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Cozy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

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These cozy pumpkin chocolate chip bars with cream cheese swirl are soft, cake-like, and swirled with a tangy cream cheese ribbon. Perfect for fall baking, they come together in about 15 minutes and are a crowd-pleasing treat for chilly evenings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

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. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.
  5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed or folding with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Gently fold in chocolate chips, reserving about 2 tablespoons for topping.
  7. Pour pumpkin batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
  8. In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar until smooth. Add egg yolk and ½ teaspoon vanilla, beat until creamy.
  9. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin batter. Use a butter knife or toothpick to gently swirl in figure-eight motions. Do not over-swirl.
  10. Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips on top.
  11. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center (in a pumpkin batter area) comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  12. Cool in pan for at least 30 minutes, then lift out using parchment and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are key for a smooth cream cheese swirl. Do not overmix the batter to avoid dense bars. Let bars cool completely before cutting to prevent the cream cheese swirl from smearing. Bars taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

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

Find it online: https://eliplate.com/cozy-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bars-with-cream-cheese-swirl/