Pumpkin pie bars taste like your favorite pumpkin pie, but in an easy to serve bar form! A buttery shortbread crust is topped with rich and smooth pumpkin pie filling.
Want to make pumpkin pie for a crowd? Make a batch of pumpkin pie bars. They're prepared in a 9x13 pan and can be sliced to serve up to 24.
These bars start with a simple, four ingredient shortbread crust that's pressed into the pan and par-baked. The filling is just like what you'd enjoy in a pumpkin pie - rich, smooth, and creamy, bursting with cozy pumpkin pie spices!
Make pumpkin pie bars this fall. They're perfect for Thanksgiving with family or your next Halloween party.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Butter - The base of the crust. Salted or unsalted butter works in this recipe. If you're using salted butter, omit the salt listed in the crust ingredients.
- Flour - Necessary to bind the crust together and add structure. I've only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, so I can't say for sure how other flours would work. Many times, it's not a simple 1:1 swap. If you have other ingredients on hand you'd like to use, I recommend searching for a recipe that's developed for those ingredients.
- Sugars - We're using a combination of granulated and brown sugars in the crust and filling for best flavor and texture.
- Salt - Salt is added to the crust and filling to enhance the flavor. If using salted butter, the salt in the crust can be omitted.
- Pumpkin - You'll need two 15-ounce cans of pumpkin puree. Make sure you're purchasing pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient should be pumpkins. Pumpkin pie filling contains other ingredients like sugar and spices.
- Evaporated milk - Makes the filling rich and creamy. You'll need two 12-ounce cans.
- Eggs - Eggs add stability and help the filling set up in the oven. This makes the bars easy to slice and hold their shape after baking.
- Spices - Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves add classic pumpkin pie flavor to the filling. Feel free to substitute these three spices with pumpkin pie spice.
- Vanilla - Adds flavor to the filling.
Tips and tricks
Crust texture - I highly recommend weighing your flour for best results. Too much flour results in a crumbly, dry, and bland crust. While your crust will look a bit crumbly in the bowl, it will hold together easily when pressed into the pan.
Par-bake the crust - Don't skip the step of par-baking the crust. Pop it into the oven while preparing the filling and bake for 15 minutes. This helps prevent a soggy crust when the filling is added.
Mix filling until smooth - Mix your filling ingredients until fully incorporated and smooth. This ensures your bars come out perfectly baked with an even texture throughout.
Bake until mostly set - Bake your bars until there's a very slight jiggle in the center but it no longer looks like liquid. Test for doneness by giving the pan a very gentle shake. Does it look wet and loose? Your bars need more time. Rely more on the look of your bars than the time.
Cool completely - Allow your bars to cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator to chill. I recommend chilling your bars for at least 1 hour before serving for best flavor and texture.
Top with whipped cream - Optionally, make a batch of homemade whipped cream, transfer to a piping bag, and add a dollop to each square just before serving.
Storage
Pumpkin pie bars will keep for up to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
Pumpkin pie bars freeze well and can be frozen for up to 3 months before you see a loss in flavor. Transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, pumpkin pie bars can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I recommend serving your bars within about two days for best flavor and texture.
Par-baking the crust helps prevent the crust from getting soggy once the filling is added. Skipping this step can cause your crust to turn out underbaked, soggy, and wet.
Give the pan an gentle nudge. If the center looks wet and loose, your bars need more time. If the filling looks mostly set with a slight jiggle, your bars are done. Your best bet is to rely on the look of your bars rather than sticking to a set baking time.
Yes, pumpkin pie bars need to be refrigerated until ready to serve.
Yes, pumpkin pie bars freeze well and can be frozen for up to three months in ideal conditions. Transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight before serving.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (53 g) brown sugar
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
- ¾ cup (149 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (160 g) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- 4 large eggs
- 30 ounces (850 g) canned pumpkin puree
- 24 ounces (680 g) canned evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment with excess hanging over the edges for easy removal later. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until creamed and fluffy, about a minute. Add flour and salt and slowly mix until combined. Mixture will look crumbly but holds together when pinched between two fingers (if mixture is very dry and crumbly, too much flour was added. I recommend weighing flour for this reason).
- Pour mixture into prepared 9x13 pan and press to the edges in an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Reduce oven heat to 350℉.
Filling
- While crust bakes, prepare filling.
- In a large bowl, add granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and eggs. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until smooth and ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. Gently mix until ingredients are fully incorporated. Mixture will look thin, this is normal. Pour filling over par-baked crust.
- Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until center looks a little jiggly but no longer liquid. To test for doneness, give the pan a nudge. If it looks wet and loose, your bars need more time. Baking time may vary based on your oven.
- Allow to cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Pull bars from the pan using the excess parchment on the sides. Slice into squares and optionally, add a dollop of whipped cream just before serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Pumpkin pie bars will keep for 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight before serving.
- Garnish: Add a dollop of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon as an optional garnish.
- Make ahead: Bars can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Serving size: I sliced my 9x13 pan into 24 two-inch squares. Bars can be sliced as large or small as you like depending on how you're serving them.
Amazing! What a brilliant idea to make pumpkin pie in the form of bars!!