Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

These pumpkin chocolate chip bars are one of the first pumpkin recipes I make every fall. My boys request them as soon as the weather begins to cool and often have fun helping me make them. A quick, one-bowl recipe, these bars are failproof, fun to prepare, and take just 10 minutes to get into the oven. I like to think of them as a twist on my oatmeal pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, just without the oats. 

Ingredient Notes And Substitutions

These pumpkin chocolate chip bars come together with just a handful of ingredients, most of which I keep on hand for various real-food desserts. Here are a few notes about the key components: 

• Oil: I like to use avocado oil or another neutral-tasting oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. For a bit of flavor and richness, I’ve also made them with coconut oil and melted unsalted butter.
• Brown sugar: I prefer brown sugar over granulated sugar because it adds more depth to the flavor and helps keep the bars moist. I’ve used both light brown sugar and dark brown sugar. Both work well, adding sweetness and moisture to the bars. Dark brown sugar simply provides a stronger molasses taste and results in slightly darker bars.
• Pumpkin puree: This creates a classic pumpkin spice flavor and gives the bars a slightly orange hue. I use canned pumpkin puree for convenience. Pumpkin puree is not the same as pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sweeteners and spices, so I don’t recommend using them interchangeably.
• All-purpose flour: Because I’m sensitive to gluten, I typically make these bars using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, but regular all-purpose flour works just as well if gluten isn’t a concern.
• Pumpkin pie spice: I use a store-bought blend rather than combining spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice individually.
• Leaveners: I use both baking powder and baking soda to help give the bars a nice lift and create a soft, tender texture.
• Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips add little pockets of chocolate throughout the bars. I like to use mini chocolate chips for little bursts of chocolate in every bite. For a slightly different taste, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips all taste great.

Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

How To Make These Bars

These pumpkin chocolate chip bars come together in one bowl and bake quickly. Here’s a look at the process, along with a few tips and tricks: 

1. Combine ingredients: Whisk all the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Then, stir in the dry ingredients just until no streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix, or the bars are likely to become dense. Fold in the chocolate chips.
2. Transfer the batter: Pour the batter into a baking dish greased with cooking spray, spreading it out evenly. I like to sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the top, too.
3. Bake: Transfer the baking dish to a preheated oven, and bake just until the batter is set. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
4. Cool: Remove the bars from the oven, and let them cool in the pan completely. Then, slice them into even pieces. I cut 24 bars, but the serving size can be adjusted by making the bars bigger or smaller.

For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.

Make It Gluten Free

To make these chocolate chip pumpkin dessert bars gluten-free, I use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour and double-check the nutrition labels on the rest of the ingredients. I do not recommend substituting almond flour or any other gluten-free flour alternative. 

Make It Dairy Free

For dairy-free pumpkin chocolate chip bars, I use dairy-free chocolate chips, such as the Enjoy Life brand.  

Save Some For Later

Once the bars are completely cool, I store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

For longer storage, I freeze the bars in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. I like to freeze them in a single layer or stack them with pieces of parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick together. This also makes it easy to grab just one or two at a time. To serve, I thaw frozen bars overnight in the refrigerator or for an hour or so at room temperature.

Recipe Changelog

• August 2026: We previously published a version of pumpkin bars that was grain free, egg free, and Paleo friendly. It was made with a mix of almond flour, coconut flour, cassava flour, and sweetened with coconut sugar. Download the previous version here.

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The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.

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