Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

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Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars — These easy pumpkin bars are super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!!

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.

They’re 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. Melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, plenty of pumpkin pie spice, and chocolate chips are the key ingredients.

I always make sure to spice pumpkin and sweet potato recipes with a fairly heavy hand so they don’t taste bland. A pumpkin recipe that doesn’t give you a nice pop of prominent pumpkin flavor is such a disappointment, but you have nothing to worry about here.

There’s an abundance of chocolate in every bite and pumpkin and chocolate is such a winning combo.

overhead view of nine sliced pumpkin chocolate chip bars

Ingredients in Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Trust me when I say these pumpkin chocolate 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 

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

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. 

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars - Super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!!

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. 

How to Store Leftovers

Chocolate chip pumpkin spice bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars — These easy pumpkin bars are super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!!

Tips for Making Pumpkin Chocolate Bars

Note that 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. 

The recipe only makes an 8-inch pan and if you have pumpkin fiends in your house, the bars will probably be gone in a day. Feel free to double the recipe if needed. 

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars — These easy pumpkin bars are super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!!

Pin This Recipe

4.60 from 76 votes

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

By Averie Sunshine
These easy pumpkin bars are super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!!
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 stick, melted
  • 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.

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 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 238kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 14mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 25g

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

More Pumpkin Chocolate Desserts: 

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 Chocolate Chip Cake — This soft and moist pumpkin cake is loaded with chocolate in every bite!! An EASY one-bowl fall dessert that’s perfect for impromptu entertaining or anytime a pumpkin craving strikes!! 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese-Filled Brownies â€” The brownies are fudgy, not at all cakey, ridiculously rich, boldly chocolaty, and it’s a win to get a layer of pumpkin cheesecake inside your brownies.

The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread — This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is truly the best homemade pumpkin bread you’ll ever make. It’s moist, packed with chocolate chips, and tastes like fall!

Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies — These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are bursting with chocolate chips in every bite! They’re thick, hearty, perfectly chewy, and not at all cakey.

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!!

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!!

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies — Rich, fudgy brownies made with pumpkin and chocolate chips!! An EASY, no mixer pumpkin brownie recipe that’s FASTER than using a boxed mix! Bring on pumpkin spice season!!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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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. Averie! I made your gingerbread molasses bars Thursday because I needed a quick, easy, yummy dessert for my in-laws this weekend (huge hit, BTW)–so funny that you posted these today! I am SO into bar cookies. Can’t wait to try them.

    1. Oh I’m so glad you tried those gingerbread bars. One of my favorite bars I made last holiday season and if I could re-make them now and re-post them, I would :) But that wouldn’t be ‘new’. But yes, I LOVED those and these pumpkin bars have that same really dense texture with chocolate!

      1. I’ve made the gingerbread bars 3 or 4 times, actually. They are becoming a “staple” which is the highest compliment you can give a recipe, in my opinion!

  2. These look so delicious Averie! So moist and packed with pumpkin and plenty of chocolate chips. I will try my best, when I make these, to wait for a day before I tuck in, but, for me, that would be impossible! Pinned :D

  3. These look absolutely incredible. And thanks for writing a book dedicated to pumpkin. It’s my favorite ingredient to bake with!

  4. This looks heavenly! Pumpkin is my kryptonite too, that’s why fall is one if my favorite seasons – pumpkin everything!

  5. Hahaha. The pumpkin bars I made are with white chocolate. I’m not posting them any time soon, lol. :) I love the gooey-ness of these! Pinned!

  6. You had me at pumpkin. And that pumpkin bundt cake? And the pumpkin banana bread with cream cheese frosting? Just yes.

  7. “I always spice my pumpkin recipes with a heavy hand…” Yes! I agree that this is so important to avoid blandness. These look fabulous!

  8. Oh these blondies look so good!! So true on giving pumpkin recipes some extra spice. I was at a party last week and there were pumpkin bars…with no spice in them. Bland and boring!! These aren’t boring at all, PINNED!!

    1. Thanks for pinning and yes without the proper amt of spice, it’s like eating a…squash bar for dessert. Ummm, no thanks :)

  9. Adding pumpkin and chips to your blondie base is genius (and chocolate just goes so well with so much). I think I’d have to bake these before bed to resist them until the next day. I love things that taste even better after some time has passed. I had a sudden craving for your roasted winter squash salad when I spotted delicata in the store (no kabocha yet) so I’m excited for lunch today!!

    1. Yes, totally if you can resist for a day or so, pumpkin, banana bread, and gingerbread/molasses things all seem to get better with age!

      And I spotted kab squash in my regular grocery store this week! Didn’t buy any because it’s 90-92F here this week. We always get this weather in Sept but I can’t quite roast squash yet, but pumpkin desserts, I’m in :)

  10. I love how simple this recipe is! It’s always nice to have a couple recipes on hand that I can whip up in a snap. Plus, chocolate and pumpkin? Perfection.

  11. Mmmm…. looking good! I can almost smell those bars baking in the oven right now. I need to make them ASAP!

  12. These bars look divine….I love your ability to show in your photography how moist your bars and cookies are…my list of your recipes to make is increasingly growing….already preordered your pumpkin cookbook and can’t wait to get it.