These chocolate chip pumpkin bars are the perfect easy dessert for Fall!
Gooey Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
They’re like a cross between chocolate chip cookies and homemade pumpkin pie.
I wasn’t sure if September was too early for pumpkin recipes, but when I asked on Instagram, everyone’s response was a resounding Please start posting pumpkin recipes, like, RIGHT NOW!
I took that as a good sign for getting this recipe up as soon as possible. Apparently the internet really loves pumpkin. Who knew?
(Everyone. Everyone knew.)
Trending Now: Keto Cookies – low carb recipe
Grab your flannel shirts and leggings
Put on your Ugg boots
Make a batch of these gooey chocolate chip pumpkin bars
And surrender yourself to the basicness of Pumpkin Season.
Seeing that Starbucks decided to bring back their infamous Pumpkin Spice Lattes in August, which then caused many other coffee shops and restaurants to follow suit, I guess I’m actually late to pumpkin season this year.
(Seriously, Starbucks? August??)
Figured now that the weather is finally getting cooler, I’d make up for it in true Chocolate-Covered-Katie fashion – with both pumpkin and chocolate.
Also Try These Vegan Brownies
Almond Butter Version: Almond butter has a neutral flavor that works really well here, and it’s my top pick for this recipe.
Using almond butter instead of oil adds fiber, vitamins, healthy fats, and nutrition to the oil-free pumpkin bars.
Peanut Butter Version: If you love both peanut butter and pumpkin, you might want to try the recipe with peanut butter. It definitely will have a peanut butter flavor though, so be sure to keep that in mind.
Sunbutter Version: This is a great option if you need bars that are more allergy-friendly and can be served in a peanut-free environment.
Readers have mentioned in my similar recipe for Ryan Reynolds Blondies that the bars turn kind of a funny color if made with sunflower butter but that they still taste just as delicious.
Other Nut Butters Or Butter Spreads: I haven’t tried the recipe using anything else but I’d imagine any nut butter—such as pecan, walnut, or cashew—would work here.
I’d also think a regular butter spread such as Earth Balance would be fine to sub but haven’t tried it yet. If you do experiment, be sure to report back with results!
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree or sweet potato
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 2 cups almond butter or allergy-friendly sub
- 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup flour, such as oat, white, spelt, sorghum, or even almond
- 1 cup sugar, unrefined or erythritol if desired
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or additional cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, or more as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment. Stir all ingredients together to form a batter. Add more milk of choice if needed to achieve a cookie-dough-like batter – the amount will depend on the flour and type of nut butter you use. Smooth the batter into the pan. If desired, press more chocolate chips on top. Bake 15-20 minutes on the center rack. They’ll look way underdone – let them cool for at least an hour, during which time they’ll firm up, and they firm up even more overnight if covered loosely on the counter.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes:
I used oatmilk and peanut butter instead of almond. I winged it an used 1 cup of peanut butter instead of 2 and it did not disappoint. These are delicious!!! Thank you so much for this recipe.
Thank you so much for making it! 🙂
We just love these. I use Justin’s Vanilla Almond butter in mine. Last weekend I tried Justin’s Maple almond butter and they were amazing as well. I do find I need to bake them a few minutes longer than your suggested time but these are a 5 star winner in my house! I also use GF cup 4 cup flour in case anyone was wondering if it will work yes, oh yes yes it does!
Hi! I absolutely love these! If I would like them to be a little less gooey what would you recommend? I’ve made them several times and each time they are so gooey I can’t even get them out of the pan
I follow the recipe but use ALMOND everything:
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk of ALMOND milk
2 cups ALMOND butter
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup ALMOND flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chocolate chips, or more as desired
Bake as suggested, let sit overnight, even tried refrigerating to see if that would help😊 I want make them again but them to firm up a tad. Thank you!
Hi! You might live in a more humid climate or have other factors that could be making yours more gooey than when we make them. Just baking longer should fix that! Let us know if that works 🙂
Thank you! I will bake them longer, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so no humidity here😊
If I use coconut flour, could I maybe use maple syrup instead of the sugar? Maybe that will still help it retain moisture enough to be similar to this recipe?
These are amazing! I used half almond flour and half buckwheat. Stirred in regular semi chocolate chips and sprinkled minis on top. Even my 8y/o loves them! And she’s a picky eater!
I used coconut sugar, and almond flour and they turned out perfectly!
Hello, on a different recipe a reviewer mentioned chocolate chip pumpkin bars that were made with kidney beans, which I cannot find. Was she mistaken, am I missing it, or does that recipe not exist? I love your other dessert bar recipes with beans in them and am trying to integrate more beans into our diets. Thank you.
Hi! She might have made these with kidney beans. The recipe calls for white beans but could work with others! https://lett-trim.today/pumpkin-blondies-chocolate-chip-vegan/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E