Pumpkin Pie Bars

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.

Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My go-to Pumpkin Pie Bars are the perfect choice when you need pumpkin pie for a crowd. Additionally, the easy pâte sucrée crust elevates this seasonal treat to something truly memorable.

• Crust perfection: The crispy, buttery cookie-like base sets the stage for an exceptional bar.
• Dreamy filling: Delightfully silky, but firm enough to be a hand-held treat.
• Half-hour prep: This is a busy time of year, and these bars don’t take long to make.
• Perfect for a crowd: The recipe serves 12, but you can cut them a bit smaller to get 16 servings. Just what you need for a large party!
• Spiced right: All the flavor you crave, without going overboard.

When baking this recipe, remember that, just like a traditional round pumpkin pie, you want to see a slight jiggle in the center when it’s done. This is key because the bars will continue to cook and set as they cool. If you overbake them with no wobble in the middle, the texture won’t be silky smooth, and cracks may form on top.

Table of Contents

• What are Pumpkin Pie Bars?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Pumpkin Pie Bars
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Pumpkin Recipes

What are Pumpkin Pie Bars?

• Pumpkin Pie Bars give you pumpkin pie in bar form: melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust is topped with a spiced pumpkin custard filling.
  • Flavor: Mildly sweet, warmly spicy, buttery
  • Texture: Rich cookie crust, satiny smooth custard
  • Main ingredients: Pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice, butter, flour, eggs
  • Great for: Holiday parties, bake sales, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, tea time or coffee break, brunch
• Pumpkin pie was a staple in colonial New England. In the mid-1800s, when Thanksgiving was becoming a national holiday, the pie was frequently mentioned in the magazines and newspapers of the day as the must-have dessert for the new national day of thanks.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• 9×13-inch (23×33-cm) baking pan
• Stand mixer (optional) or electric hand mixer

Key Ingredients and Why

For the Shortbread Crust

Butter

• Butter gives the pâte sucrée deeply rich flavor.
• Importantly, the high ratio of butter gives this short crust its iconic crumbly, not chewy, texture.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens the cookie crust of these easy pumpkin pie bars, making it different from traditional pie crust.
• Granulated sugar helps reduce gluten development, and because it doesn’t dissolve completely, it contributes to the wonderful texture.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of light brown sugar.

Salt

• Salt adds flavor and balances the sweetness.

Egg yolks

• Egg yolks bind the ingredients together and help hold the crust together.
• Using just yolks and not whole eggs provides the crust with more fat and less liquid, contributing to its tender texture.
• Importantly, egg yolks enrich the flavor and contribute golden color.
• Substitute:  If you want an egg-free version, you can substitute 1 tablespoon of whole yogurt for each egg yolk (3 tablespoons of yogurt total),  but note that the crust will not have the same crumbly texture.

Heavy whipping cream

• Heavy cream adds moisture to the bar’s crust, preventing it from becoming tough.
• Additionally, the heavy cream enriches the crust’s flavor
• Substitute: You can also use canned coconut milk instead of dairy milk.

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour gives this shortcrust pastry crust structure.
• The protein content of AP flour gives the bars enough gluten to form the necessary structure without being chewy.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Eggs

• Eggs bring the filling ingredients together into a unified mixture.
• Importantly, the eggs help the custard filling set.
• Substitute: You can use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water in place of each egg. Please note that the pumpkin custard will be firmer and won’t have the same silky texture as custard made with eggs.

Pumpkin purée

• Mellow-sweet pumpkin puree provides the primary flavor
• Importantly, the puree gives the filling moisture.
• Substitute: If you prefer, use an equal amount of butternut squash puree.

Evaporated milk

• Evaporated milk contributes silkiness, creating a creamy pumpkin filling.
• Substitute: For a dairy-free option, use full-fat coconut milk. Note that it will affect the flavor of the filling. See my guide to dairy-free milk options for more information.

Dark brown sugar

• Dark brown sugar sweetens the pumpkin bars recipes and enhances the pumpkin flavor.
• The molasses in the sugar adds a delightful caramel, smoky note.
• Use my quick recipe to make your own brown sugar.
• Substitute: Use an equal amount of light brown sugar.

