Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars are soft, chewy cookie bars loaded with pumpkin, oatmeal, warm spices, and chocolate chips for a yummy fall treat!

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars with text overlay

If you enjoy pumpkin desserts, you'll also love Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Icebox Cake, and Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bread!

Happy November, everyone! Are y'all tired of pumpkin yet? Hopefully not, because I have one last pumpkin treat for you this season...and I think it was worth the wait!

This past weekend, we celebrated a special milestone birthday for my hubby. As is customary every year, I baked him a homemade pecan pie, since he prefers that over any type of cake that I could possibly concoct. His parents came over, we sang 'Happy Birthday,' and between the seven of us, we polished off about half of the pie.

Close-up of bars in pan

I knew that I wanted to save the remainder for the birthday boy -- after all, it is his favorite favorite -- but that would mean fending off our offspring for the leftovers. So I decided to bake a slab of chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars as a means of keeping them distracted and allowing their Daddy to enjoy the rest of his pecan pie in peace. 😉

Cooling on a rack

Now about these bar cookies...I actually developed this recipe back at the beginning of "pumpkin season." And while it was a total hit with everyone who tried it, I wasn't 100% satisfied with how it turned out. You see, I originally baked this recipe in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, and I had a hard time getting the somewhat thick bars to cook evenly. If the edges were perfectly done, the middle was a bit too gooey. If the middle was perfectly done, the edges were overcooked. And hence, my dilemma...

Stack of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars on a plate

So when I gave this recipe another go last weekend, I decided to adapt the ingredient amounts to fit a large, rimmed sheet pan, à la my all-time favorite brownie recipe. And whaddya' know...it worked!

The bars were still slightly gooey coming out of the oven, but as they cooled, they transformed into perfectly soft, moist bars peppered with chewy oats and decadent chocolate chips. The pleasant pumpkin flavor came without being overwhelming. And while the cookies bordering the edges of the pan were slightly firmer than those in the center, the entire batch was much more evenly cooked than my earlier cake pan attempt.

Single cookie bar on a plate with more Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars on a cooling rack in the background

But for the real test...were these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars good enough to distract my kids from recalling the existence of their Daddy's hard-earned (turning a year older takes work) pecan pie? In one word, YES. They were so zoned in on their pumpkin goodness they didn't even notice that someone else at the table had a different treat on his dessert plate.

Aerial view of stack of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars on a plate

And, as further evidence, the 8-year-old then asked me if they could have pumpkin oatmeal bars for breakfast tomorrow. Because, OATS. He even tried to defend his argument by listing off all of the other oat-y breakfast goodies that I regularly make for them. While he claims he wants to be a host on College GameDay when he grows up ("I'm going to take Lee Corso's place one day and pick which head to wear every week"), I'm pretty sure he'd make a formidable attorney.

Happy birthday, hubby. Enjoy your pecan pie. And if you're lucky, we'll save you a chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bar for once it's all gone. 😉

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars, collage with text.

More Pumpkin Oatmeal Recipes

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars are soft, chewy cookie bars loaded with pumpkin, oatmeal, warm spices, and chocolate chips for a yummy fall treat!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 36 bars
Calories: 233kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • teaspoon allspice
  • 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 ⅓ cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • 2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter a rimmed 12x18x1-inch baking sheet; set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix in oats until well-blended. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to stir butter until creamy. Blend in sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, then add the vanilla and pumpkin and mix until smooth.
  • Blend in the flour mixture until just combined, and stir in the chocolate chips. Spread in an even layer in the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out just clean (do not overbake). Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into 24 or 36 bars, depending on what size you like them.

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 2073IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

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16 Comments

  1. Hi, is it supposed to be 2 1/2 cups of prepared oatmeal or 2 1/2 cups of rolled oats? I'm assuming rolled oats, as some people just say oatmeal, but wanted to be sure before making it.
    Thanks!!

    1. Hi Amanda! You are totally right...the recipe should say "rolled oats." So sorry about that...I go in and clarify it now. 🙂 Thanks for bringing it to my attention, and I hope these bars are a hit!

        1. Just a word to say I just pulled this out of the oven and it is super tasty! I actually halfed the recipe and it cooked nicely in a 9"x13" pan. Thanks for the recipe!

  2. Is there a way to make these gluten free? I can use gluten free oatmeal but what about almond flour as a substitute for the white? Will it taste just as good? These bars are amazing and just trying to make them a but healthier. Also. Can I sub white sugar with coconut sugar and molasses or agave for the brown sugar?

    1. I'm so sorry, but I don't have a lot of experience with gluten-free baking, so I'm not positive how almond flour would work as a substitute in this recipe. I haven't tried those sugar substitutes in this recipe either, so I can't say for sure how they would work. I would imagine that coconut sugar could be substituted for all of the sugar...I'm afraid that using molasses or agave in this recipe might adversely affect the outcome since they would be adding more moisture? But again, I'm not sure as I haven't tried these substitutes. Good luck if you decide to try making this recipe gluten-free, and please come back and let us know how things turn out! 🙂

  3. Hi I'm Maggie, I'm fourteen and I just wanted to thank you so much for these recipes!!! I make them all the time for my dad and my brother. Please keep making new recipes!!!

    1. Hi, Maggie...what a sweet comment! I am thrilled to have you here...and how lucky are your dad and brother to have you cooking and baking for them?! 🙂 I'm sure that everything you make is delicious, and I'm so happy that you're enjoying my recipes. Thanks again for taking the time to let me know, and I hope you have a great weekend!

  4. I can't wait to try these. I've gone over the recipe several times and don't see where you added the pumpkin. I'm sorry if I'm missing it. Is it with the wet ingredients, after the eggs, or at the end with the chocolate chips. ?

    1. You didn't miss it at all, Anne...I inadvertently left it out! 😛 So sorry about that, and I really appreciate you bringing it to my attention. The pumpkin is added right after the eggs and vanilla...I just fixed the recipe! I hope these are a hit, and that your week is off to a great start! 🙂

      1. I made them today Samantha and all I can say is....AMAZING!!! The whole family loved them, just trying to get them to wait for them to cool was near impossible. I can't rate this high enough. It's so yummy, you can't stop at one. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.

        1. Oh, it makes me so happy to hear that, Anne! I'm thrilled that these bars were such a hit and I appreciate you taking the time to come back and let me know how much y'all enjoyed them. 🙂 Hope your week is off to a great start!

  5. I am hoping to make these pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal bars, but the recipe does not say when to add the pumpkin. Can you tell me? They look great!

    1. Oh my goodness, Kathy, I am so sorry about that...I was proofreading this post late one night and I completely left out the most important ingredient! Mix in the pumpkin right after the eggs, then add the flour mixture. I'm going to correct the recipe right now...thank you so much for letting me know about my error, and I hope you enjoy your pumpkin bars! 🙂

      1. Have you tried freezing these? I make them every year and always end up tossing half the batch out 🙁 because j never finish them

        1. Hi Brittany! I haven't tried freezing these, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work just fine. 🙂