Campfire Pumpkin Squares
These easy pumpkin squares are made super special with the addition of marshmallows and chocolate! Perfectly moist with nice cookie crispy edges.
Well, I really let my imagination run wild on this recipe. I’m sorry. Or, you’re welcome? These are the best pumpkin bars if you want to switch it up a bit. They are traditional pumpkin bars with a campfire twist, combining two of my favorite fall traditions.
When I was testing this recipe, one that I knew is that I didn’t want these easy pumpkin bars to have a super moist texture. Rather, I wanted the pumpkin portion to be more like pumpkin cookie bars than pumpkin cake! This is a bit difficult to achieve, because of all of the moisture in pumpkin puree. To balance out the moisture, I only used an egg yolk, and also blotted the pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove as much water as possible. You’d be surprised how much moisture you can lift out by doing this!
I did use my electric stand mixer to whip the pumpkin batter, but you don’t have to use an electric mixer if you don’t have one. This is a recipe that is very manageable by hand!
You won’t use an entire can of pumpkin for this recipe! If you need ideas on what to do with the leftovers, try my Easy Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Fluff Dip, Pumpkin Banana Muffins, Pumpkin Gnocchi, Cream Cheese Pumpkin Cake or this Caramel Pumpkin Spice Cake!
Recipe Modifications and Additions
These pumpkin bars are the perfect fall treat, and easy to modify! Here are a few suggestions:
- If you don’t like pumpkin pies pice, feel free to substitute cinnamon. Or, make your own pumpkin pies spice with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon plus a pinch each of nutmeg, allspice, ginger and ground cloves.
- You can use mini marshmallows. Just sprinkle them across the top of the pumpkin batter.
- Substitute vegetable oil or any neutral oil for the butter if desired.
- You can substitute fresh pumpkin puree, but I do prefer canned. I prefer using canned pumpkin puree when baking for two key reasons. First, it offers consistent results—sticking with the same brand means I know exactly what to expect every time. In contrast, homemade puree can vary in moisture depending on how it’s cooked. Second, it’s just more convenient. Canned pumpkin is quick, reliable, and the quality holds up really well in baked goods.
- Add a handful of nuts like walnuts or pecans to the pumpkin batter.
- Add a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the pumpkin batter for extra flavor.
- You can omit the honey, but please know that it adds a lot of depth of flavor and contributes to the chewy texture.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this pumpkin bar recipe with a cold glass of milk, or a warm cup of coffee!
Storing Leftover Pumpkin Squares
Store completely cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I hope that you love these chocolatey pumpkin squares! They’ve definitely been a hit at my house this fall. If you make them, let me know how it went in the comments below!
Campfire Pumpkin Squares
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, unsalted, melted and cooled
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk, from a large egg
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, heaping, blotted (see notes)
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips
- 5 Oreo cookies, crushed
- 22 regular sized marshmallows, halved
- 1/2 cup Hershey's chocolate bars, chopped (or chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper. This is the best and easiest method for removing and cutting the bars. You can also spray your pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar and vanilla until blended. Add the egg yolk, honey, and blotted pumpkin puree and whisk until smoothly combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir gently until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Add dark chocolate chunks or chips to the dough, and fold in until evenly distributed.
- Press ¾ of the dough into an even layer in the bottom of your lined baking pan.
- Place the marshmallows cut-side down over the dough evenly. Placing them cut-side down will help them stick. The marshmallows should cover most of the surface.
- Sprinkle the chopped Hershey bars and roughly crushed Oreos evenly over the top of the marshmallows.
- Add the remaining ¼ of the pumpkin mixture over top by breaking into clumps and gently smooshing down, leaving some open spaces throughout for the marshmallows to peek through.
- Bake in preheated oven for 26-30 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and place onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Only slice into a cooled cake! A lot of the chewy texture develops as the bars cool.
