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!
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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.
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.
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:
- Whisk together the wet ingredients, then stir in the dry.
- Fold the chocolate chips in last. Be careful not to overmix!
- Turn the batter into a greased and foil-lined 8×8-inch baking dish.
- 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.
Recipe FAQs
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.
Yes, you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch baking dish. The bake time should be roughly the same.
Absolutely! In fact, they taste better on the second day after the flavors have married. As a bonus, the bars get softer and moister.
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.
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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Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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!
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!!
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.
I LOVE these! And have made them a few different ways For different reasons and would like to put in my 2 cents for those who have struggled like myself with changing up the recipe a bit. For my vegan friends I swapped the egg for banana and used the olive oil butter and they came out wonderfully (I actually like the banana in it a whole bunch. I used frozen bananas and make sure to purée them or it’ll be chunky). For my gf friends I had a bad experience with red mills all purpose flour and do not recommend using it for this recipe. However, I used glutino brand all purpose flour and they came out just as good as regular flour! Be sure to sift the flour tho as it was a bit grainy and the texture will be off slightly if you don’t. Also, I have doubled the batch with success! But have only done so with the regular ingredients. I know sometimes I have trouble with gf ingredients when doubling but that may be due to them usually being gf and dairy free? I used a 9×13 pan and it went about 40ish minutes. After I hit 35 minutes I watched it carefully and checked it every so often. Thank you for this amazingly scrumptious recipe! It has been quite the crowd pleaser in our house!
Thanks for all your personal baking stories about what has worked well and what hasn’t when trying to make GF and vegan. Glad you love these!
Hi Averie! I used to make these bars all the time and they’re my absolute favorite! I have had them pinned on my pinterest board for the past three years because I make them every fall! I recently became vegan last December but I’d love to try to vegan-ize these! Is there a way to do it? I was thinking of using earth balance (vegan butter) instead of regular butter and omitting the egg, or replacing it with extra pumpkin, chia seeds, or flax seeds. What do you think?
I would do just that – Earth Balance and then omit the egg and add about 1/4 cup extra pumpkin. I have many pumpkin recipes that are accidentally vegan because lots of times with pumpkin you can get away without the egg. This one for example and then check the related recipes for lots more https://www.averiecooks.com/mini-flourless-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-blender-muffins/
Hi Averie, I made these yesterday and they were a big hit at our house! The whole pan is more or less gone already. We especially like them chilled. Thanks for another winner!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s almost gone in just 1 day! That’s the sign of a hit!
These “soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookie bars” are AWESOME!! Can the recipe be doubled, and baked in a 9×13 pan?
I’ve never doubled this particular recipe but I think it would be fine in a 9×13.
If I don’t have pumpkin pie spice what can I use instead?
I would buy some because it’s really key for this recipe’s flavor.
Making your own pumpkin pie spice is so easy!
I combined-
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
This makes about the same amount of spice that you’d get in a store bought container of pumpkin pie spice. Good luck!
Do you think subbing applesauce for some of the butter would work for these?
No I don’t and I don’t recommend it.
If I use a 9×9 pan, what should I adjust the bake time and temperature to? Thank you!
You wouldn’t adjust the temp and you’ll bake them slightly less time is my guess, but I haven’t tried so can’t say for sure.
Can I use TJ’s Gluten Free Flour as a replacement for the flour?
I haven’t tried with GF flour so not sure how this recipe will work making it GF.
Me and my daughter made these monday and they turned out wonderfully. Thanks bunches!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
May I substitute the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour?
Thank you for your fabulous blog posts :)
I wouldn’t because they will be even denser and they’re already a pretty dense bar. Just enjoy all that white flour goodness :)
I understand Im a year to late for a reply but you CAN use whole-wheat flour. I didnt have a problem at all. They are sooooo delicious!
Awesome, glad the WW flour worked!
Can I double this recipe or is it most advised to simply make multiple batches?
I personally have never tried to double it so can’t speak to if it’s better to make multiple batches or doubling is fine. There maybe is someone who’s written to say they’ve doubled it if you re-read through the comments.
Ten o’clock at night, my husband is in the basement with a rented roto-rooter trying to sort out a plumbing issue that may very well become a plumbing crisis, and I just got these in the oven. So so hoping they will turn out well and be a pick me up for my fella…he deserves it! Of course, I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice, cooking spray, or enough brown sugar…so if they don’t turn out there’s no one to blame but me. Cross your fingers that they are at least a little bit good. :) thanks for a great recipe!
Sounds like you guys could use a night out or a good stroke of luck! I hope these bars at least did the trick a little! :)
These came out exactly as described and my family loved them so much I wanted to give the recipe a shout-out. My son says I should make them all the time, not just at holidays. And his son, only three, calls them “Terrific!” while gobbling them.
Oh that is SO SWEET! Everyone, right down to the 3 yr old, loved them…well that’s success then! Glad the bars came out great for you!
I made these twice, and both times they did not come out delectably fudgy; instead, they were rather bouncy, like bread pudding. Do you think I overcooked the bars? Was my oven too hot possibly?
Yes if they came out bouncy, like too firm, and I do know the texture you’re describing, then yes I would say they were overcooked. Ovens, climates, how much moisture is in the pumpkin puree can all effect baking times so I would definitely shorten it. And even when cooked perfectly, they are a very dense, fudge-like bar. It’s the nature of the texture and I love it, but if you want it ‘lighter’, then you should add a bit of baking powder or baking soda.
I made these for Thanksgiving and they are not going to make it until Thursday! They are amazing, I’m now looking at all your recipes. So glad I found you. Looking to get your cookbooks too.
I totally know what you mean about making things and them not lasting! My cranberry-blueberry sauce is going to need to be remade for me! So glad you love the bars and hope you enjoy my other recipes and books! LMK what you try!
I’m planning to make these for thanksgiving! They look soooo good. Quick question on the saltiness… I have enough salted butter on hand for this recipe. Do you believe that they’d come out too salty if I use salted butter instead of unsalted? Thanks!
No I think you’ll be fine, just don’t add any extra salt to the batter where it says optional, just omit!