Years ago, in the midst of the Autumn holiday season, my mom used to always buy a box of puffy, cake-like pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from the supermarket bakery close to our house. I still remember the first time I tried one. I hated it. I thought it was weird. I didn’t even finish it! But our tastebuds are strange things, as the next day I found myself wanting to try this innovative fusion of pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookie again. The second experience was a much better one, as I embraced the interesting texture that the pumpkin creates and the dark chocolate chips dotted throughout that gave a great richness and childhood familiarity. Nowadays, we eat pumpkin everything, so pumpkin cookies are far from the wacky idea I once thought they were.
These bars are everything great about a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie and improved by being baked into squidgy, moist bars rather than puffy, cake-like cookies. They’re also great because they’re not too sweet, which means you can eat more than one without getting a toothache! I always love a recipe that improves with age, like these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars, because the next day they are even better than they are are freshly baked. Just be sure to keep in an airtight container! I think I might go grab one now…
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To the cooled melted butter, add the egg, pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour and stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Stir in 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips, smoothly the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 32 to 35 minutes, or until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving, but I find they taste best the next day. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
Recipe from Flick of the Whisk. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.