Cornstarch

• Cornstarch stabilizes the filling and makes it thick enough to be sliceable.
• Substitute: You can use the same amount of arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch.
  • You can also use all-purpose flour, but note that if you use flour as a thickener instead of cornstarch, the filling will not be as silky.
    • Use 4 tablespoons of flour in this recipe (you use 2 tablespoons of flour for every 1 tablespoon of cornstarch).

Pumpkin pie spice

• The cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice in pumpkin pie spice bring aromatic seasonal flavor and complement the pumpkin.
• For a bolder flavor, use an equal amount of Mixed Spice

Vanilla extract

• Vanilla extract adds depth and sweetness.
• Substitute: use an equal amount of vanilla bean paste.

Salt

• Salt enhances all the flavors and keeps the bars from tasting bland.

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Bars

To Make the Pate Sucree Crust

1. Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 350°C (180°C). Set aside a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a handheld electric mixer and a medium bowl), cream the butter, sugar, and salt on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Continue to mix: Lower the speed and whisk in the egg yolks and cream.

4. Add flour: Slowly mix in the flour until just combined.
5. Press crust in baking dish: Press the pate sucree crust evenly into the pan in an even layer and bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden and dry on the surface.

6. Raise oven temperature: Set aside and raise the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C).

To Make the Pumpkin Filling and Bake

7. Whisk filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, brown sugar, cornstarch, pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt, then pour this on top of the crust.

8. Bake bars: Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking for 40-50 minutes, or until the filling is set on the edges and a bit jiggly in the center.

9. Cool: Let cool completely at room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to fully chill before cutting into 12 bars.
10. Serve and enjoy: Enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream!

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Citrus zip: For a flavor that’s more unexpected than pumpkin spice, use 1 teaspoon of orange zest and 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, or 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of ginger.
• Check temperature: Be sure that all of your filling ingredients are at room temperature, or the custard can bake unevenly.
• Big group? This recipe can be cut into either 12 or 16 servings.
• Huge groups: To serve an even larger crowd, check out our recipe for Pumpkin Slab Pie.
• Must-do: Blind baking is a crucial step in this pumpkin pie bars recipe—don’t skip it!
• Tell-tale sign: The bars are ready when the edges are set, but there’s still a jiggle in the middle. The custard will continue to cook after you remove the pan from the oven, so be sure not to overbake.
• Cool first: Be sure to cool the bars fully before slicing.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Make-ahead tips: Pate Sucree can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to two months.
  • Defrost at room temperature for two hours or overnight in the refrigerator before using.
• How to store leftovers: Place leftover bars in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
  • For longer storage, freeze these pumpkin pie dessert bars in an airtight container for up to two months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

FAQs

How do I make these bars gluten-free?

• To make these bars gluten-free, use my Flakiest Gluten-Free Pie Crust for the base.
  • Blind bake the crust before filling it. Please see my guide, How to Blind Bake a Crust for instructions and tips.
  • In addition, ensure that your other ingredients are certified gluten-free.

Is it possible to make these pumpkin bars without eggs?

• Yes, you can make these pumpkin bars without eggs.
• In the crust, use 1 tablespoon of whole yogurt for each egg yolk (3 tablespoons of yogurt total).
• When making the filling, use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water in place of each egg.
  • Please note that the bars will differ in taste and texture from bars made with the original recipe.

Can I use squash puree or mashed sweet potatoes instead of the pumpkin?

• Yes, you can use either butternut squash puree or sweet potato puree instead of the pumpkin puree.
• Use the same amount as the pumpkin puree (4 cups/ 30 oz/850 g).

How can I serve these pumpkin bars?

• I recommend these pumpkin bars with whipped cream, or stabilized whipped cream.
• Whipped Crème Fraiche is slightly tangier and is a delicious and elegant topping for the sweet pumpkin custard.
• For a non-dairy option, use my Coconut Whipped Cream.
• To make these bars extra special, drizzle with one of my dessert sauces. My Signature Salted Caramel Sauce, Apple Cider Caramel Sauce, Whiskey Caramel Sauce, or Butterscotch Sauce would all be excellent.

More Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce
• Pumpkin Bread Pudding
• Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin White Chocolate Lava Cake
• Petite Pumpkin Pies

Try These Recipes!

Sheet Pan Brownies

Sourdough Brownies (Discard Recipe)

Pecan Tassies

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars