Fasten your seat belts, pumpkin season has arrived here in Salem, Massachusetts.
With the Autumn Equinox in a day or so, and October 1st creeping up next week, I’m super excited to kick off Halloween properly with these yummy cookie bars.
They’re ridiculously easy to make.
I brought this batch into the office, and they disappeared in a flash, with many compliments.
(Thanks, guys!)
These cookie bars have a rich pumpkin flavor, and are studded with chocolate chips and bits of sweet toffee.
I use regular old canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling).
Serving ideas
Cut them as big or as small as you like.
They would be great served warm with a big scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.
If you’re a pumpkin nut, whip up a batch of our favorite Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream and double up on the pumpkin!
That’s this stuff here:
Or you know, you can just roll like we do, and inhale them standing in the kitchen as soon as they’re cool enough to slice.
Alrighty, to the ovens!
Chocolate Pumpkin Toffee Bars
1 cup butter (that’s 2 sticks in the US)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground clove
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup toffee chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Do a little prep
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the batter
Throw the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl if you’re mixing by hand).
Beat until fluffy and uniform.
Toss in the pumpkin. Beat until uniform.
(Remember, you want 100% pure pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling, which has a ton of extra stuff added to it.)
Add the salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and flour, then beat until just uniform.
Toss in the chocolate chips, toffee chips, and walnuts.
Beat until just incorporated.
Spread the batter out on your prepared pan.
Get it as even as you can, but don’t make yourself nuts. 😉
Bake the blondies
Pop the pan into your preheated 350-degree F oven.
Bake for 30-35Â minutes, until the top is nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
When it’s done, remove the pan from the oven and set it on a rack to cool.
Serve, inhale, enjoy!
When they’re cool, slice and serve!
Stay tuned for more Halloween treats!
Stay tuned all next month for more pumpkin recipes, plus our annual Halloween photo extravaganza!
Want to get in the spooky spirit?
Take a peek at last year’s post for a taste of what it’s like here in Witch City on All Hallow’s Eve.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
The Hungry Mouse
Yields About 2 dozen bars
These cookie bars have a rich pumpkin flavor, and are studded with chocolate chips and bits of sweet toffee.
Save RecipeIngredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Throw the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter in the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl if you’re mixing by hand). Beat until fluffy and uniform.
- Toss in the pumpkin. Beat until uniform.
- Add the salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and flour, then beat until just uniform.
- Toss in the chocolate chips, toffee chips, and walnuts. Beat until just incorporated.
- Spread the batter out on your prepared pan.
- Pop the pan into your preheated 350-degree F oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
- When it’s done, remove the pan from the oven and set it on a rack to cool.
- When they’re cool, slice and serve! Enjoy!
