These healthy pumpkin bars with chocolate chips are made with whole wheat pastry flour and less oil than traditional pumpkin bars! You’ll love the combo of pumpkin and chocolate.
Everywhere you look there’s something pumpkin flavored this time of year. I’m a pumpkin lover so this works in my favor. Naturally I take advantage of the season by indulging in all things pumpkin and last night I came up with another favorite recipe to add to my collection – pumpkin bars with chocolate chunks!
If you only make one pumpkin flavored thing this fall, these chocolate chip pumpkin bars should definitely be it. They’re like pumpkin bread, but in bar form. They have the perfect amount of spice and the dark chocolate adds a rich sweetness to each bite.
Seriously, they are so good! I literally couldn’t keep my hands off them and ate one with every meal on Friday, including breakfast. Luckily I took most of them to Isaac’s parents’ house for dessert on Friday night so they won’t be sitting around tempting me anymore.
Although indulging in these bars isn’t so bad because they really are healthy pumpkin bars!
Not only is pumpkin high in fiber and vitamins but I only used one Tablespoon of oil and substituted natural apple sauce and plain Greek yogurt for the rest of the fat. I also used whole wheat pastry flour instead of white flour and dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Gotta love getting your antioxidants in the form of dark chocolate!
Ingredients in Healthy Pumpkin Bars
whole wheat pastry flour
pumpkin pie spice
coconut sugar – or brown sugar works too
unsweetened applesauce
Greek yogurt
coconut oil
egg whites
pumpkin puree – make sure you pick up canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling
dark chocolate chips
Why Use Whole Wheat Pastry Flour?
Whole wheat pastry flour is ground more finely than regular whole wheat flour so it makes lighter baked goods. If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour at your local grocery store you can simply use all-purpose flour or a blend of 1 cup of whole wheat and 1 cup of all-purpose. It might change the consistency of the bars a little bit, but I think it should work fine.
Pumpkin Bar Recipe
Start by mixing your dry ingredients together: the whole wheat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl, mix your wet ingredients: applesauce, yogurt, coconut oil, egg whites, vanilla and coconut sugar. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Slowly add the flour mix to the wet ingredients and mix well until everything is combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour dough into a greased baking dish and top with additional chocolate chips. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Be patient and let the bars cool completely then cut and enjoy!
Love this recipe? Try some of my other healthy pumpkin recipes too!
If you try this healthy pumpkin bar recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how it turns out! Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
These healthy pumpkin bars with chocolate chips are made with whole wheat pastry flour and less oil than traditional pumpkin bars! You’ll love the combo of pumpkin and chocolate.
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips + more for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray 13 x 9 pan with non-stick spray.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix sugar, applesauce, yogurt, oil, egg whites, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in pumpkin.
Slowly pour flour mix into the wet ingredients and mix well until everything is combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour dough evenly into the greased pan and top with additional chocolate chips.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck into the middle of the bars.
I loved these! I made a bunch of adjustments based on what was available in my house.
1. I used regular whole wheat flour (instead of whole wheat pastry flour) 2. I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice, so I used cinnamon and nutmeg. I used a total of 1 tablespoon (as the recipe called for), but in the future I would likely use more. It needed a little more spice, so I sprinkled cinnamon on top when it was done. 3. I only used ~1/4 of a cup of brown sugar (even less than that maybe) 4. I used sweetened applesauce that was chunky (was worried about this, but it was great!) 5. I used vanilla greek yogurt (not plain) and I used closer to 1/2 a cup 6. I didn’t have coconut oil, so I used regular canola oil 7. I used 1 whole egg (not 2 egg whites) 8. I used an entire can of pumpkin (was probably closer to 2 cups total) 9. I used a mix of white, milk, and dark chocolate chips
It turned out great despite all of these changes 🙂 I made it maybe an hour ago, and it’s 1/2 eaten! What a great recipe- thanks for posting!
Thanks for sharing your adjustments, Emily!! It’s super helpful. I’m glad these bars still turned out for you and you enjoyed them. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Wow! This is so so good and easy to make. I used whole wheat flour and all purpose gluten free flour, both sifted. I also used a little extra applesauce and didn’t use the oil. I made it into a Bundt cake and I have to tell you, it’s amazing! Will be making this again and again!
Ahh I love that you turned these into a bundt cake!! So glad it turned out for you. 🙂 Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me!
I love your recipes. I find I can make quite a few of them while still following Medical Medium protocols. I can make flax eggs to substitute the eggs and use a gluten free all purpose flour blend. I read in the comments that canola oil can be subbed for Greek yogurt, but that is a “no food” as well. Would olive oil or coconut oil work? Thank you
Hey Lisa – Oh yes, that comment should have been coconut oil since canola oil isn’t in the recipe 🙂 Sorry about that! But, yes you can probably just use coconut oil to replace the yogurt. Let me know how these bars turn out if you try them!
