Chocolate chip pumpkin bars – moist, chewy vegan pumpkin spice cake blondies bursting with chocolate chips all while being dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free.
The secret to making moist and delicious pumpkin bars is combining brown sugar and vegan butter for ultimate richness and flavor. I like to under bake my pumpkin blondie bars for a chewy cookie-like texture.
They win all the categories: fluffy and moist; bursting with chocolate; easy to make; ingredient list is short; and you can easily add in your favorite nuts or chocolate.
Amazing, right?!
I found inspiration from my favorite pumpkin recipe: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and decided to adapt the recipe and make these easy pumpkin blondies!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- all purpose gluten free baking flour – I like to use measure for measure or 1:1 from brands like King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill.
- vegan butter – I prefer to use vegan butter over coconut oil because it provides a richer flavor. Brands like Earth Balance provide vegan butter in stick form which is helpful when measuring.
- pumpkin puree – I used canned 100% pumpkin but you can make your own if you prefer.
- organic light brown sugar – you can sub coconut sugar here if you prefer
- flax egg – stirring together flax meal and water will create a “flax egg” and that will help to bind the ingredients together
- pumpkin pie spice, salt and vanilla extract – these are flavor enhancers, don’t skip these 😉
- baking soda – a leavening agent to help strengthen the structure of the pumpkin bar
- chocolate chips – feel free to use any vegan chocolate you like from chips to chopped dark chocolate.
Let’s make the best pumpkin blondies you will ever have!
How to Make Recipe Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
- Start by preparing your pan. I used an 8×8 inch pan and lined with parchment paper. You can use non-stick spray if you don’t have parchment paper on hand. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
- Next, stir together the flax meal and water and set it aside to gel for 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar using a hand held mixer or stand alone mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the pumpkin puree, flax egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until well blended and no spots remain. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a handful for topping.
- Transfer the batter to the pan and spread it out in an even layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake the pumpkin bars for 18-22 minutes and golden brown.
- Let them cool in the pan completely before removing and cutting into squares and serving.
Common questions about pumpkin blondies
Yes, once the bars have cooled completely, place them in an airtight and freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Yes, making your own pumpkin puree is super easy and you can substitute your own pumpkin for the canned in this pumpkin bar recipe.
During the holiday season it can be a bit more difficult to find canned pumpkin puree but I usually find it in the baking isle of large grocery stores.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
Equipment
- hand mixer or stand alone mixer
- 8×8" baking pan
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp flax meal
- ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp organic light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree canned or homemade
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup gluten free baking flour measure for measure
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare a 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or non-stick spray.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flax meal and water and then set it aside to gel for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat together the vegan butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the pumpkin, vanilla and flax meal and mix until well combined.
- Next, add in the flour, spice, baking soda and salt and stir until no dry spots remain. Fold in the chocolate chips reserving a handful for topping. Transfer the batter the prepared pan and spread it out in an even layer. Top with remaining chocolate.
- Bake the pumpkin bars for 18-22 minutes and golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting into 16 squares and serving.
