Pumpkin Pie Streusel Bars + Video
One week plus one day. In one week plus one day it'll be Thanksgiving. Will you be ready to give thanks in eight days?
If you weren't ready before, now you will be. Because I've got the perfect Thanksgiving dessert here for you today. Granted, it's not pumpkin pie. But I already posted an awesome pumpkin pie recipe on the blog last year for Thanksgiving.
It's something easier than pumpkin pie. And dare I say better? Because what I have for you today is a recipe for pumpkin pie streusel bars. Pumpkin pie, in bar form. With a generous sprinkling of streusel on top. See? Better than pumpkin pie.
Also, guess what? I made you a video tutorial for these pumpkin pie streusel bars. Watch and learn:
Or, watch it on Youtube.
Just like a pumpkin pie, these pumpkin bars have a crust. A flaky, crispy, tender, shortbread crust. Buttery, just a tad sweet, crumbly, and addictive.
Not gonna lie, the shortbread crust is actually my favorite part about these pumpkin pie bars.
I don't love pumpkin pie and pumpkin fillings and pumpkin everything all that much. And while I realize that that's a sacrilegious statement to be making, especially now, in the week before Thanksgiving and in the heart of fall, I declare it anyway.
And this is why the crust is my favorite part of these pumpkin streusel bars. I've always loved shortbread crusts and cookies, and honestly, the pie crust is usually my favorite part of any pie. Please, don't hate me. I guess I'm just more of a cookie person than a pie person.
But that doesn't mean that I don't like the pumpkin filling in these bars. I do. I like it as much as I'll ever be able to like any pumpkin filling.
I based this pumpkin filling recipe off of the filling from my pumpkin pie recipe. In fact, it's the same filling with just a little less sugar, because these bars also get a sweet crumble topping and a slightly sweeter crust and ran the risk of becoming cloying.
The pumpkin filling in these streusel bars is creamy, flavorful, and perfectly spiced and sweetened. And it's super quick and easy to make too. Dump all the ingredients into a bowl, give them a vigorous whisking, and you're good to go.
Now, for my second favorite part - the streusel. I thought about making these pumpkin bars really simple and just giving them that amazing shortbread crust and perfect pumpkin filling. And then telling you to top them with a dollop of whipped cream if you so desired.
But then I came to my senses and realized that streusel topping makes everything better. Crispy, crumbly, sweet, cinnamony, crumb topping makes the world go round. Or at least it takes these pumpkin pie bars to a whole new level.
Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, maybe the cinnamon streusel is my favorite part about these bars. Hmm... tough call. Let's call it a draw between the crust and the streusel then.
These pumpkin pie bars are a lot less tricky to attempt than your classic pumpkin pie.
Pies always scare me. So much can go wrong. What if the crust cracks? What if it gets soggy? What if it looks ugly and deformed? What if I have no idea how to pre-bake a pie crust with pie weights?
You'll have no such terrible concerns when it comes to these bars. Simply prepare the crust, press it into a 9x13 pan, and bake it for 15 minutes until just golden. No fluted edges, no pie weights, no sogginess, no chance for disaster.
And the filling is just poured right over the crust once it's pre-baked. And the streusel topping is sprinkled right over the filling. And the pumpkin bars are baked just till set. And then they're chilled and sliced and served.
And that is it. And there's your Thanksgiving dessert, ready in an hour and devoured in well under that amount of time.
pumpkin pie streusel bars
Yield: 9x13 pan/about 24 bars
Shortbread crust:
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons, 6 oz.) butter, softened
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups packed flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pumpkin filling:
3 eggs
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
15 oz. pure pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Streusel:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 stick butter, cubed or melted
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a few inches overhanging on each side.
Crust: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract, flour, and salt to the machine and mix until dough forms. Press dough firmly and evenly into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are golden.
Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together all the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour over pre-baked crust and spread out evenly.
Streusel: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Add in butter and mix till crumble forms. Sprinkle crumble evenly over pumpkin filling. Sprinkle additional nuts on top if desired.
Bake pumpkin bars for about 40 minutes, or until edges are golden and center is just set. Let bars cool at room temperature for a bit before transferring to the fridge to chill for a few hours. Once bars are cooled, lift the overhanging parchment paper out of pan and slice bars.
