Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
Not going to lie, fall is my favorite season of them all! Football is on the T.V.’s, good beer comes out to play, and there is a chill in the air. You know what that means?? That means I get to wear sweatshirts and jackets to cover up my fluff from all of the tailgating being done! All tailgates and couchgates need a good, quality dessert and when fall comes around, you have to put pumpkin into EVERYTHING! (If you don’t like Pumpkin, check out my Apple Pie Dip!) Pumpkin Beer, Pumpkin Chili, and Pumpkin Spice Latte’s (#PSL4LIFE). Most of all, though, you NEED to put a whole bunch of Chocolate Chips in with some Pumpkin and make these killer Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars!
“When it comes to Fall, I am the most basic White B***H! I LOVE PSL’s (Pumpkin Spice Latte’s) and IPA’s…and, also acronyms.”
Dean Micheal Johnson, 2019
Pumpkin At Its Simplest And Most Deliciousness
The really awesome thing about these bars is how chocolatey and moist they are! (Sorry for those that don’t like that word…Never mind, not actually sorry.) Not only that, but they are extremely well balanced! I don’t personally like overly sweet desserts because they become one single flavor with no break from the sweet. The cake itself is perfectly Pumpkin-y and is the sweet to the dessert. The frosting, oh the frosting, is the punch of sour, some sweet, and a little salt that takes this dessert to a whole new level! Like the heading says, simplicity is the key to the frosting! There are only 5 ingredients and in all honesty, you could easily get away with 3 if you really wanted! It is weird…I never thought I would enjoy baking as much I have lately!
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
For Bars:
- 2 1/3 c. AP Flour
- 1 tbsp. Pumpkin Spice
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 3/4 c. Sugar
- 3/4 c. Brown Sugar
- 1/2 c. Butter (melted)
- 1/2 c. Applesauce (unsweet)
- 1 Egg (large)
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 15 oz. Pumpkin Puree
- 2 c. Chocolate Chips (semi-sweet)
For Frosting:
- 16 oz. Whipped Cream Cheese
- 2/3 c. Pecan Pieces
- 1 tbsp. Pumpkin Spice
- 2/3 c. Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 9×13 in. pan with cooking spray/butter.
- Add all dry ingredients (Flour, Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon, Baking Soda, Salt, Sugar, and Brown Sugar) into mixing bowl. Mix until evenly incorporated and set aside.
- Add wet ingredients (Butter, Applesauce, Egg, Vanilla Extract, and Pumpkin Puree) to separate bowl. Mix until evenly incorporated.
- Mix dry ingredients in wet ingredients slowly until entire mixture is incorporated. Fold in Chocolate Chips.
- Spread mixture evenly into pan. Bake for 35 min. Insert toothpick into center. If clean, bars are done.
- As bars are baking, add all ingredients for Frosting into mixing bowl. Stir until evenly incorporated. Set aside.
- Pull bars out and let cool. Spread Frosting on bars.
- Cut bars and hope you don’t eat all of them.
Notes
Use Unsweetened Apple Sauce to make sure dessert doesn’t get too sweet.
DO NOT USE Pumpkin Pie mix. Use the puree. The texture will not be right with the Pie mixture.
