Description
These Gingerbread Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars are soft, moist, and packed with warm autumn spices, pumpkin richness, and gooey chocolate chips. Perfect for fall gatherings, holiday gifting, or a cozy treat with coffee or tea.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsulfured molasses
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Add-ins:
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (plus extra for sprinkling on top)
Instructions
Preheat and prepare pan:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan or line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
Mix dry ingredients:
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
Combine wet ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add molasses, then stir in pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla until silky.
Bring batter together:
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep bars tender.
Fold in chocolate chips:
Gently fold in 1 ½ cups chocolate chips.
Bake:
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
Cool and slice:
Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 16 bars.
Notes
Ensure eggs and pumpkin are at room temperature for best texture.
Bars can be slightly underbaked for extra gooeyness — they firm up as they cool.
Experiment with nuts or white chocolate for variations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30–35 minutes
- Category: Dessert / Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American / Fall-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
Keywords: pumpkin bars, gingerbread bars, chocolate chip bars, fall dessert, holiday dessert