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You guys, I am sorry.
Sorry for posting a pumpkin recipe on September 10th.
I truly had every intention of waiting. To wait until at least the first day of fall, September 22. I wanted to live out every last bit of summer and flood your brains with apple recipes.
But then I opened a can of pumpkin. Which I have been stockpiling all year. I have a total of eighteen cans of pumpkin delivered to me from Amazon. It’s kind of an awesome thing.
It was all down hill from there. Pumpkin is one of my favorites and once the can was opened (so to speak) it is almost impossible for me to resist!
I haven’t gotten to the point where pumpkin has taken over my kitchen, but believe me it will be coming.
Besides, there is no room in the kitchen for pumpkin right now because lately I have been going apple crazy. It’s insane…..
And also very delicious.
But back to these cookies.
They just happened. If there is one dessert I am asked to make over and over and over again it’s chocolate chip cookies. I know, I mean I have made so many desserts and yet everyone still favors chocolate chip cookies?!? It’s crazy, but they do. So finally over the weekend I just gave in. Except just as I was grabbing the flour for the cookies, those orange cans of pumpkin caught the corner of my eye.
Oh yeah, I did not even need to think another millisecond about it.
It. Was. Happening.
I was going to trick them all.
And I did…
Until little Asher decided to blurt out that we added pumpkin and the boys basically spit out their cookies right then and there. Cookies that not two minutes earlier they had said were awesome. I mean seriously? Such losers.
The rest of us agree, the cookies are incredible and so doughy. Almost cookie dough, but not, it’s awesome. My goal was to not have a cakey cookie. I hate cakey cookies, which is why I went for a cookie bar. They are much easier to keep doughy and not cakey. . The key to these is to not over bake, if they get even the slightest bit over baked you’ll get some cakeiness.
The best part about these is that they are truly a trickster cookie. You will fool everyone that tucked into these tasty little tidbits are a totally healthy fruit (yes pumpkins are a fruit). That is as long as you guys don’t have a little blabber-mouth on your hands!
Plus, not only do they taste awesome (just like you favorite cookies), but by adding the pumpkin you can cut down on the sugar. Couple that with the whole wheat pastry flour and you get a much healthier version of the traditional chocolate chip cookie. Which is always a win for everyone!
Unless of course, you are teenage boys who could care less about whether food is healthy or not – sneak it in!
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups + 1/8 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2 sticks
- 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, increase to 1/2 cup for a sweeter cookie bar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, increase to 1 cup for a sweeter cookie bar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, less or more depending on your taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan or line with parchment paper.
- Combine the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy, about 3 to five minutes. Add in the pumpkin, beat well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Gradually beat in the flour mixture and the 2 teaspoons of water. Stir in 2 cups of chocolate chips and then ad more to your liking.
- Spread the dough out into the prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, just until set in the center. Don't over-bake because bars will firm up as they cool, if anything undercook. If the cookies get too cooked they will become cakey. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Let the fall baking begin!
Oh and if you’re looking to find out a little more about me head on over to Rachel Cooks and check out my Day in the Life Interview!
Those look scrumptious! I love this time of year with all the pumpkin recipes 🙂
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Thank you!! This time of year and all pumpkin pumpkin recipes are the best!
This is another TOTALLY amazing healthy recipe! LOVE it!
Thanks Sophia!
It’s never too early for pumpkin! And these look perfect for packing in a school lunch.
Oh they are!! Thanks Becky!
It’s pumpkin fever these days… and I love it! These bars look incredible, T!
I know, right?!? Thanks Ashley!
Don’t be sorry for a second, these look delicious! Bring on the pumpkin season!!
Thanks Kelley! I could not be more excited!
Don’t be sorry!!! I’m SOOO ready for pumpkin. I have a feeling I’m gonna go pumpkin crazy this year…starting with these!
Thanks Steph! Nothing wrong with pumpkin crazy!
Ok, seriously. I am so freaking jealous of your pumpkin stock pile. We have about 4 cans total from people who have sent us care packages. Trying to use them wisely 😉
Oh man, only 4! Yikes, that would last me only 4 days! LOL!
Thanks Sophie! Hope you use those can in the best way possible!
I like the sound of the pumpkin n these and just look at all of those chocolate chips!
Thanks Kevin! Gotta load up on the chocolate chips!
Tieghan what in the world do you do with all this food?! I’d be 500lbs if I lived in your house… not that I’d complain or anything 😉
Gorgeous pics as always, and bc this recipe looks sooooo good, I’ll forgive you for the early pumpkin-ness lol
LOL! I have a big family with lost of friends! It all gets eaten and then some!
Thanks Christine!
It’s never too early for pumpkin! These look awesome – pinning!
Thanks Eva!
These looks so good! And I’m not even a (gasp!) fan of pumpkin. But I can imagine it makes these cookies a billion times more moist and chewy.
Yup, you would be right! To be honest there is truly no pumpkin flavor in these at all, which is what I was going for!
Thanks Ruthy!
Chewy pumpkin cookies for the win. These are awesome!!
Thank you for the fabulous recipe. Pinned! 🙂
Thanks Abbie!
First, I’m glad I’m not the only one stockpiling pumpkin! There was that shortage a few years ago…anyway, I love bar cookies and pumpkin, so I’m definitely pinning and trying this! Thank you for sharing, even in September!
Christy @ Creating a Beautiful Life
Thanks Christy!
Tieghan, your post has me re-evaluating pumpkin recipes in September. I was really thinking it should be reserved for apples and pumpkin for October. But, when there’s an itch…you’ve gotta scratch it! These pumpkin chocolate chip cookie bars look phenomenally good! Perfectly ooey-gooey and not cakey. Thanks for sharing, girl. Pinning!
Awe, thank you so much!! You are so sweet, Stacey!! Thanks for the pinterest love too! Oh and trust me, I have lots of apple recipes coming!
Pinned! They look incredible. And chewy, not cakey, the way pumpkin can tend to make things. Not a fan so much when bars get cakey. Or cakey cookies. I love that you kept the chew factor. And pumpkin on 9/10 – well, my first pumpkin recipe of the season is today too!
Thanks Averie! Your vegan chocolate chip pumpkin muffins are killer….as always! Yay for pumpkin season!