I Used to Hate Pumpkin Pie … Until I Made These Bars!

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: I have never been on Team Pumpkin Pie. Until these insanely easy, richly spiced, not-at-all-boring pumpkin pie bars walked into my life.

I honestly made this recipe on a lark; I had a can of pumpkin puree that I wanted to use up and a jar of Trader Joe’s salted caramel. Somehow the idea popped into my head to swirl the caramel on top before baking, and thus this recipe was born.

I didn’t have high hopes for it; in fact, I really expected it to be average. But, when I tried them I was blown away and I had to actively stop myself from eating them. The pumpkin has such a silky texture topped with maple whipped cream that is just barely sweet, and the shortbread crust in itself is worth snacking on!

I love busting out this recipe for Thanksgiving because it’s SO much easier than making a pie (all those edges to crimp, ugh!) and it’s a fresh and sophisticated take on the classic dessert.

The Main Ingredients You’ll Need

• Flour. Sugar, butter, and flour are the standard shortbread ingredients, but we’re switching things up by browning the butter first.
• Butter. Is browned to give the shortbread crust a rich, almost nutty flavor that pairs so perfectly with the spiced pumpkin pie filling. Browned butter is very easy to make in just a couple of minutes. Just keep an eye on it as it tends to burn quickly!
• Sugar. There’s granulated sugar in the shortbread crust and brown sugar in the pumpkin pie filling. The brown sugar adds a caramel undertone to the filling that takes these pumpkin caramel bars over the top.
• Pumpkin puree. I’m partial to Libby’s canned pumpkin puree and Trader Joe’s canned pumpkin puree. Make sure you are buying pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which has all of the sugar and spices already included.

• Spices. I used ground cinnamon in addition to pumpkin pie spice for a boldly spiced filing that’s anything but boring.
• Dry milk powder. Not only does it add a rich and creamy flavor, but it actually helps emulsify fillings and absorbs some of the liquid from the pumpkin puree so that you don’t end up with a soupy mess. It’s a staple in my kitchen and I highly recommend it! If you don’t have it, you can omit it, but it’s inexpensive to buy and lasts forever so I highly recommend adding it to your baking stock.
• Heavy cream. Is mixed into the pie filling to give it a smooth, custardy texture. And of course we’ll be whipping it up to make our own whipped cream!
• Salted caramel sauce. This is the one part of the recipe that’s not homemade, so choose a quality brand of salted caramel sauce (I love the one from Trader Joe’s).
• Maple syrup. Make sure you’re using pure maple syrup and not flavored pancake syrup!

Tools I Recommend Using

• 8×8 baking pan
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk or handheld electric mixer
• Saucepan

The 3 Basic Steps to Making These Pumpkin Pie Bars

1. Make the brown butter shortbread crust. The butter will first melt, then turn a lovely golden brown within 5 minutes or so. Let it cool before stirring it into the sugar, vanilla, and flour. Press the crust into the bottom of an 8×8-inch pan and set it aside. (That’s right, no pre-baking required!)
2. Make the pumpkin pie filling. It’s a super simple whisk-together number that takes 5 minutes flat to prepare.
3. Bake, then chill before serving. The salted caramel sauce gets swirled into the pumpkin pie filling just before the bars go into the oven. After 4+ hours in the fridge, the bars are ready to be topped with a generous serving of maple whipped cream!

Jenny’s Tip: To test the doneness of the bars, look for the center to jiggle slightly when you jostle the pan. The edges will be mostly set but the center will jiggle just a tiny bit. That’s when you should remove the pan from the oven and it’ll set nice and firm as it cools to room temperature.

If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.

More Pumpkin Desserts to Make for Thanksgiving

• Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Pudding
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
• Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

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desserts

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie Bars Recipe

5 from 7 votes

A thick layer of brown butter shortbread is topped with a spiced pumpkin pie filling and swirled with salted caramel sauce before being baked. I always top these pumpkin pie bars with maple whipped cream for that extra something-something!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Makes: 9 bars

Ingredients

Brown Butter Shortbread Crust:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

• 15 oz pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons dry milk powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2/3 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2/3 cup salted caramel sauce, plus more for drizzling before serving

Maple Whipped Cream:

• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, cold
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, optional

Instructions

• To make the crust: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a small skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan every 30 seconds, until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes or so. Pay attention as it can burn very easily! Transfer to a heat-proof container (like a metal mixing bowl) to cool for 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cooled brown butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until well combined. Add the flour and salt and mix until combined and the dough starts to come together, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer to the prepared baking dish and press into an even layer, getting into all the corners. Use a measuring cup, or something with a flat bottom, to smooth the top as you press the crust into the pan. Set aside.
• To make the filling: Combine all the ingredients except the caramel sauce in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until the filling is very smooth and all the ingredients are combined.
• Pour the filling into the baking dish over the prepared crust. Drizzle the caramel sauce on top, and using a knife or toothpick, swirl the sauce into a pretty design over the top.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes: The bars need to be baked until the center just barely jiggles.
• Chill: Allow the bars to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight if desired. Slice before serving.
• To make the whipped cream: Combine all whipped cream ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until medium-stiff peaks form. Top bars with whipped cream, extra caramel sauce, and freshly grated nutmeg (if desired).

Notes

These bars were baked in an 8×8 metal baking pan. If you’re using glass, you may need to increase the bake time. Bake until set and the center just BARELY jiggles. 

To store: Chill in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. (Just make sure to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap so that they don’t get icy.) Allow them to defrost overnight in the fridge.

To double this recipe: Double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch pan, noting that you might need to increase the bake time slightly.