

I first made this recipe, I think, the fall of 2015 while I was still living in a college dorm. Now every year since, I crave these when it starts getting cold out. They are so good, by far my favorite version of a pumpkin bar. I always make it as a double batch so I don’t run out right away and I’m about to start my yearly round of them again right now. — Aren B.

Recipe Video Tutorial

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4.61 from 79 votes

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

By Averie Sunshine
🍁🧡🤎 These EASY pumpkin bars are super soft, dense, and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good! Best of all, it's a ONE BOWL, NO-MIXER recipe so that you can whip these up anytime you're craving pumpkin!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 33 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients  

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon1
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips + 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
  • Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and whisk until smooth.
  • Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
  • Stir in 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips.
  • Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
  • Evenly sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, smoothly the top lightly with a spatula.
  • Bake for about 32 to 33 minutes, or until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. The moisture content in pumpkin varies, as do climates and ovens; bake until yours are done.
  • Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

Note: I find the bars taste better on the second and third day after the flavors have married. Bars continue to get softer and moister for about 3 days after baking. 
Storage: Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece, Calories: 309kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 15mg, Potassium: 188mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 2650IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Pumpkin Bar Recipes: 

Cooking With Pumpkin: Recipes That Go Beyond the Pie is my second cookbook. There’s over 50 pumpkin recipes including sweets, savory, drinks, and a photo for nearly every recipe!

Cooking With Pumpkin: Recipes That Go Beyond the Pie by Averie Sunshine

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting — These super soft and moist pumpkin bars are the perfect EASY fall dessert!! Tangy cream cheese frosting is a wonderful complement to these perfectly pumpkin-spiced bars!!

Soft Pumpkin Praline Bars — SUPER soft pumpkin bars studded with chocolate chips, candied pecans, and plenty of pumpkin pie spice!! A FAST and EASY dessert that feeds a crowd for your fall and winter celebrations!!

Soft Pumpkin Praline Bars - SUPER soft pumpkin bars studded with chocolate chips, candied pecans, and plenty of pumpkin pie spice!! A FAST and EASY dessert that feeds a crowd for your fall and winter celebrations!!

Fudgy Pumpkin Spice Bars — Moist pumpkin bars so soft they’re like biting into pumpkin fudge!! The glaze is ahh-mazing!!!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Blondies — Soft pumpkin bars, cinnamon-sugary snickerdoodles, and buttery blondies rolled into one! Super good!!

Chocolate Chip Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Bars — Incredibly gooey, soft, and chewy bars bursting with PUMPKIN and CHOCOLATE in every bite!! The vanilla spiced glaze complements these EASY bars just perfectly!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars — 🧡🤤 Classic cheesecake bars get an autumnal makeover in this recipe! A spiced pumpkin mixture is swirled into creamy cheesecake batter before being baked. 

September 13, 2014 and republished September 13, 2024 with updated text.

4.61 from 79 votes (67 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made these on Sunday and OH MY! They are amazing! I doubled the recipe and it worked perfectly. The bake time was exactly 30 minutes. Thank you so much for my new favorite fall treat! :)

  2. 5 stars
    Made these on Sunday and OH MY! They are amazing! I doubled the recipe and it worked perfectly. The bake time was exactly 30 minutes. Thank you so much for my new favorite fall treat! :)

  3. 5 stars
    I first made this recipe, I think, the fall of 2015 while i was still living in a college dorm. Now every year since, I crave these when it starts getting cold out they are So Good, by far my favorite version of a pumpkin bar. I always make it as a double batch so I don’t run out right away and I’m about to start my yearly round of them again right now

    1. Thanks for the five star review and glad these are a fall favorite for you for many years running, including when you were still living in a dorm!

  4. 5 stars
    I first made this recipe, I think, the fall of 2015 while i was still living in a college dorm. Now every year since, I crave these when it starts getting cold out they are So Good, by far my favorite version of a pumpkin bar. I always make it as a double batch so I don’t run out right away and I’m about to start my yearly round of them again right now

  5. Hi Averie,
    I have a question, and I wondered what your thoughts were. Do you think, or would you consider adding cocoa powder to these? Perhaps, decreasing the flour, and replacing 1/4 c with cocoa powder? I thought it’d be a neat idea, at least, but I thought I’d see what your thoughts were, given you’re a baking expert!
    Thanks,
    Lauren

    P.S. I’ve made this recipe a number of times–as written, and with adjustments such as omitting the egg, or decreasing the amount of butter and adding extra pumpkin. All have been well received!

  6. 5 stars
    If you’re thinking about making this recipe, don’t hesitate one bit! After scouring the internet for multiple recipes that make cookies, which include both pumpkin and chocolate chips, I finally settled on this one and I’m so glad I did! These are absolutely delicious…I’ve been wanting to make either brownies or bars that have that fudgy-gooey texture that I love and these are it!!

    I made these in an 8×8 aluminum pan and sure enough, they came out perfect. I pulled them out around the 30 minute mark and they were cooked just enough where they were done, but also soft in the middle. I will definitely be keeping this recipe around and can’t wait to make them again!

  7. 5 stars
    If you’re thinking about making this recipe, don’t hesitate one bit! After scouring the internet for multiple recipes that make cookies, which include both pumpkin and chocolate chips, I finally settled on this one and I’m so glad I did! These are absolutely delicious…I’ve been wanting to make either brownies or bars that have that fudgy-gooey texture that I love and these are it!!

    I made these in an 8×8 aluminum pan and sure enough, they came out perfect. I pulled them out around the 30 minute mark and they were cooked just enough where they were done, but also soft in the middle. I will definitely be keeping this recipe around and can’t wait to make them again!

  8. 5 stars
    These are DELICIOUS!! I cut them into bite sized pieces to allow for many people to get a sample at a wine and cheese event. The batch disappeared in ten minutes or less.

  9. 5 stars
    These are DELICIOUS!! I cut them into bite sized pieces to allow for many people to get a sample at a wine and cheese event. The batch disappeared in ten minutes or less.

  10. I ended up buying the pumpkin puree that has the spices in it already. Think they will turn out okay? I dont plan to add any extra spices- other than cinnamon since that’s not included. Thoughts?

    1. I guess it depends on how much spices are included and how powerful they are. It’s hard to say if you need to add more or not.

  11. if I double the recipe and bake in a 9 X 13 pan, how long do you suggest baking them?

    Thanks, eager to try this for Thanksgiving!

    1. Probably about the same amount of time. Keep an eye on it, and I’m not sure exactly since I’ve never done it exactly like this, but my guess is that approximately the same amount of time will work.