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Soft One-Bowl Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Soft one-bowl pumpkin chocolate chip bars with a cakey crumb and melty chocolate chips in every bite. Mixed with melted butter (no mixer), baked in a 9x13 pan, then finished with an optional chocolate drizzle.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
cooling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 38 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the bars
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled Melted and slightly cooled.
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed Packed.
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature Room temperature.
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling) Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus ¼ cup for topping
For the optional drizzle
  • 0.5 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp coconut oil

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and pan
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides. This helps you lift the bars out cleanly after baking.
Make the dry mix
  1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside so it’s ready to fold into the wet batter.
Make the batter
  1. Whisk the melted unsalted butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar until glossy, about 1 minute. Look for a shiny, slightly thickened mixture before adding the next ingredients.
  2. Whisk in the large egg, pure pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until smooth. Keep mixing just until no streaks remain.
  3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet with a spatula until just combined, with no dry streaks. Stop as soon as the batter looks uniform so the bars stay soft.
  4. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. The batter should look speckled with chips throughout.
  5. Spread the batter evenly in the pan and scatter the remaining chocolate chips over the top. Aim for even coverage so every square has melty spots.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. The center should look set but not dry.
Cool and lift
  1. Cool in the pan for at least 1 hour, then lift the slab out by the parchment. Letting it cool fully keeps the squares from breaking.
Optional chocolate drizzle
  1. Microwave the semi-sweet chocolate chips and coconut oil in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. The drizzle should be glossy enough to ribbon over the bars.
  2. Drizzle over the bars, let it set, and cut into 24 squares. Wait until the coating firms up before slicing.

Notes

Pro tip: pack the light brown sugar for best moisture and flavor, and fold the dry ingredients only until you see no dry streaks to keep the crumb tender. Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days; for best texture, warm briefly at room temperature before serving. Freezing is yes—freeze individually wrapped for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a dietary swap, use gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour to make gluten-free bars (baking time may vary slightly).