Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars are super soft & moist, cake-like, and loaded with milk chocolate chips. They have the perfect blend up pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. This pumpkin bar recipe uses an entire can of pumpkin so there will no wondering what to do with the leftovers.
For more pumpkin baking recipes be sure and try these pumpkin snickerdoodles too. Soft-baked, pumpkin spice snickerdoodle cookies rolled in cinnamon and sugar.
PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS
If you're like me and crave pumpkin year round then you must make these pumpkin chocolate chip bars. I am always sure to stock up on canned pumpkin just so I can make these bars even after Fall and pumpkin season has passed.
Super soft & moist, cake-like pumpkin bars studded with milk chocolate chips. And the best part is that this recipe uses an entire can of pure pumpkin so there will be no wondering what to do with the leftovers.
HOW TO MAKE SUPER MOIST CAKE-LIKE PUMPKIN BARS
All-Purpose Flour
Pumpkin Pie Spice + Cinnamon - Yes together these spices create magic. Not too spicy of a pumpkin flavor. They're perfection.
Baking Soda, Salt
Combine all the dry ingredients into a small bowl and stir with a whisk to break up any clumps. Stirring with a whisk acts as a sifter but without the special sifter and extra dirty dish 🙂
Butter - I always use salted butter for everything.
Applesauce - I have used both sweetened/regular and unsweetened applesauce and have found that there is not much difference in the final taste of the bars. So use what you have or whichever one you prefer. Either one works fine in the recipe.
Sugar & Brown Sugar - I always bake with light brown sugar but if you like the bolder more molasses flavor of dark brown sugar then feel free to use that.
Large Egg
Vanilla Extract
Pure Pumpkin - Be sure that you do not buy the pumpkin pie filling. They are very similar cans but you want the 15 oz pure pumpkin.
Milk Chocolate Chips - Milk chocolate + pumpkin is a match made in heaven! If you prefer semi-sweet or dark then feel free to use those. Or use some of both. I have only ever used milk chocolate chips and will never make it any other way.
MY TIPS FOR THIS PUMPKIN BAR RECIPE
- Can I freeze pumpkin chocolate chip bars? I don't freeze a lot of food but I have actually frozen these and they are fabulous. Let it thaw at room temperature before you eat it or you can warm it in the microwave.
- Do I have to use milk chocolate chips? No you don't have to but after making this recipe dozens and dozens of times, I have found that milk chocolate chips taste the best. With that said, feel free to use a combination of milk chocolate + semi-sweet chips or whatever else you prefer. But if I were you I would stick with milk chocolate chips for sure!
- How do I store these pumpkin bars? The secret to these bars is that they get better and better as they sit at room temperature. To store the bars, leave them out at room temperature, covered, for 4-5 days. They get better, more moist, and the flavor deepens the longer they sit there.
My #1 tip is to make sure that you bake them long enough. Pumpkin bread type recipes (like these bars) will not cook more as they cool. If these bars are not cooked all the way then they will sink in the middle once you take the pan out of the oven. You will know that the bars are done when they look cooked (like they look dry not wet as in raw batter), like even the middle, and the bars are really puffy looking. To make sure, stick a toothpick in the middle and make sure it comes out dry or with moist crumbs on it.
TRY THESE OTHER PUMPKIN RECIPES
- pumpkin cheesecake whoopie pies
- no bake marshmallow pumpkin pie
- banana pumpkin chocolate chip bread
- bakery style pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
- pumpkin oreo cheesecake
- the best pumpkin recipes
- caramel pumpkin bundt cake
- pumpkin pancakes
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper leaving an overhang on each long side so the bars can be easily pulled out of the pan to cut. Or just spray the pan with cooking spray.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter, applesauce, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled - that's completely fine!
- Mix in the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.*I like to reserve some chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the batter before baking. This is optional and just makes for a pretty presentation.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Top with reserved chocolate chips (if wanted) and bake for 30-40 minutes. *The edges will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and will be golden brown and the center will look "puffy" and done. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out with moist/dry crumbs.
- Let the bars cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan before lifting them out and cutting into squares. * Store leftovers covered at room temperature. These bars get better, and even more moist, the longer they sit out.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I love pumpkin treats with chocolate chips! I will have to make a batch of these.
Could these be made in into muffins instead of bars?
I think so? I've never tried it but I don't see why they would not work. Muffins usually take about 15-20 minutes to bake so I would maybe start there and check on them, and then bake more as needed.
OMG..... Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly. Will keep as a “go to” fall snack!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So happy you love these! They’re so yummy.
These were FANTASTIC! I halved the recipe and put into an 8x8 pan with parchment paper - resulting in 1.5" thick bars! I ended up subbing oil for the applesauce, as I didn't have any. That was the only change. To do half an egg, I put an egg into a small bowl, whisked it and then poured 1/2-3/4 of the egg into the mix. I also creamed the wet ingredients and then just added the dry ingredients one by one into the same bowl. This baked for 37 minutes. My favorite pumpkin recipe!
Can you make this gluten free?
I don't know anything about gluten free cooking, but I would for sure say use gluten-free flour in the recipe and check the other ingredients for gluten.
