Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Are you a sucker for a good pumpkin square? I am, especially if it has cream cheese frosting! Add some chocolate chips, and I’m in danger of eating the whole pan. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are my new favorite, and I can’t wait for you to give them a try!

The city I went to college in had an amazing bakery that made pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. They used wheat flour in them, and it gave them such an incredible texture. They always had a large pan of plain and another with chocolate chips. This summer when we were visiting the States, I took my son to a camp at the college, and you better believe I took a detour to the bakery before I headed out of town. The bars are still just as delicious as they ever were, and I was inspired to make sure I got a chocolate chip version of the bars up on the blog as soon as possible.

Do yourself a favor and keep these in the fridge after you make them. I don’t know why, but it makes them even more delicious! I took these to a potluck a couple of weeks ago, and they were a huge hit! Check your cupboard for a can of pumpkin and surprise your family with this delicious fall treat!

More Delicious Pumpkin Desserts

Step-by-step Photos for How to Make Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Tips for How to Make Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you like to bake with whole wheat flour, try it in this recipe.
A good gluten-free flour blend works great in this recipe.
I prefer to use mini chocolate chips in this recipe, but if you don’t have mini chips, any regular ones work great, too.
To easily frost the bars when completely cooled, put dollops of the frosting on top of the bars, and then use the back of a spoon to evenly spread the frosting on top. (See step-by-step photos above.)
If you plan on freezing the bars, I recommend waiting to frost them until you are ready to serve the bars.
Keep the bars refrigerated. They taste so yummy eaten cold.

Baker’s Tools:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

50 mins

Soft and spongy, perfectly flavored pumpkin squares speckled with chocolate chips and topped with cream cheese frosting. A combination that you will absolutely love and make again and again.

Author: Slightly adapted from my regular Pumpkin Square Recipe

Recipe type: Dessert/Fall/Pumpkin

Serves: 25

Ingredients

4 eggs
1½ cups sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour (Try it with wheat flour, if you have some.)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ (heaping) cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
FROSTING:
½ cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

BARS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13"x 18" cookie sheet. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until creamy.
Next, add all dry ingredients and mix well.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour into prepared cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING:
Place softened butter and softened cream cheese in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Use a hand mixer to cream them together.
Next, add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.
Spread evenly over completely cooled bars. (See step-by-step pictures for a tip on spreading frosting easier.)
Keep bars refrigerated.
Enjoy!