Pumpkin Bars are the perfect pumpkin treat. This easy pumpkin bar recipe is soft and moist, and loaded with chocolate chunks.
Hi hi! I am popping in to share this pumpkin bar recipe, which come from my friend Sabine's brand new book! I was lucky enough to get a little peek earlier this year when she asked me to write a recommendation for the back. It was truly such a huge honour to be asked, and I am so excited for her new book!
Her book is called 'The Chocolate Addict's Baking Book' and it is jammed full of chocolate recipes. I had a super hard time deciding what to make, but landed on these pumpkin bars. They are super easy to make, and the perfect texture - dense and a tiny bit fudgy, and full of pumpkin pie spices. I love making pumpkin recipes, and these pumpkin bars are perfect addition to my homemade bar recipe lineup.
How to make Pumpkin Bars
This pumpkin bars recipe is super, super easy to make and come together really quickly. All you have to do is cream together the butter and sugar. Next in goes and egg and some vanilla, then some pumpkin puree.
Dry ingredients are whisked together and added in, and folded just to incorporate, then a whole bunch of chocolate chips go in. I used chocolate chunks in this pumpkin bars recipe, and scattered some on top.
The whole thing then gets baked until the middle is done, then left to cool before being sliced into bars. They take almost no time to throw together, and keep super well in a container.
Pumpkin Puree vs Pumpkin Pie Mix
I had no idea pumpkin in a can was a thing until I moved to the states. In New Zealand we mainly only eat savoury pumpkin dishes so it took some getting used to. However, I LOVE sweet pumpkin dishes, and I also LOVE how easy canned pumpkin is.
If you haven't come across it yet, canned pumpkin is literally just canned pumpkin puree. If you can't find it where you are you can make your own.
You can also buy canned pumpkin pie mix. Do NOT confuse this with canned pumpkin. Pumpkin pie mix already has the sugar and pumpkin spice added to it. You just want the plain pumpkin.
How to remove bars cleanly from the pan:
Make sure you make yourself a parchment paper sling when you are lining the pan. I didn't and just lined the bottom and sides. I should have listened because it made it a bit harder to remove!
How to store pumpkin bars
These pumpkin bars well, so you can make them ahead of time. There are steps included for freezing them in the recipe too.
How to tell when pumpkin bars are baked:
These do stay a little moist in the middle. Make sure that you check the middle with a tester when baking. You want it to come out clean, but a few crumbs clinging are ok. Remember things bake once they come out of the oven.
To add a frosting:
If you want to add an easy cream cheese frosting to these pumpkin bars, you can use my cream cheese frosting recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make gluten free pumpkin bars?
I haven't tried but I would say they would work fine with a cup for cup gluten free flour sub.
What is a good substitute for canned pumpkin?
If you can't get canned pumpkin, you can make homemade pumpkin puree
Can pumpkin bars be made ahead of time?
Yes - these homemade pumpkin bars keep well in an airtight container. Alternatively there are tips for freezing them in the recipe.
For more pumpkin recipes:
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Homemade Pumpkin Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 15 bars 1x
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade Pumpkin Bars are the perfect pumpkin treat. This easy pumpkin bar recipe is soft and moist, and loaded with chocolate chunks.
Ingredients
- 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 200g light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 225g pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin, or see notes)
- 270g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- 340g semisweet chocolate chips (I used a mix of dark and milk chocolate, chopped), plus a little more for the top, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°f / 180°c. Line a 9" x 13" (23x33cm) pan with parchment paper with an overhang around the sides and set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until creamy and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Then, add the egg and vanilla and stir until well combined, about 1 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate and mix until incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Add extra chocolate on top if desired. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then, use the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 15 bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from The Chocolate Addict's Baking Book by Sabine Venier
Keywords: Pumpkin Bars, pumpkin chocolate Chip bars, Pumpkin chocolate bars
Comments
I just made these and they came out so delish! Here's a solid case for why a kitchen scale is the best thing ever! I only had a tiny bit of canned pumpkin left over from another recipe (always the case!) but wanted to find something to do with it. I found this recipe and it looked like it would fit the bill! I weighed out the pumpkin I had and then reduced all of the other ingredients by the same percentage. The only tricky thing to reduce is the egg, but honestly, just crack, scramble, and then pour out the quantity you need - easy!
Now the important bit: this recipe is super tasty! I baked mine off in a muffin tin and ended up with 6 cute little "cakes" rather than bars but otherwise they seem exactly as described in the recipe. Perfect for using up that awkward last bit of pumpkin!
★★★★★
Hi! Thank you SO Much for this comment! I LOVE using a scale to bake and this is truly one of the reasons why they just make so, so much more sense! x
Love this. It's become a family favourite. I've made pumpkin puree and froze 225g bags especially to make this through the year. Thank you.
★★★★★
These are INSANELY delicious!! And easy to whip up. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve thrown a batch together to take to a friend. Also love the tweak of using chopped chocolate vs chips - adds great texture.
★★★★★
These bars are SO delicious - perfect combination of savoury and sweet. My partner and I can't stop making and eating these. We throw on flaky sea salt at the end because we are also salt addicts.
★★★★★
LOVED these bars! made them for thanksgiving and they were a hit. Not overly sweet, but just the right amount! Next time i'll add the sea salt on top, i just forgot this time. Super easy to bake and cooked perfectly.
★★★★★