I did and I doubled the pumpkin pie spice! It has to overpower the flour like it would with regular flour. Regular flour is much milder in flavor than all gluten free flours I have tried.
Looks amazing! Cant wait to try it!
In you post you mention you have a recipe for pumpkin pie spice below but I can't find it
..is it here somewhere? I'd love to try to make that too!
Thank you for sharing this. I made a batch today only I used butterscotch chipits instead of the milk chocolate because I had a craving for butterscotch and they turned out amazing. Definitely making these again. I couldn't even wait for them to cool down!
I love pumpkin and chocolate chips!! These bars looks so moist and perfectly pumpkiny! 🙂
I made these last night for our Fall Fest. They were absolutely delicious!!!!
These are moist and yummy like brownies! They will not last long!
I have these in the oven now and they smell amazing! Hopefully they’ll taste as good as they smell. ? I made them with gluten free flours but that was my only modification. Can’t wait to try them! Perfect for this rainy fall day...
I know you made these over a year ago, but did you use the 1 to 1 gluten free flour as the only exchange?
Follow up to my first comment...
They definitely are as good as they smelled! Texture is soft and cake like - yum! I had it with ice cream, but it really didn’t even need it. ?
Easy to make, I love that the whole can of pumpkin was used. Will be making this one again!??
My family loved these bars. I added chopped pecans and they were great.
These are delicious! Mine cooked less than 35 minutes & I used Pam to coat the 9x13 pan.
I love the chocolate & pumpkin flavors together!! I would definitely make these again!,,
Wow! I subbed PB for the butter since I was short of the 1/2 cup. Everything else stayed the same except I added walnuts in the batter and a few on top. These are heaven!! More like a cake than a bar which is perfect for me and my family.
Pumpkin and chocolate chips? These bars look amazing, I am going to give them a try for thanksgiving!
Made these for Thanksgiving. They are amazing! Used a mix of butterscotch chips and a chopped dark chocolate bar because I didn't have any chocolate chips. They were a hit! Even my youngest son who doesn't like pumpkin enjoyed them. Will add this recipe to ourl holiday treat list.
Amazing flavor!! My five kids gave it 5 stars.
Would these freeze well?
I think they would freeze just fine. I personally don't love freezing baked goods because it alters the texture but if you're used to freezing then I am sure these bars would do just fine. Hope that helps 🙂
We mixed these with pumpkin pie filling before reading the comment saying NOT to use it. We left out the pumpkin pie spice but did everything else according to the recipe and they were fabulous! We will definitely make these again!
I am so glad it worked out!
These are amazing!! This is a go recipe to keep. My granddaughter made this and it turned wonderful. The pumpkin isn’t to strong. The only thing we did was add some walnuts. I love nuts in a lot of my baked goods that I make.
SO glad to hear this! And walnuts sound amazing in these bars. I may just have to try it next time.
These are the best pumpkin bars. I used homemade applesauce which made them so moist.
I made these today and they came out well 🙂 I did use semi-sweet chocolate chips and it tastes just fine. Not sure I baked them long enough because they are very wet and cakey (though a knife came out clean), but still very tasty.
I am having massive UX issues on your site on mobile, it keeps jumping back to the recipe and I'm unable to scroll down to the comments or up to the top of the page. Not sure if it's just me.
Sorry about that. I think that issue is fixed now.... there were some problems going on with my site. I always bake these for longer just to make sure they're not wet. They are tricky with all the pumpkin and applesauce to tell if they're done or not.
Very yummy and easy treat to make. They were more cake like than cookie bar though, not that it matters. Will definitely make them again. Thanks for the recipe.
I admit I was reluctant to make this given the 3.87 review - I’m usually a 4.5 and up person. But wow am I glad i did. I followed the recipe to a tee. It is absolutely delicious. So moist and tasty. Best pumpkin ANYTHING I’ve ever made or tasted. Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe.
I will be honest... I am shocked by the lower star rating of this recipe too! We love these bars and I am so glad you did too. I really appreciate the comment and rating. Thank you for making the recipe!
This is my second time making these bars this week! They're so amazing! I wouldn't change a thing. I'm not sure if it's cake or pumpkin bread or a cookie, but it doesn't even matter because it's delicious ?
So happy to hear this! I definitely think they're the perfect mix between cake and bars. Thank you so much for the comment and rating. I appreciate it.
This recipe is easy and delicious! A very nice dessert on a fall evening!
Made these tonite with the help of my almost 3 year old granddaughter. She loves to help me bake & they turned out absolutely delicious! My husband & granddaughter both loves them!!
So good and moist!
Love this recipe ? Have made multiple times. Thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe! I have an electric oven and do think it needed the full 40 minutes - not dry at all. I liked using half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet chocolate chips. I cut them into footballs (perfect with the pumpkin color!) and used vanilla frosting for laces. I’d post a pic but I don’t see how. Thanks for the recipe!
Good flavor but this is totally a cake consistency not bars! Not what I was hoping for.
Sorry it wasn't what you were expecting. Glad you liked the flavor!