Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
If you love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies then you will absolutely love these easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars! With only 5 ingredients, these ooey gooey bars can be made without a lot of fuss!
FAST AND SIMPLE DESSERT BARS
Ready for an easy fall dessert bar recipe? You only need 5 ingredients and under 40 minutes to whip up a batch of these scrumptious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars. They’re so simple to make, won’t break the bank and have the perfect amount of your favorite fall flavors!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Yes. You could use sugar cookie mix and add chocolate chips to account for those missing in the original mix. I’m honestly not sure how many chocolate chips are included in a bag of chocolate chip cookie mix. Maybe start with a 1/4 cup and see how that looks and go from there. It will be a slightly different texture but it will work.
Yes and make sure it’s 100% pure pumpkin! That’s part of the reason these bars are so soft and it conveys just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling, these bars won’t turn out the same if you do.
Feel free to add any of these ideas to the dessert bar mixture:
– chopped nuts
– dried fruit
– M&M’s, toffee bits or other candy pieces
Pumpkin bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
You can freeze them by wrapping them individually with plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer safe bag or container and freezing for up to 3 months. Then let them thaw overnight in the fridge and then let get to room temperature before enjoying.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- chocolate chip cookie mix – It needs to be the dry mix, not a pre-made dough. I like making these with the Betty Crocker Cookie Mix (not a paid affiliate) but you can use whatever mix you prefer.
- semi-sweet chocolate chips – If you aren’t feeling semisweet, try dark chocolate morsels, milk chocolate, cinnamon chips or even mini chocolate chips..
- all-purpose flour – we add the extra flour because the pumpkin makes these super soft and we want the bars to hold their shape. So adding flour helps to offset the extra moistness from of the pumpkin puree.
- pumpkin pie spice – use store-bought or make your own pumpkin pie spice.
- pumpkin puree – it needs to be pure pumpkin (you could even use sweet potato) but just make sure its not pumpkin pie mix because they are usually right next to each other on the store shelves.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray then line with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the chocolate chip cookie mix, ½ cup of chocolate chips, all-purpose flour, and pumpkin pie spice until everything is blended together.
Add the pumpkin puree to the mix and stir until you have a smooth, thick dough. At first, it might seem too dry, but if you keep mixing it well, it will come together as a sticky dough. You can even use your clean hands to knead it if necessary.
Take this dough and press it into the prepared baking pan, making sure to spread it out evenly. You can use a spatula or a spreading knife to help with this. Your hands might be easiest though. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips on top of the dough
Put it in the oven and bake for 23-28 minutes. Check if it’s ready by sticking a toothpick into it – if it comes out clean and the top bounces back when you gently tap it, it’s done.
Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting it into squares and serving.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 17.5 ounce bag chocolate chip cookie mix
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided use
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray then line with parchment paper (or skip the nonstick spray and just use binder clips to hold the parchment paper in place).
- Note: you can just use nonstick spray if you prefer, the parchment paper just makes it easier to lift out to slice and serve. Also, spraying the non-stick spray before adding the parchment paper just helps the parchment paper stick and not move when you put it in. But if you have binder clips, it will serve the same purpose.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the chocolate chip cookie mix, ½ cup of chocolate chips, all-purpose flour, and pumpkin pie spice until everything is blended together.
- Add the pumpkin puree to the mix and stir until you have a smooth, thick dough. At first, it might seem too dry, but if you keep mixing it well, it will come together as a sticky dough. You can even use your clean hands to knead it if necessary.
- Take this dough and press it into the prepared baking pan, making sure to spread it out evenly. You can use a spatula or a spreading knife to help with this. Your hands might be easiest though.
- Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips on top of the dough.
- Put it in the oven and bake for 23-28 minutes. Check if it’s ready by sticking a toothpick into it – if it comes out clean and the top bounces back when you gently tap it, it’s done.
- Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting it into squares and serving.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- Wipe off your knife blade in between cuts when cutting these into dessert bars. This will help create a more uniform and clean cut look.
- Store leftover dessert bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, in the fridge for up to a week, or individually wrapped in plastic in a freezer safe container or bag for up to three months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Cannot wait to try this recipe, it looks easy and delicious.