Easy Pumpkin Pie Bars Recipe | A Perfect Fall Dessert
By Rebecca St.Clair
These pumpkin pie bars takes everything you love about pumpkin pie in an easy to make dessert bar. Great for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or a cozy weekend at home! This easy dessert is perfect for autumn.
If you want something delicious without the hassle. This pumpkin dessert is absolutely irresistible with a dollop of whipped cream! All the creamy goodness of a classic pumpkin pie, sweetly spiced, in a convenient hand held dessert.
Skip the stress of making a pie crust from scratch! This dessert is simple, flavourful, and perfect for feeding a crowd. With a buttery base and a smooth pumpkin filling, they’re the ultimate make-ahead fall treat. Ideal for parties and family gatherings!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Seasonal – Full of soft pumpkin and warm fall flavours.
Easy – This quick and easy dessert comes together in one pan.
Hand held – Slice and serve into personal sized, hand held treats.
How to store pumpkin pie bars
Fridge
- Allow the bars cool to room temperature.
- Place the bars in an airtight container or cover the baking dish completely with plastic wrap.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer
- Allow the bars to cool to room temerature.
- Place in an airtight, freezer safe container.
- Store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Can I use Fresh or canned pumpkin for this recipe?
You can use fresh or canned pumpkin to make this recipe.
If you are using canned pumpkin, make sure you use 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
To prepare fresh pumpkin to use in fall recipes,
Cooking your own pumpkin is similar to cooking any winter squash.
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
- Wash off your pie pumpkin, cut in half and scoop out the seed area.
- Place your pumpkin, skin side up, in a pan. Add water to just cover the bottom. (About a cup, depending on the size of your pan.)
- Bake for about 1 hour 30 mins, or until the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly, until you can easily handle it.
- Remove the flesh and process in a food processor, (or you can mash it by hand).
- Dump the pumpkin purée into a fine mesh strainer to remove some of the water.
- Separate into portions, label, and store in the freezer (for longer storage) until needed.
- When ready to use, remove from freezer and let it defrost overnight.
Ingredients
Crust
Flour – I used all-purpose flour.
Butter – Use fridge cold cubed butter.
Powdered sugar – For a subtly sweet shortbread crust.
Pumpkin filling
Milk – For richness
Eggs – To set the filling
Pumpkin purée – Use fresh or canned pumpkin.
Salt – To balance the sweetness
Brown sugar – For a rich caramel sweetness.
Spices – I used cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom
How to make pumpkin pie bars
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C).
- Line an 8 x 8 in. square pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl mix together 1 ¼ cups flour and 1 ½ Tbsp powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Work ½ cup cold cubed butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips, a cheese grater, or a pastry blender, until you have a crumbly mixture.
5. Press this to form a base in the bottom of the lined pan.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix milk, eggs, pumpkin, and salt.
8. Mix in the brown sugar, and spices.
9. Pour the filling onto the baked bottom crust.
10. Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is mostly set. A little jiggle in the centre is fine.
11. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Easy Pumpkin Pie Bars
These pumpkin pie bars takes everything you love about pumpkin pie in an easy to make dessert bar.
Ingredients
crust
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 187 g
- 1 ½ Tablespoon powdered sugar 15 g
- 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 g
- ½ cup cold butter, cubed 115 g
filling
- ¾ cup milk 175 ml
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée 375 ml
- ½ teaspoon salt 2.5 ml
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar 250 g
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon 5 ml
- ½ teaspoon ginger 2.5 ml
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg 2.5 ml
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1.75 ml
- ½ teaspoon cardamom 2.5 ml
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C).
- Line an 8 x 8 in. square pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl mix together 1 ¼ cups flour and 1 ½ Tbsp powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Work ½ cup cold cubed butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips, a cheese grater, or a pastry blender, until you have a crumbly mixture.
- Press this to form a base in the bottom of the lined pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl mix milk, eggs, pumpkin, and salt.
- Mix in the brown sugar, and spices.
- Pour the filling onto the baked bottom crust.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is mostly set. A little jiggle in the centre is fine.
- Remove from oven and cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Notes
If you are using canned pumpkin, make sure you use 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 181Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 40mgSodium 103mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 1gSugar 18gProtein 3g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
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