Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake is the kind of easy fall dessert that works for almost any autumn occasion.

It’s soft, moist, warmly spiced, and filled with melty chocolate chips, giving you all the cozy pumpkin flavor without the fuss of making a layered cake.

This simple pumpkin sheet cake is perfect for fall baking, potlucks, office parties, school events, and casual fall gatherings.

Since it bakes in one pan and slices easily, it’s also a great choice when you need a fall treat that can feed a crowd.

Serve it for a weekend dessert, bring it to a Thanksgiving potluck, or add it to your favorite fall treats and pumpkin dessert recipes.

It’s easy to make ahead, easy to transport, and just as good with a cup of coffee as it is on a holiday dessert table.

If you’re into easy big-batch desserts for a crowd, these are worth bookmarking too:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Canned pumpkin puree, not pie filling, is what you want here; it keeps the sweetness and spice level in your control.

A 9×13 pan is the right size for this sheet cake, using anything smaller will change the bake time significantly.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 baking pan, or line it with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
The mixture should look glossy and well combined before you move on to the next step.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined, a few streaks of flour disappearing is fine.
Overmixing at this point develops the gluten and makes for a denser cake instead of a light one, so stop as soon as it’s combined.
Fold in most of the chocolate chips, saving a small handful for topping.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with a spatula.
Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top.
Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Since this is a large, shallow pan, keep an eye on it starting around the 25 minute mark so it doesn’t overbake and dry out.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing.
It’s tempting to cut into it warm, but letting it cool fully gives you cleaner slices and lets the crumb finish setting.
Slice into squares and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Use pumpkin puree, not pie filling. Pie filling already has sugar and spices mixed in, which throws off the balance of this cake and can make it too sweet or too wet.
Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears, overworking it develops the gluten and gives you a denser cake instead of a light one.

Watch the bake time in a shallow pan. A 9×13 sheet cake bakes faster and more evenly than a layer cake, start checking a few minutes early so it doesn’t dry out.
Storage. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing. This cake freezes well for up to 3 months, either whole (well wrapped) or sliced into individual squares.
Cutting cleanly. Let the cake cool completely before slicing, warm cake tends to tear instead of cutting into clean squares.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve at room temperature, cut into squares straight from the pan. A dusting of powdered sugar or a simple cream cheese glaze on top dresses it up if you’re serving this for guests.

Storage:

Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. It holds its moisture well either way.

Customization:

Add a cream cheese frosting on top if you want something closer to a traditional pumpkin cake, or swap the chocolate chips for chopped pecans and walnuts for a nuttier version.

A pinch of ground ginger along with the pumpkin pie spice adds extra warmth.