Hey Joelle – Egg whites are a way to lower the calories, while still keeping the protein. You can always use regular eggs instead of egg whites if you prefer. 🙂
Hi 👋🏻 this is a wonderful recipe that also worked for me as mini muffins which I baked at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and they rose beautifully!! I also made the following modifications: used whole wheat flour (didn’t have pastry flour), used 2 whole eggs, not just egg whites (no idea what to do with leftover egg yolks, lol), added 1 teaspoon cinnamon (love!!) and 1 mashed ripe banana. Delicious and beautiful! Hope my toddler likes them so I can take to her school’s Thanksgiving luncheon! THANKS for all your amazing recipe, Brittany! 🙂 Blessings to you and your family!!
Hi Susie, I am so happy to hear that this recipe worked as muffins! I really appreciate you coming back to leave a comment and star rating, it means the world to me. <3
A great recipe for potlucks – made this tonight and it was a winner all-around! Didn’t have pastry flour so did have to sub with 2/3 all purpose with 1/3 cake.
Hi Susie, You could use mashed bananas or an additional 1/4 cup of yogurt or coconut oil to replace the applesauce. Let me know how these bars turn out if you try them!
I just made these and they are yummy! I added 1/2 tsp. cinnamon & nutmeg to add more spicey flavor. I also used fresh pumpkin and mini chocolate chips. Can’t wait to serve it at Thanksgiving (if we don’t eat it all before!)
Hi Brittany, can raw sugar be used in place of sucanat? I’m not familiar with sucanat and I’m new to baking with raw sugar. The brand I have is Sugar In The Raw. Thanks! Love your blog 🙂 Susan
I made these this morning as a bit of a cheeky decadent post-Easter brunch, and they turned out beautifully! Made them in two 7x15cm cake tins, as I didn’t have the larger 13×9 inch pan, thinking I’d have plenty left over for snacks/breakfasts on the go for the coming week, but it was so well received I’ve got one slice left… and I don’t see it lasting long.
I made these as muffins- divine! Made half without chocolate and used craisins instead- hubby doesn’t like chocolate! He loved them and my kids loved thecones with the chocolate!!! Delish!!!!!
I just got done making these. I couldn’t even wait for them to cool all the way before I took a small bite. These are uh-mazing!!! Thanks for this recipe!
Thank you for posting this recipe. I have such a sweet tooth but am disappointed with most of the low calorie sweets I make. I love that these use all “real” ingredients. I made them but halved the recipe and used organic dark chocolate chips and they were delicious. I just ate one with a little true whip and cinnamon on top with my afternoon coffee and was very pleased that for only 130 calories these were so good. I also appreciate you calculating the calories correctly. So often I make something and then figure out after eating them that the calorie count was way off. However, I figured these for 9 nine servings after halving the ingredients and they were exactly 130 calories each. Definitely a keeper!
these look delicious! Thank you so much for posting this i cant wait to try it:) I love all things pumpkin and throw in chocolate I may just die! if you get a chance, check out my site at http://www.jessieannjames.com/?page_id=12 Im kinda new at this so id love your thought!
This looks incredible! Definitely going to have to try out the recipe – that Ghirardelli sea salt makes my mouth water just looking at it. 😉 Congrats on the Fit Stop feature in addition to your SHAPE nomination. I can’t tell you how happy I was to read/see both of them. You are an amazing blogger!
These are in the oven as we speak! I am anxiously anticipating these treats, which combine some of my favorite flavors:) What a way to cap off a weekend of visiting the pumpkin patch and the orchard.
Congragulations, Brittany! Best of luck on the award. 😉 Those pumpkin bars look amazing! If I vegani-ize them, do you want me to let you know? I want to eat them! 🙂
Yes, please do let me know if you end up making a vegan version – it shouldn’t be too difficult. Just use a replacement for the egg whites, like a flax egg and coconut or soy based yogurt. 🙂
These look delicious! I made a pumpkin oat/ chocolate bar last week and they disappeared in a matter of days. I’m convinced anything you put the sea salt soiree in has got to be good 😉
I am very excited to try Pumpkin Spice! I am an Aussie living in London and not one, but two of my friends have just visited the local Canadian store in Covent Garden to pick me up some pumpkin spice. YAY!
I’m all about pumpkin this weekend, I’ve made cookies, muffins, salad, a smoothie and oats! These look amazing though I will have to give them a go…maybe next weekend though! 🙂
It’s a just a bit of a pain since we can’t get canned pumpkin here, I’ve made my way through one large pumpkin in a weekend, I’m at risk of turning in to a pumpkin!
