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Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Posted By Averie Sunshine On In All Recipes,Bars & Blondies,Dessert | 140 Comments

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!!



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.

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: 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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Review Print
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.

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