Pumpkin Bars with Dark Chocolate Chips

Every year, we celebrate the arrival of autumn by bringing our favorite fall foods back into the regular rotation on our kitchen menu board.  Mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and winter squash begin to dominate the dinner recipes.  Pumpkin takes center stage where desserts are concerned.

As a child, I didn’t eat pumpkin very often.  I loved pumpkin pie and it was ever-present at fall family gatherings.  It was guaranteed to be part of any Thanksgiving celebration, especially if my paternal grandmother had anything to do about it.  Other than pumpkin pie, we didn’t eat many pumpkin baked goods.  Instead, our desserts tended to lean towards the chocolate end of the dessert scale.

This recipe? Well, I fell in love with the first bite. The cake is soft and springy, full of the delicious pumpkin flavor similar to pumpkin bread. Then you add chocolate to the mix and the magic happens. It’s been a favorite here at the farmhouse ever since.

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Pumpkin Bars with Dark Chocolate Chips

Jennifer from 1840 Farm

I like to mix up this cake by hand because it saves me time and the extra step of hauling the stand mixer out of the pantry. While this recipe calls for using melted butter, this delicious cake can also be made by using a mixer to cream room temperature butter with the sugar before proceeding.

Author: Jennifer from 1840 Farm

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Position an oven racks in the middle of the oven. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar, stirring to combine.  Add vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, yogurt, and egg and stir until completely smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir just until fully incorporated.  Resist the urge to over mix.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.  Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35—40 minutes, rotating the pan after the first 20 minutes.  The bars are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean with small crumbs attached.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tried this recipe?Mention @1840Farm or tag #1840FarmFood! We can’t wait to see what you make!