Sink your teeth into one of these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars and you’re met with gobs of rich, melty chocolate in each soft, tender, fudgy bite of spiced pumpkin blondie! These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars are so sinful and satisfying! The cocoa frosting sends them totally over the top!
I hate that these don’t have a more clever or descriptive name than “Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars.” I wish I had something more creative and unique than Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars, buuuuuut that’s what these are, so it’s apropos, at least. I just feel like it doesn’t really capture their true amazingness with such a bland and generic title. Oomph.
Also, I can’t believe that it’s almost the end of September and this is the FIRST pumpkin recipe I’ve posted so far. It’s been a weird month, and I am happy to usher in October. So much great stuff coming too, so it’ll be a good month.
I’ve done nothing for Halloween though. What do you guys want to see?? I suck at Halloween because I don’t do gross or creepy-looking food. I really only just make stuff with mini candy bars… 🙂
Last year, I shared The Best Pumpkin Blondies with Cream Cheese Frosting, and those were so popular. They should be, they’re the BEST! I really thought that most people probably already had a pumpkin blondies/bar-type recipe, and maybe you did/do, but maybe you also realized that this one is particularly special. A true gem.
Those pumpkin blondies are so thick and hefty – that’s what makes them stand out from a sea of other pumpkin bar recipes. They’re like an ultra-thick and fudgy brownie in texture… and actually, almost twice as thick as a regular brownie. Soft and chewy the way a good fudgy brownie is, but, like, not ‘fudgy’ in a chocolate fudge sense. Know what I mean? Fudgy in texture, not flavor.
Well, until we add chocolate chips and chocolate frosting. Then things start to get fudgy. You guys know how much I love mini chocolate chips and I throw those suckers in everything, but for these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars, I pull out the big guns: regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. Look at all those big melty morsels of chocolate in these bars! They’re chock-full of ’em.
Chocolate really elevates these bars on so many levels. Sink your teeth into one of these bars and you’re met with gobs of rich, melty chocolate in each soft, tender, fudgy bite of spiced pumpkin blondie. Eep. They’re so sinful and satisfying! And the cocoa frosting on top – rich, fluffy cream cheese buttercream with a jolt of cocoa powder. It really sends these over the top!
The mini chocolate chips as garnish were just for fun, but they add a nice extra bit of chocolatey goodness to the bars, and a nice change in texture too.
Anyway, I was not sold on pumpkin and chocolate together until this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownie Cheesecake recipe. I didn’t think they seemed like a pair that would really complement each other. I thought the combo was gimmicky and forced, and just another way that people cram pumpkin into things, but I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong about chocolate and pumpkin together. They DO belong together, and the duo is magical!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- For pumpkin bars:
- 3/4 c. butter softened
- 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 c. canned pumpkin puree
- 1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. clove
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- For chocolate frosting:
- 1 - 8 oz. package reduced-fat cream cheese softened
- 1/2 c. butter softened
- 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1/3 c. cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2-3 tbsp. milk
- 1/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- For pumpkin bars:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, corn syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, clove, salt, and baking powder.
- Add to the mixing bowl, and beat until just combined.
- Fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into a greased or parchment paper-lined 9-inch square baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For chocolate frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla, beating until combined.
- Add 1 tbsp. milk, and beat until combined, adding more milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Beat for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Frost the pumpkin blondies, and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Cut and serve.
These totally count as Halloween food — they’re orange and black!?
Hahahaha. YES!! I like the way you think! Thanks, Blair, you saved me!!