Originally from Kraft Foods, this is the original and best recipe for pumpkin pie bars. The recipe is actually Pumpkin Streusel Bars, so they are a little more involved than just pumpkin custard poured out onto a shortbread slab, but they are very good. The crust and topping call for sugar, brown sugar and pecans, while the pumpkin filling is enhanced with cream cheese for extra smoothness. These may actually be a little better than pumpkin pie.
If you are a chocoholic who likes the chocolate/pumpkin combo, you can throw a handful of chocolate chips in with the streusel topping.
Recipe
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Pumpkin pie in bar cookie form, but better! These bars have pecans in the crust and a rich streusel.
Ingredients
- 1-⅓ cups flour 175 grams
- ¾ cup granulated sugar divided use, 150 grams
- ½ cup packed brown sugar 100 grams
- 1 ½ sticks 170 grams salted butter or unsalted butter plus ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats uncooked
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (240 grams)
- 3 eggs
- 15 oz pumpkin 15 oz is one can in America
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9x13 inch metal pan with regular or nonstick foil. If using regular foil, coat with nonstick spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, ¼ cup (50 grams) of the granulated sugar and brown sugar until blended; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and nuts. If you have a food processor handy, you can do this step in the processor.
- Reserve 1 cup oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min. Beat cream cheese, remaining ½ cup (100 grams) sugar, eggs, pumpkin and spice with mixer until blended; pour over crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.
- Bake 25 minutes and let cool for 15 minutes. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sarah Lou says
Thanksgiving is over here in Canada but I will continue to eat pumpkin. I make my own rules. I just can't give it up right after the holidays. And now I have a new recipe to try. Thanks for that!