I really can not let the Fall season pass without sharing one last pumpkin recipe with you! I think I saved the best for last this year…introducing Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars! Most pumpkin cookies have a ‘cakey’ texture but these bars are rich and chewy like the center of a perfectly baked chocolate chip cookie! As you can see in the picture they still have a wonderful crispy top, too!
How are these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars so perfectly Chewy
You may find it strange that there are no eggs in this recipe, but don’t worry this is NOT a typo. Leaving the eggs out, helps to counteract the added moisture from the pumpkin puree, avoiding a cake like finished product. Another key is browning the butter, removing water while also providing the dough with incredibly rich flavor. I am a BIG fan of the nutty notes of browned butter! Sooo good. Remember these Browned Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (yum).
Last, baking the bars at a low temperature keeps the edges soft, resulting in bars with a wonderful chewy cookie texture, a fabulous pumpkin spice flavor and lots of little puddles of melty chocolate throughout. These are divine! I think they would be a wonderful treat anytime of the year and would definitely be a great addition to your holiday baking this year!
If you need a quick pumpkin pie spice recipe go here. It is very simple to make.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Description
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars have a chewy texture, a fabulous pumpkin spice flavor and lots of melty chocolate throughout. These are divine!
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips of choice (I like semi sweet in this recipe)
Instructions
- First brown the butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat stirring constantly until the butter foams and darkens into a light amber color. It should be fragrant and caramelized. This takes about 10 minutes. Stir continually to keep the milk solids from burning.There are only a few seconds between brown butter and burnt butter, so keep your eye on the stove the entire time. Once some foam begins to dissolve and you notice the specks on the bottom of the pan have browned, immediately remove the pan from heat and pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. Let cool for 20 minutes until warm but no longer hot.
- While the butter cools, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter and line with parchment paper that hangs over the sides. This helps to easily remove the bars to cut after baking.
- Take the bowl of cooled browned butter and add the brown sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and glossy. Then using a spatula carefully stir in the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Be careful not to overmix the dough. Just mix until a soft dough forms and there are no pockets of flour. Add the majority of the chocolate chips (keeping back about a 1/4 cup) and stir to evenly distribute throughout the dough.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press into an even layer using the spatula or clean hands coated with cooking spray or butter. Sprinkle top with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, pressing them in so they stick to the dough.
- Bake 30-45 minutes until the bars are puffed and the top is lightly browned. If you stick a toothpick or knife into the center it should come out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached or with smudges of melted chocolate.
- Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least an hour. Using the parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into 24 squares. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They freeze well (which is how I always store the extras).
Notes
*See this post for pumpkin pie spice recipe
Recipe Source: Adapted from New York Times
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