Skip the pumpkin pie this year and go for these Pumpkin Pie Bars that are so much easier to make and to eat! An easy oat crust is topped with a creamy pumpkin filling and a sugary topping to take them over the top.
I hope you all aren’t tired of pumpkin yet. I know that as a blogger, I’ve seen it all over for what seems like the past 3 months. I went a little crazy last year with a whole week dedicated to this delicious squash, but I’m totally behind the trend this year. I’m ok with that, though, since I think pumpkin totally needs to be utilized until at least Thanksgiving. (Hey – I’d gladly eat it all year round!) I’ve actually got a few pumpkin recipes in the wings, waiting to be posted, so please don’t give up on pumpkin quite yet.
I mentioned the other day that I have been going through family cookbooks lately. These Pumpkin Pie Bars are one of the recipes that I found in a family cookbook that I knew I wanted to try. I loved the sound of the oat crust, and I knew the sugary topping was going to be great. I love family cookbooks, and church cookbooks, and community cookbooks. In fact, whenever I’m at a thrift store and I come across one, I have to buy it. I know that these recipes are ones that families have made and loved. Only the best family favorites usually make these cookbooks, and since I’m all about family favorite type recipes, I can usually count on these humble cookbooks for recipes that I know I’ll love.
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This recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bars definitely did not disappoint. I had to make a few minor changes based on what I had on hand, but they turned out just perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, that I had to hide them in the refrigerator in the garage so I would stop picking at them. I’m a traditionalist and must have pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but if you aren’t die hard for pumpkin pie, you should definitely make these bars. They are so much easier to make and to eat than pie. And if you are a die hard fan of pumpkin pie, you need these Pumpkin Pie Bars alongside the pie!!
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Pumpkin Pie Bars
Skip the pumpkin pie this year and go for these Pumpkin Pie Bars that are so much easier to make and to eat! An easy oat crust is topped with a creamy pumpkin filling and a sugary topping to take them over the top.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 24 servings
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
Pumpkin Filling
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Topping
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Combine the flour, oats, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cut in the butter using a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse meal. I like to put it all in my stand mixer and let it mix for a minute or two until it is completely combined and it looks crumbly. Press the mixture into an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves and mix until blended completely. When the crust is done, pour the filling mixture over the crust and continue to bake for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter. Use a fork to cut the butter into the sugar. It won’t turn into coarse crumbs like it did in for the crust, but the brown sugar will start to appear to be really moist and soft. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the filling. Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until the filling is just set. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Refrigerate until completely cooled. Once cool, cut into squares.
Notes
adapted from my aunt Debbie via a family cookbook
More Pumpkin Favs:
Around the Web:
No Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes from Spoonful of Flavor
Mini Pumpkin Layer Cakes from The Baker Chick
Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies from The Girl Who Ate Everything
Sometimes I definitely don’t feel like making a whole pie! These are a great substitute.
Those look simple to make, yet amazingly delicious!
I will never give up on Pumpkin!! 🙂 These look fabulous girl!
Um…these look amazing!!! I cannot wait to try this recipe!
They look and sound delicious. Thank you so much for sharing!
There’s never too many pumpkin recipes! I could eat pumpkin all year long. These bars look great, a perfect quick substitute for pumpkin pie!
I’m totally fine with trading in traditional pumpkin pie for these bars! And I’m with you…year-round pumpkin sounds good to me as well!
Aren’t these bars just the yummiest looking thing! I don’t know about you, but I always feel like I can eat more if it’s in bar or cookie form, lol!
Oh wow, this looks like little bars of heaven. I love it! These bars look absolutely delicious, but then again I love love love pumpkin.
Instead of using the cinnamon, ginger and cloves could you use pumpkin pie spice? I don’t have any cloves on hand and would like to whip this up for dessert tomorrow 🙂 If so, how much? Thanks!!
Definitely! I would probably add somewhere between 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons.
I made these last night and they are delish, but they didn’t look the same. I think there should be some flour in the topping to make it more like a streusel because the butter and brown sugar melted into a huge puddle and it looked like I just sprinkled pecans on top. Tasted great anyway.