Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

This recipe will be a staple in my house this fall. You can’t go wrong with pumpkin and chocolate together and these bars are dotted with chocolate chips. The pumpkin bars are soft, moist and have a cake-y texture. They are perfect for dessert or snack time. If you like pumpkin, I bet you will be making this pumpkin chocolate bar recipe over and over this fall.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
Makes 24 bars

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add pumpkin puree and mix well. The mixture will look somewhat curdled. Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake bars for 35-40 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.

Cool bars completely in pan. Cut into squares and serve.