Description
These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars combine the warm flavors of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice with rich semisweet and dark chocolate chips for a fudgy, moist treat perfect for fall or any time you crave a cozy dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
- 1 (8-oz) cup (227 g) canned 100% pure pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Sugars
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (220 g) packed light brown sugar
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) pumpkin pie spice
Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (170 g) dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt Butter: Place 1 cup of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat until fully liquefied. This step is essential to creating the fudgy texture of the bars.
- Toast Spices: Add 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice to the melted butter. Allow spices to toast in the pan for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes aromatic.
- Add Sugars: Stir in 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup packed light brown sugar into the butter and spices mixture. Stir until sugars are well incorporated, creating a smooth batter base.
- Add Pumpkin and Vanilla: Add 1 (8-oz) cup canned pure pumpkin and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the mixture. Stir thoroughly until combined to incorporate moisture and flavor uniformly.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gently sprinkle 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt over the wet mixture. Do not stir immediately after adding; this technique minimizes overmixing, which can yield tough bars.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Carefully fold in 1 cup semisweet and 1 cup dark chocolate chips using a spatula, preserving chip shape and ensuring even distribution throughout the batter.
- Bake the Bars: Pour batter into a greased baking pan. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 25 to 30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Notes
- Use room temperature egg to ensure smooth incorporation into the batter.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added to avoid tough bars.
- Check the bars at 25 minutes and bake longer if necessary to avoid underbaking.
- You can substitute all semisweet or all dark chocolate chips depending on your preference.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting for clean slices.
