Description
Delightfully gooey Pumpkin S’mores Bars combine the warm spices of pumpkin pie with rich chocolate and fluffy marshmallows to create a perfect autumn treat. These bars feature a soft, spiced cookie base layered with marshmallow fluff and melty chocolate chips for a comforting and festive dessert that’s easy to make and sure to please any crowd.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose or gluten-free flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Add-ins
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (dairy free if desired)
- 1/2 cup marshmallow creme or fluff OR 1 cup mini marshmallows, divided
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking oil or baking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and light brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add Pumpkin and Egg: Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract, beating until just combined to keep the batter light.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, ensuring even distribution of the spices and leavening agents.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined, careful not to overmix to retain a tender texture.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Stir in the semisweet chocolate chips gently using a wooden spoon.
- Layer Batter: Spread about three-quarters of the cookie batter evenly into the prepared baking pan, reserving a quarter cup for topping.
- Add Marshmallow Layer: Spread the marshmallow creme over the cookie dough layer. If marshmallow fluff mixes slightly with the dough, that’s perfectly fine. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips over the marshmallow layer for extra gooeyness.
- Top with Remaining Batter: Spoon the reserved quarter cup of cookie dough in small chunks over the marshmallow layer, leaving some marshmallow visible to create a rustic, uneven topping.
- (Alternative) Mix Mini Marshmallows: If using mini marshmallows instead of fluff, stir them and some chocolate chips into the batter and reserve about ¼ cup of this mixture to sprinkle on top before baking.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. The bars will firm up as they cool but keep a gooey marshmallow center.
- Cool and Serve: Let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting to avoid them being too gooey and falling apart. Store leftovers in a covered container and reheat briefly in the microwave to enjoy warm gooeyness again.
Notes
- Use gluten-free flour if you want a gluten-free version.
- Dairy-free chocolate chips and marshmallow creme make this recipe friendly for those avoiding dairy.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep the bars soft and tender.
- Allow bars to cool fully before slicing to maintain clean cuts and avoid messy goo.
- Reheat bars in the microwave for a few seconds to revive the melty marshmallow texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin s'mores bars, pumpkin dessert, pumpkin bars, marshmallow bars, chocolate pumpkin dessert, fall desserts, easy pumpkin recipe
