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Delicious dessert bars packed with fall flavor and loaded with chocolate chips. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars are soft, rich and decadent. They’re easy to make – no mixer needed! Perfect for snacks or dessert.
Are you ready for sweaters, boots, crunchy leaves, apples, cool crisp air, and all things pumpkin?? Fall is my favorite season and I wish it lasted longer.
We are getting all-things-autumn started around here with these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars! The texture is a cross between cake, blondies, and soft baked cookies.
Just like my Banana Snack Cake and Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars, my kids love these vegan Pumpkin Bars! And I’m sure you will too!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Flour ~ I like white whole wheat for these chocolate chip bars. It’s a bit heartier than all-purpose flour and is higher in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Yet, it still tastes light and fluffy.
All-purpose will work just fine in its place. You could also use regular whole wheat flour, spelt flour, oat flour, or a gluten-free flour blend.
Flax ~ Flaxmeal is what we’re using in this chocolate chip bar recipe. You can buy it ground or grind your own from whole flax seeds using a small coffee grinder.
The flax assists in holding the bars together and also provides added protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. [source]
Spices ~ Pumpkin pie spice is a delicious seasonal blend of several warm fall spices. I add extra cinnamon and nutmeg to really drive home that seasonal pumpkin flavor. Feel free to add some ground ginger or cloves, if you like.
A pinch of salt and drizzle of pure vanilla extract round it out.
Pumpkin ~Pumpkins don’t just look good on your front porch, they’re nutritious, too. These orange beauties contain fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and antioxidants.
Just make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin purée, if you’re using canned, not pumpkin pie mix.
Cashew butter ~ Cashew butter is a magical ingredient. It’s naturally sweet and really creamy. It provides the needed fat in this recipe to keep these bars moist and rich.
If your cashew butter is too thick, warm it in the microwave in 15 second intervals for about 30 to 40 seconds until it can be easily stirred with a spoon.
For a nut-free option, try Sunbutter or Wowbutter (made from soy).
Sugar ~ I love coconut sugar in these pumpkin bars. It has a slight caramel taste which pairs nicely with the fall flavors. Light brown sugar or cane sugar may be used, if needed.
Chocolate chips ~ Chocolate chips, mini chips, chocolate chunks – they all work. Use your favorite. Just make sure they’re dairy-free and vegan. There are several brands available. Our favorite are the Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips.
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
Add the flour, baking soda, spices and salt to a medium bowl (1). Whisk to thoroughly combine (2).
In a separate bowl, add the pumpkin, sugar, cashew butter, and vanilla (3). Whisk until smooth (4).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (5) and stir well to combine (6). Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Add the vegan chocolate chips (7) and fold them into the batter until distributed evenly (8).
Scoop the dough into a prepared 8 x 8 baking dish (9). Using a spatula, spread the dough out as evenly as possible (10).
Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 28 minutes, until set (11). A toothpick inserted into the center should come out fairly clean. If you hit a chocolate chip, it will be gooey from the chocolate, which is normal, but there shouldn’t be many crumbs from the batter.
Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the baking dish and cutting into squares (12).
Serve them up with a cup of coffee (with a splash of dairy-free pumpkin spice cream perhaps!) or a cold glass of almond milk.
Storage and freezing
My kids can take down an entire batch of these cookie bars in less than a day. However, if you happen to have leftovers, you have options for storing them.
Counter: These vegan pumpkin chocolate chip bars will stay fresh in an air-tight container on the counter for 3 to 4 days.
Fridge: To keep them longer, store them in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezer: You can also freeze these cookie bars. Let them cool completely before transferring them to a a freezer-safe container. Layer them in the container with pieces of parchment paper between each layer. They should keep well for up to 3 months.
Thaw: If frozen, place the container on the counter for several hours to bring back to room temperature. You can also just remove 1 or 2 bars (or as many as you want) from the container instead of taking out the whole thing.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Use 100% pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
~ I highly recommend using cashew butter as it’s naturally sweet and very creamy. However peanut butter or almond butter may be used if you prefer. Please note the flavors of the bar will be affected.
~ If the cashew butter is too thick, warm it in the microwave in 15 second intervals for about 30 seconds, until it can be stirred easily.
~ The dough should be thick like traditional cookie dough. Use a silicone spatula or your clean hands to press the dough into the pan.
~ For a nut-free option, try Wowbutter or Sunbutter instead of cashew butter.
~For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free flour blend meant to replace wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio, like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.
FAQs
Sure! Use a gluten-free flour blend meant to replace wheat flour at a 1:1 ratio.
Nope. They will stay fresh on the counter in an air-tight container for 3 to 4 days. If you need to store them longer, than yes, you’ll need to refrigerate them.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour spelt flour or all-purpose would also work
- ½ cup ground flaxmeal
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 1 cup pure pumpkin purée
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup cashew butter
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment, letting the ends overhang to use as “handles” later.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, flax, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, coconut sugar, cashew butter, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the dry into the wet and stir to combine.
- Add the chocolate chips and stir to incorporate. The mixture will be thick like traditional cookie dough.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Pro tip: slightly dampen your hands so the batter doesn’t stick to your hands.
- Bake for 25 to 28 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack until cool to the touch. Using the parchment “handles” lift the whole thing out of the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
The full recipe makes 16 square bars. Nutrition facts are calculated per bar.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Gracie says
Jenn, I would love to make these, however, I need to know a good substitute for the flaxmeal? (does not agree with a family member). Thank you.
Jenn Sebestyen says
If you want a similar nutritional profile, you can use ground up chia seeds. Grind whole chia seeds them in a small coffee grinder. Or you can just replace with extra flour. Let me know how they turn out!
Denise says
Love this recipe! I notice a lot of plant based food bloggers have this same dessert dish/sweet treat of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars, or a variation of it… but you’re one of the very few that include the yummy cookie-dough-like-flavors of Cashew Butter in the ingredients! I love Cashew Butter… although more expensive, I think it’s definitely the perfect compliment to blondies.
I would love to know what your top rated (or top commented and/or requested recipes are on your blog.
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Denise! Cashew butter is expensive, but it’s such a great ingredient. Definitely worth the splurge from time to time. Check out my Meet Jenn page for reader favorites! https://www.veggieinspired.com/about/
Ginny McMeans says
These pumpkin bars are perfect! They look so soft with those little bites of chocolate every once in a while sounds delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Ginny! Life is nothing without chocolate! 🙂
Mary says
I’m glad fall is here! So much pumpkin goodness!
Jenn S. says
Me too, Mary! Love this time of year!
Jill says
I love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate together. I’ll have to try this recipe since it’s much healthier than the (non vegan) pumpkin chocolate chip bread I usually make!
Jenn S. says
HaHa, Thanks, Jill! Pumpkin and chocolate were meant for each other!
Tisha says
Adding chocolate chips to pumpkin is a genius idea!
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Tisha! They are a match made in heaven!
Ellen says
I just love pumpkin season! This treat looks delicious and I love that you included chocolate.
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Ellen. Fall treats are the best!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
These look like the perfect Fall snack – we are loving using pumpkin in recipes right now. My kids would love these.
Jenn S. says
I vote for pumpkin all year round! So good! Thanks, Bintu!