These Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Chocolate Chips are a perfect fall treat, combining the warmth of pumpkin spice and the richness of brown butter. With a soft, chewy texture, they’re infused with pure pumpkin puree for a moist and flavorful bite in every piece. The sweet chocolate chips melt beautifully throughout, balancing the cozy, spiced notes for a deliciously comforting and addicting dessert.
The Best Pumpkin Bars
These pumpkin bars are hands down the best fall treat you’ll ever make. Unlike many pumpkin bar recipes that resemble pumpkin cake with frosting, this pumpkin bars recipe is a chewy, indulgent cookie bar with pockets of gooey, melted chocolate. The magic starts with brown butter, which adds a nutty, caramelized depth of flavor that takes these bars to a whole new level. Infused with warm pumpkin spice and rich pumpkin puree, every bite is a cozy, spiced sensation that screams autumn. The addition of both chocolate chips and chunks creates pockets of melty chocolate throughout, making each bite irresistibly rich and indulgent. Topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, these bars hit the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Plus, they’re ridiculously easy to make—meaning you get all this flavor with barely any effort.
More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
- Moist & Flavorful Pumpkin Muffins
- Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft & Chewy Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Easy Pumpkin Pie
What Ingredients are Needed for these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars ?
Flour: We are using all-purpose flour to form the base of the cookie bar dough. However, if you need these pumpkin bars to be gluten-free, I recommend using a 1 to 1 all-purpose gluten-free flour. KING ARTHUR and CUP 4 CUP are two great options. I also include tips on measuring flour below, which will ensure your bars do not turn out dry or crumbly.
Baking Soda and Powder: Baking soda and baking powder helps with leveling the bars and aids in their texture. The combination of these two compounds ensure a chewy pumpkin bar with a tender crumb.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar plays an important role in this cookie bar recipe. Brown sugar contributes to the rich, complex flavor of the bars and provides additional moisture, which aids in getting the perfect chewy texture for these bars.
Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar helps spread the bars and promotes a tender, crisp texture. Using brown sugar and granulated sugar together creates the perfect bars that are chewy in the middle and lightly crisp on the edges.
Brown Butter: Brown butter has a rich, deep, nutty flavor which works so well with pumpkin.
Vanilla: This recipe uses pure vanilla extract to add that delicious vanilla flavor.
Pumpkin Puree: the pumpkin puree is the star of the show! This recipe uses can pumpkin puree, but you can also use homemade, provided it is as thick the canned puree.
Pumpkin Spice: this recipe calls for a good amount of pumpkin spice. We want to taste all those warm spices.
Egg: this recipe uses a whole egg, which contributes to the chewy texture.
Chocolate: For this pumpkin bar recipe, I prefer semi-sweet chocolate; however, you can use whatever chocolate you want.
Salt: Salt (yes, salt) is key to any dessert. So we definitely add salt to the pumpkin bar batter and finish it with some flaky sea salt. Adding salt to your dessert helps with balancing the flavors. Trust me, don’t skip with step.
How to Make this Pumpkin Bars Recipe
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, line a 9X9 baking dish (or 8×8 if you are looking for thicker bars) with parchment paper and lightly grease. Set aside.
Step 2. Make the brown butter: Cut the butter in small pieces and heat the butter in a small pan on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until the butter turns an amber color. The butter will first foam and start to pop. Then, brown bits will begin to form in the bottom of the pan. Once browned and popping slows, it is ready. You should smell a nutty aroma. Scrap the butter (and all the of those magical brown bits into a heat-safe bowl and let rest for about 15 minutes.
Step 3. In a medium-large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 4. Then, in a large mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cooled browned butter, vanilla, and pumpkin spice, and beat with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes.
Step 5. Add the pumpkin puree. Beat until well combined. Then, add the egg. Beat until well combined.
Step 6. Add your “sifted flour mixture” into your wet batter and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Be sure not to over mix. Then, fold in the chocolate.
Step 6. Next, transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Let the bars bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until edges are set. Once done, take the bars out and immediately top with flaky sea salt. Let cool for at least 30 minutes or until set.
Step 7. Once cooled, enjoy and feel free to add a comment on my blog! Also, be sure to share your photo on instagram and tag @butterloveandsalt! We would love to see how your cookies come out!
How to Get an Accurate Flour Measurement for Your Easy Pumpkin Bars with a Measuring Cup?
- Use the Correct Measuring Cup: Use a dry measuring cup. These cups typically come in sizes like 1 cup, 1/2 cup, etc.
- Fluff the Flour: Before measuring, fluff up the flour in the bag or container using a spoon. This helps prevent compacting and ensures a more accurate measurement.
- Spoon into the Cup: Gently spoon the fluffed-up flour into the measuring cup, allowing it to pile up above the rim.
- Level Off: Use a flat edge, like the back of a knife, to level off the excess flour from the top of the measuring cup. Do this without tapping or shaking the cup to avoid settling.
How long does this recipe last?
Can I freeze pumpkin bars?
When you’re ready to serve, thaw them in the fridge or on the counter at room temperature. They’ll taste as good as new!
Can I add mix-ins to the batter?
More Incredible Fall Treats
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Apple Turnover with Puff Pastry
- Ultimate Banana Bread
- Sweet Potato Cookies
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cinnamon Cookies
I hope you love this Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Chocolate Chip recipe! It is absolutely delicious and easy to make. If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @butterloveandsalt on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support Butter, Love & Salt and make it possible for me to continue to create delicious recipes.
Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon optional
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter brown and cooled
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 2 oz of dark chocolate bar cut in bitesize chunks
- flaky salt to top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, line a 9X9 baking dish (or 8×8 if you are looking for thicker bars) with parchment paper and lightly grease. Set aside.
- Make the brown butter: Cut the butter in small pieces and heat the butter in a small pan on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until the butter turns an amber color. The butter will first foam and start to pop. Then, brown bits will begin to form in the bottom of the pan. Once browned and popping slows, it is ready. You should smell a nutty aroma. Scrap the butter (and all the of those magical brown bits into a heat-safe bowl and let rest for about 15 minutes.
- In a medium-large mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Then, in a large mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cooled browned butter, vanilla, and pumpkin spice, and beat with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin puree. Beat until well combined. Then, add the egg. Beat until well combined.
- Add your “sifted flour mixture” into your wet batter and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Be sure not to over mix. Then, fold in the chocolate.
- Next, transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Let the bars bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until edges are set. Once done, take the bars out and immediately top with flaky sea salt. Let cool for at least 30 minutes or until set.
- Once cooled, enjoy and feel free to add a comment on my blog! Also, be sure to share your photo on instagram and tag @butterloveandsalt! We would love to see how your cookies come out!
Nutritional Information
Recipe by: Chavez Adams / Butter, Love & Salt | Photography by: Jess Gaertner
Made these for a party and everyone loved them. I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice so used a mix of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice and a hint of black pepper and they were still delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad you loved them! And yes! Thant’s a great way to make your own pumpkin spice blend!
These were absolutely delicious and so easy to put together. The texture is great and I love the nuttiness from the browned butter
Thanks for the comment, Emily! I love these bars and the nuttiness of the brown butter is my fav! I just love how it pairs with the pumpkin and spices.
I had everything on hand to make these and they were a hit at book club. Absolutely delicious! Mine needed an extra 10 minutes of bake time (used a glass 8×8 pan). Recipe is definitely a keeper!
I am so glad they were a hit, Jessica! And thanks for adding your baking time for the 8×8 dish! 🙂