In case you’ve been living under a rock the past few weeks, you’re aware that pumpkin is all the rage right now. There are pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin cake, pumpkin smoothies, even pumpkin in chili! It is complete madness, I’m telling ya!
I couldn’t pass up jumping on the pumpkin-loving wagon, and so far I’ve made pumpkin snickerdoodles (yum!), pumpkin streusel bread (heavenly!), and now these pumpkin chocolate chips bars. With a cream cheese glaze. Oh yes I did. This dessert is by far my favorite pumpkin creation yet this fall. The bars are dense, moist, and studded with dark chocolate chips. Of course, the cream cheese glaze just puts them over the top. I mean, can you really ever go wrong with a cream cheese glaze? I think not. 
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Glaze
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
Description
Dense and moist pumpkin bars studded with dark chocolate chips and topped with a luscious cream cheese glaze.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with foil, covering the bottom and sides of the pan. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir in the dark chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the bars are baking, prepare the cream cheese glaze. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until combined. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.
- Once the bars are done baking, let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the cooled bars before slicing and serving.
Notes
Store these bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can substitute milk chocolate chips for dark chocolate chips if preferred. Ensure the bars are completely cool before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 35
