Description
Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are a perfect fall treat combining warm pumpkin spices with melty chocolate chips in soft, moist bars. These bars offer an ideal chewy texture, balanced sweetness, and comforting flavors that make them great for snacking, holiday gatherings, or even as a breakfast bar.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free baking blend for gluten-free option)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned, plain pumpkin puree only)
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (or coconut oil for vegan variant)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (regular or white chocolate chips as variation)
- 2 large eggs (or flaxseed/chia eggs for vegan variant)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it to ensure easy removal and clean edges for your bars.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy and light. Then, beat in the eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend), baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Blend Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bars tender.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Fold in the chocolate chips evenly so every bite gets luscious melted chocolate pockets.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Slice: Let the bars cool completely in the pan before slicing to maintain their chewy texture and prevent crumbling.
Notes
- Use fresh pumpkin puree if possible for better moisture and flavor.
- Mix ingredients just until combined to avoid dense, tough bars.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs for better blending and texture.
- Check doneness starting at 25 minutes as ovens vary.
- Cool bars completely before slicing for best texture and clean cuts.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: pumpkin, chocolate chip, cookie bars, chewy, fall dessert, pumpkin spice, holiday treat, easy dessert