Pumpkin Pie Bars
These pumpkin pie bars feature a buttery shortbread crust and spiced pumpkin filling. There’s no crust to roll out and the bars can even be made in advance. Perfect for Thanksgiving and fall gatherings!
If you love traditional pumpkin pie but don’t want to prepare and roll out a homemade pie crust, then you need to try these pumpkin pie bars instead!
Instead of pie dough, the crust is made using a shortbread dough that’s incredibly easy to make. It’s rich and buttery, and all you have to do is press it into the bottom of your baking pan. No complicated crimping of edges required!
Once you’ve prepared and baked the crust, simply whisk together the pumpkin pie mixture, pour it on top, and bake.
The hardest part of making this recipe is really just waiting for the bars to cool and chill before digging in. I personally love to make them the night before, so they’re ready to serve when it’s time for dessert!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: This is used for the shortbread crust and a little is also added to the pumpkin pie filling to help thicken it. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Butter: I recommend sticking with unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt. If you only have salted butter on hand, just omit the salt from the crust.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds some sweetness to the shortbread crust, while brown sugar adds flavor to the filling.
- Spices: There’s a blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in this recipe. If you only have pumpkin pie spice on hand, feel free to substitute all of the spices with 2 to 2 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Eggs: These add structure and help the filling set up properly. It’s also best to use room temperature eggs so they mix together more evenly with the other ingredients. If you need to bring them to room temperature quickly, just place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Pumpkin Puree: Not to be confused with canned pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices. Check the ingredients to make sure you’re buying 100% pureed pumpkin.
- Evaporated Milk: This gives the pumpkin pie filling a rich, creamy texture. If you can’t find any, an equal amount of half and half would be the best substitute. Do NOT use sweetened condensed milk or the filling will be way too sweet!
How To Make Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Make the shortbread dough: Beat the butter until smooth, then add in the sugar, salt, and flour. Mix until you have a crumbly dough.
- Bake the crust: Scoop the mixture into a lined 9×9-inch baking dish and press it down into an even layer. Bake at 350ºF until the shortbread is lightly browned.
- Combine the dry ingredients for the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, and spices.
- Combine the wet ingredients: Lightly beat the eggs first, then whisk in the pumpkin puree and evaporated milk.
- Finish the filling: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until just combined.
- Bake, then chill: Pour the filling over the crust, then bake until the center is almost set. Let cool to room temperature before chilling for at least 2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
The trick to perfect pumpkin pie is to not over bake it. The edges of the bars should be set and the center should be mostly set, with a slight jiggle to it. The filling will continue to set more as it cools and once it’s chilled.
If you bake the bars until the center is completely set, the filling will curdle and won’t turn out silky smooth.
Yes, but I highly recommend using it for this recipe because it’s the easiest option and holds up really well! If you want to try something different, my homemade pie crust would be the next best option.
A graham cracker crust and gingersnap crust (like the one from my pumpkin cheesecake bars) also work okay. In my recipe testing though, I found that they softened pretty quickly and didn’t hold up as well over time.
Yes, the bars can be prepared up to four days in advance. Note that they need to cool to room temperature before being covered tightly and chilled in the refrigerator.
Baking Tips
- I think the filling is perfectly spiced as is, but you’re welcome to add more of each spice if desired.
- Don’t over bake the filling! This can cause the filling to curdle or crack and the bars won’t taste nearly as good. You only want to bake the filling until it’s almost set in the center, but has a slight jiggle when you move the pan.
- Do not shorten the chill time after the bars have finished baking. The pumpkin pie filling needs time to set up in the fridge before being sliced and served.
- I typically cut these bars into 16 servings, but you can easily cut them smaller to serve more people.
- My whipped cream recipe holds up really well on top of these bars. If you want something that will hold up even longer though, you can try my stabilized whipped cream instead.
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (115 grams; 1 stick)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (125 grams)
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200 grams)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (425 grams)
- 1 ¼ cups evaporated milk (300 ml)
Instructions
- To make the shortbread crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9×9-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and salt and mix for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined. Add the flour and continue mixing until the mixture starts to come together, but is still crumbly.
- Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and firmly press it down into one even layer.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the top is set and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling. Keep the oven temperature at 350°F (177°C).
- To make the pumpkin pie filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk or stir together the brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and evaporated milk until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until just combined.
- Pour the pumpkin pie filling over the shortbread crust.
- Return to the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the center is mostly set, with just a slight jiggle to it. I usually bake mine for 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the bars are chilled and firm.
Thank you for this recipe. I have tried other versions, but they never worked quite right. These turned out perfectly. Definitely a keeper!
Would you use a 9×13 if you doubled this recipe?
Yes, I would. Just keep in mind that the bars will be thicker. If you feel like it’s too much filling, you can use any extra to make some mini pumpkin pies.
Really wonderful! Beat of two worlds: pumpkin and shortbread!
What alterations do you suggest if I wanted to use sweet potato instead of pumpkin? Thanks for your help.
Hi, Susan! Instead of the pumpkin pie filling in this recipe, you can use the filling in my sweet potato pie recipe instead. You may need to adjust the baking time just slightly.