I was thinking that this would be good as gluten free. I will probably try it with a rice or bean flour and quinoa flour mix and maybe reduce the sugar. The strong flavours of the pumpkin and the chocolate should be very good.
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I loved these! I made a bunch of adjustments based on what was available in my house.
1. I used regular whole wheat flour (instead of whole wheat pastry flour)
2. I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice, so I used cinnamon and nutmeg. I used a total of 1 tablespoon (as the recipe called for), but in the future I would likely use more. It needed a little more spice, so I sprinkled cinnamon on top when it was done.
3. I only used ~1/4 of a cup of brown sugar (even less than that maybe)
4. I used sweetened applesauce that was chunky (was worried about this, but it was great!)
5. I used vanilla greek yogurt (not plain) and I used closer to 1/2 a cup
6. I didn’t have coconut oil, so I used regular canola oil
7. I used 1 whole egg (not 2 egg whites)
8. I used an entire can of pumpkin (was probably closer to 2 cups total)
9. I used a mix of white, milk, and dark chocolate chips
It turned out great despite all of these changes 🙂 I made it maybe an hour ago, and it’s 1/2 eaten! What a great recipe- thanks for posting!
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing your adjustments, Emily!! It’s super helpful. I’m glad these bars still turned out for you and you enjoyed them. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Wow! This is so so good and easy to make. I used whole wheat flour and all purpose gluten free flour, both sifted. I also used a little extra applesauce and didn’t use the oil. I made it into a Bundt cake and I have to tell you, it’s amazing! Will be making this again and again!
★★★★★
Ahh I love that you turned these into a bundt cake!! So glad it turned out for you. 🙂 Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me!
Hi,
I love your recipes. I find I can make quite a few of them while still following Medical Medium protocols. I can make flax eggs to substitute the eggs and use a gluten free all purpose flour blend. I read in the comments that canola oil can be subbed for Greek yogurt, but that is a “no food” as well. Would olive oil or coconut oil work?
Thank you
Hey Lisa – Oh yes, that comment should have been coconut oil since canola oil isn’t in the recipe 🙂 Sorry about that! But, yes you can probably just use coconut oil to replace the yogurt. Let me know how these bars turn out if you try them!
God made the egg with the yolk. Why omit it?
Hey Joelle – Egg whites are a way to lower the calories, while still keeping the protein. You can always use regular eggs instead of egg whites if you prefer. 🙂
Hi 👋🏻 this is a wonderful recipe that also worked for me as mini muffins which I baked at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and they rose beautifully!! I also made the following modifications: used whole wheat flour (didn’t have pastry flour), used 2 whole eggs, not just egg whites (no idea what to do with leftover egg yolks, lol), added 1 teaspoon cinnamon (love!!) and 1 mashed ripe banana. Delicious and beautiful! Hope my toddler likes them so I can take to her school’s Thanksgiving luncheon! THANKS for all your amazing recipe, Brittany! 🙂 Blessings to you and your family!!
★★★★★
Hi Susie, I am so happy to hear that this recipe worked as muffins! I really appreciate you coming back to leave a comment and star rating, it means the world to me. <3
A great recipe for potlucks – made this tonight and it was a winner all-around! Didn’t have pastry flour so did have to sub with 2/3 all purpose with 1/3 cake.
★★★★★
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit. Thank you for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me! <3
Hi, what could you use to substitute the apple sauce? I just don’t have any. Thanks! Love your recipes and blog!!!
Hi Susie, You could use mashed bananas or an additional 1/4 cup of yogurt or coconut oil to replace the applesauce. Let me know how these bars turn out if you try them!
Made these last night and loved them! The texture is fantastic and even my very picky husband enjoyed them! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Hey Kacee! So happy to hear that! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating – your feedback means the world to me!
I just made these and they are yummy! I added 1/2 tsp. cinnamon & nutmeg to add more spicey flavor. I also used fresh pumpkin and mini chocolate chips. Can’t wait to serve it at Thanksgiving (if we don’t eat it all before!)
Hi there, I read your blogs on a regular basis. Your story-telling
style is awesome, keep up the good work!
Hi Brittany, can raw sugar be used in place of sucanat? I’m not familiar with sucanat and I’m new to baking with raw sugar. The brand I have is Sugar In The Raw.
Thanks! Love your blog 🙂
Susan
Thanks Susan. Sugar in the raw will work. Sucanat is whole cane sugar that has a molasses flavor to it. Here’s more info about it – http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Wholesome_Sweeteners/Fair_Trade_Certified_Organic_Sucanat.html
I made these this morning as a bit of a cheeky decadent post-Easter brunch, and they turned out beautifully! Made them in two 7x15cm cake tins, as I didn’t have the larger 13×9 inch pan, thinking I’d have plenty left over for snacks/breakfasts on the go for the coming week, but it was so well received I’ve got one slice left… and I don’t see it lasting long.
