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The Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

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These pumpkin chocolate chip bars with cream cheese swirl are soft, cake-like, and packed with warm spices, melted chocolate, and a tangy cream cheese ribbon. They’re the perfect fall treat, easy to make with simple ingredients, and guaranteed to disappear fast at any gathering.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 cup (175g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for cream cheese swirl)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese swirl)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. Make the cream cheese swirl: In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar, egg yolk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla until smooth and creamy. Set aside at room temperature.
  3. Whisk dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, then vanilla and pumpkin puree until smooth.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined (a few lumps are okay). Do not overmix.
  6. Fold in chocolate chips: Gently fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
  7. Assemble in pan: Pour batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
  8. Add cream cheese swirl: Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over batter (8-10 dollops). Use a knife or toothpick to gently swirl into batter with a few figure-eight motions.
  9. Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are set and lightly golden, and a toothpick inserted in center (avoiding chocolate chips) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  10. Cool completely: Let bars cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Use parchment paper to lift slab out, transfer to cutting board, and slice into 12-16 bars.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid tough bars. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Parchment paper is essential for easy removal. Let bars cool completely before cutting to allow the cream cheese swirl to set. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For dairy-free, use vegan butter and plant-based cream cheese. Bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bars, chocolate chip, cream cheese swirl, fall dessert, pumpkin recipe, easy bars

Find it online: https://spoonmira.com/the-best-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bars-with-cream-cheese-swirl/