Gooey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

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Fall flavors meet rich, chocolate goodness in these Gooey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars! Soft, rich, and packed with warm pumpkin spice and melted chocolate chips, they’re the perfect sweet treat for chilly evenings, holiday gatherings, or anytime you’re craving a taste of autumn. One bite and you’ll be hooked!

Fall is in the air and it’s pumpkin season!   The leaves are starting to change, the air is a little bit cooler, and I’ve got a ton of pumpkin in my kitchen.  I love fall foods because of their warm, spicy notes.

Last weekend I was in the kitchen on a pumpkin kick.  I bought myself several cans of pumpkin plus a few small pie pumpkins.   I figured I could roast the pumpkins and make my own pumpkin puree.

How do you make homemade pumpkin puree?

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.   Cut a pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes or until tender. Scoop out the flesh and puree in a blender or food processor.  Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

I love baking with pumpkin and spices in the winter because it just makes the whole house feel warm and cozy. One of my favorite pumpkin recipes is a classic Pumpkin Pie. Another favorite from friends and family are Pumpkin Cookie with Brown Butter Frosting. I am partial to Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones for breakfast or a midday snack. 

Of course, pumpkin isn’t just for sweets.  I make an awesome Pumpkin Mac n Cheese with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon.  Another favorite is Ravioli with Pumpkin Vodka Sauce. 

I spent the weekend making sweet pumpkin dishes.   One of my favorites from the weekend were these Gooey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars.  Not only is this an easy recipe, it would be perfect for a Thanksgiving dessert.

When I saw the recipe they sounded really good.  I figured they would be more like a pumpkin blondie, very cake like and studded with chocolate chips.   Turns out I was wrong about that!

The base of the recipe is flour, sugar, an egg, and pumpkin puree.  Make sure you use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.

WHat is the difference between pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling?

Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling are both made from cooked pumpkin but they have different uses and different ingredients.  Pumpkin puree is simply cooked pumpkin with no additional ingredients.   It’s used in both sweet and savory recipes.  Pumpkin pie filling contains pumpkin, spices, and sugar or sweetener.  It’s usually only used for pumpkin pie.

In addition to the base recipe, the bars are spiced with pumpkin pie spice and then are loaded with chocolate chips.  The chocolate chips melt and add to the gooeyness of the bars. 

How do you make Pumpkin Pie Spice?

Making pumpkin pie spice is easy.  Combine 3 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground allspice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cloves. You can also use nutmeg in place of the ground cloves or ground allspice if you don’t have one of them. Make sure you use the cinnamon and ginger.  Mix together and store in an air tight jar. 

Ingredients:

• salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer)
• brown sugar
• egg
• vanilla extract
• pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• pumpkin pie spice (see note above on how to make your own)
• all purpose flour
• chocolate chips

To make the bars all of the ingredients are combined and poured into an 8 x 8 baking dish.  The bars are baked until just set.  Once they have cooled they are cut into bars. 

These Gooey Pumpkin Bars were awesome!  The bars were soft and gooey.  They weren’t cake like at all.  

It was like biting into pure pumpkin bliss with a little bit of chocolate thrown into the mix.  The chocolate chips were partially melted into the pumpkin goodness which made them even better.

How do you store pumpkin bars?

Store in a single layer in an airtight container.  If you want to stack them place a layer of parchment in between the bars so that they don’t stick to each other.  They will stay fresh for 3-4 days. 

I also liked that there was just a hint of the pumpkin spice in the bars.  It made them feel warm and perfect for fall.  If you like pumpkin and chocolate give this recipe a try!

If you’ve tried my Gooey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars or any other recipe on  Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

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Gooey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

These dessert bars are soft, gooey, and filled with pumpkin and chocolate for the perfect fall dessert.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 Mixing Bowl
• 1 8 x 8 Baking dish
• 1 Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup salted butter melted
• 1 egg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with aluminum foil, spray, and set aside.
• In a large bowl combine the melted butter, egg, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until smooth.
• Add in the flour and mix until just combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs on it.
• Allow the bars to cool for 30 minutes before lifting them out of the pan and cutting.
• Bars will keep in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks

More Pumpkin Recipes:
Browned Butter Salty Pumpkin Sugar Cookies from The Spiffy Cookie.
Easy Pumpkin Donuts with Vanilla Cream Sauce from {i love} my disorganized life.
Homemade Pumpkin and Sage Pasta from Kudos Kitchen by Renee.
Pumpkin Chai Baked Donut from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Whoopie Pies from Dizzy Busy and Hungry.
Pumpkin Snack Cake from Recipes Food and Cooking.
Spiced Pumpkin-Bourbon Fizz from Culinary Adventures with Camilla.