These pumpkin chocolate chip bars are the perfect fall treat! With a warm combination of spices, melted morsels of chocolate, and a tangy cream cheese frosting on top, these easy bars are a shoo-in for your new favorite pumpkin dessert.

This is hands-down my favorite pumpkin dessert recipe on the blog. I have been making it for at least a decade, and if I’m invited to a potluck or party during pumpkin season, you can bet I have a pan of these in hand when I show up. I’ve yet to bring any home. 

What makes these bars so dang good? Glad you asked. It’s the combination of flavors and textures. These are cake-like bars, with a gorgeously light yet moist crumb. The bursts of melted chocolate and the delicious cream cheese frosting compliment the cozy pumpkin spice flavor of the bar itself to create a symphony of fall flavors that should not be missed. I know it sounds like I’m overselling this, but I’m not. Promise, okay?

Why you want this recipe: 

• extremely easy
• tastes like fall
• decadent 
• perfect for potlucks and parties

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars

This super easy recipe is made with simple ingredients: easy-to-find pantry staples and fridge friends!

• Eggs: Eggs help create the structure of these bars. They bind the ingredients together, and provide moisture to give these bars that delightful crumb!
• Vegetable Oil: Adding fats to your baked good creates that moist and tender texture you want.
• Granulated Sugar: Adding both sweetness and structure, we have white sugar in this recipe. 
• Pumpkin Purée: Do not confuse this with pumpkin pie filling. You want a plain old can of pumpkin. 
• All Purpose Flour: I have only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour. If you try something else, let us know how it goes in the comments!
• Baking Powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent. You can thank it (and its friend baking soda) for adding that touch of lightness that make these bars so irresistible. 
• Cinnamon: The warm flavor of cinnamon gives this recipe its fall feel!
• Salt: Salt brings out all the other flavors. 
• Baking Soda: A second leavening agent to make sure your bars have the perfect texture. 
• Chocolate Chips: Where would pumpkin chocolate chip bars be without chocolate chips? I love semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe. 
• Cream Cheese: This forms the base of the frosting. You want your cream cheese to be at room temperature so that your frosting is nice and smooth. 
• Butter: This plus the cream cheese makes a positively decadent frosting base. You also want your butter to be softened before you mix it into the frosting. I recommend using unsalted butter.
• Powdered Sugar: This adds sweetness to the frosting. 
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla is the final touch to a perfectly tangy cream cheese frosting.

Instructions

Step 1 | Mix the wet ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, mix your eggs, oil, pumpkin puree, and sugar. This is the base for your this pumpkin bar recipe!

Step 2 | Add the dry ingredients

Next, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. You should have a thick, cake-like batter. Last, you’ll add all but a few of the chocolate chips. You want to keep a few back to sprinkle over the top so that there’s lots of gooey chocolate chips throughout your entire bar. 

Step 3 | Bake

Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and pour your pumpkin bar batter into the prepared baking pan Smooth it over with a spatula and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the bars. 

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. These guys are done when a knife stuck into the center comes out clean. 

Step 4 | Whip the cream cheese and butter

While your bars are baking, you can make the frosting. Start by whipping the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also do this with an electric hand mixer. Room temperature cream cheese and butter will whip up smoothly. If your cheese and butter are too cold, you might get clumps. 

Step 5 | Finish the frosting

Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and mix it in on low speed. If you add too much at once, you can end up with a powdered sugar blizzard in your kitchen! Once the frosting is finished, you can place it in the fridge to wait for the bars. 

Step 6 | Put it all together!

For best results, wait for the bars to cool completely. I can’t emphasize how important this is. If you frost your bars too soon, you will get melted frosting soup. It will taste just fine, but it won’t look very appealing. If you need to speed up the cooling time, you can pop the baked bars into the freezer for 15-20 minutes. 

Once your bars are completely cool. spread the frosting evenly over the tops. Your bars are ready to serve!

Substitutions

There are a few places ou can change things up in these cake-like pumpkin bars. Here are some options I’ve tried and know work: 

• For the oil: You can replace half the oil with unsweetened applesauce if you’re looking to cut down on calories 
• For the canned pumpkin: You can used fresh pumpkin puree, if you want to be really awesome! This recipe is fantastic.
• For the chocolate chips: You can use dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips in this recipe. Play around with these flavors to make these bars your own!
• For the cream cheese frosting: These bars are just fine without any frosting, if you don’t have the ingredients. You can also use a delicious cinnamon buttercream (this post has a recipe for cinnamon buttercream as a variation at the bottom). It’s delicious on top!

More Pumpkin Desserts

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Pie Mousse

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

FAQs