Thanks for an awesome recipe Brit <3 A new fave!
So glad you liked these bars – they’re one of my favorites. And thank you for coming back to leave a comment. I really appreciate it.
I made these as muffins- divine! Made half without chocolate and used craisins instead- hubby doesn’t like chocolate! He loved them and my kids loved thecones with the chocolate!!! Delish!!!!!
Hi Mel. I’m so glad they turned out well as muffins!!
I made these last night for snacks for the week. They are WONDERFUL! Thanks!
So glad you liked the pumpkin bar Kim! Thank you for coming back and leaving a comment to let me know! 🙂
I just got done making these. I couldn’t even wait for them to cool all the way before I took a small bite. These are uh-mazing!!! Thanks for this recipe!
So glad that you liked them Vicky!
just made these yesterday and they are delicious! this recipe is definitely a keeper – thank you! ~amy
do you have any recommended substitutes for the yogurt?? thanks!
I think you could skip using the yogurt and just use 1/4 cup of canola oil instead of 1 Tablespoon and it would come out fine. 🙂 Hope that helps!
Thank you for posting this recipe. I have such a sweet tooth but am disappointed with most of the low calorie sweets I make. I love that these use all “real” ingredients. I made them but halved the recipe and used organic dark chocolate chips and they were delicious. I just ate one with a little true whip and cinnamon on top with my afternoon coffee and was very pleased that for only 130 calories these were so good. I also appreciate you calculating the calories correctly. So often I make something and then figure out after eating them that the calorie count was way off. However, I figured these for 9 nine servings after halving the ingredients and they were exactly 130 calories each. Definitely a keeper!
oh my these look awesome! Im pinning this bad boy!
these look delicious! Thank you so much for posting this i cant wait to try it:) I love all things pumpkin and throw in chocolate I may just die! if you get a chance, check out my site at http://www.jessieannjames.com/?page_id=12 Im kinda new at this so id love your thought!
That looks wonderful.
This looks incredible! Definitely going to have to try out the recipe – that Ghirardelli sea salt makes my mouth water just looking at it. 😉 Congrats on the Fit Stop feature in addition to your SHAPE nomination. I can’t tell you how happy I was to read/see both of them. You are an amazing blogger!
Thank you so much Jenn. That means a lot coming from you!
congratulations on your nomination & those bars look fabulous I love pumpkin + chocolate!
could I use one whole egg instead of 2 egg whites? (I’m pathetically bad at separating eggs…)?
I think that sub would be fine. 🙂
great :)!
This looks so yummy! I love dark chocolate 🙂
These are in the oven as we speak! I am anxiously anticipating these treats, which combine some of my favorite flavors:) What a way to cap off a weekend of visiting the pumpkin patch and the orchard.
Mmmm – that’s a really good looking treat!
What a great combination! I have also posted your site to my blog roll ;).
Thank you so much Ali. I really appreciate it!
Congragulations, Brittany! Best of luck on the award. 😉 Those pumpkin bars look amazing! If I vegani-ize them, do you want me to let you know? I want to eat them! 🙂
Thank you so much Kelly!
Yes, please do let me know if you end up making a vegan version – it shouldn’t be too difficult. Just use a replacement for the egg whites, like a flax egg and coconut or soy based yogurt. 🙂
These look delicious! I made a pumpkin oat/ chocolate bar last week and they disappeared in a matter of days. I’m convinced anything you put the sea salt soiree in has got to be good 😉
I am very excited to try Pumpkin Spice! I am an Aussie living in London and not one, but two of my friends have just visited the local Canadian store in Covent Garden to pick me up some pumpkin spice. YAY!
These look awesome! I have been drooling over all of the pumpkin inspired desserts these days.
Great recipe for fall….or anytime! YUM 😀
I’m all about pumpkin this weekend, I’ve made cookies, muffins, salad, a smoothie and oats! These look amazing though I will have to give them a go…maybe next weekend though! 🙂
I’m right there with you – it’s been pumpkin everything lately at my house too.
It’s a just a bit of a pain since we can’t get canned pumpkin here, I’ve made my way through one large pumpkin in a weekend, I’m at risk of turning in to a pumpkin!
Yumm I love pumpkin and dark chocolate! Wonder if I can make this gluten free 🙂
I was thinking that this would be good as gluten free. I will probably try it with a rice or bean flour and quinoa flour mix and maybe reduce the sugar. The strong flavours of the pumpkin and the chocolate should be very good.
Definitely let me know if you ladies end up making a gluten free version! 🙂
Yum! Sea salt chocolate is a great addition.
yum! totally bookmarked this guy.