Pumpkin Pie Bars

Cool, creamy and deliciously spiced, my pumpkin pie bars are an easy alternative to traditional pumpkin pie, perfect for your holiday table. Prepared with a silky pumpkin custard filling over top of a tender graham cracker crust, my pumpkin pie bars recipe makes dessert a breeze this holiday season!

Raising the bar on pumpkin pie

Here's a little secret about my hubby and I: we can never wait until the Thanksgiving holiday to enjoy the taste of pumpkin pie, one of our favorite fall desserts!

Friends, the past couple of years I've even found myself whipping up my classic pumpkin pie recipe sometime in October! That's when the flavor of everything pumpkin and “pumpkin spice” starts to beckon, and we can't help but give in to sweet temptation.

This year, however, I thought it would be a fun experiment to streamline things a bit for myself while also putting a twist on my classic pumpkin pie. And that's how these irresistibly cool and creamy pumpkin pie bars came about.

Using a deliciously sweet and tender graham cracker crust ended up cutting the prep and baking time quite a bit. We loved how rich and silky the filling was, and I loved how much quicker and easier it was to whip up these pumpkin pie bars, yet with the same flavor we love in a classic pie.

My pumpkin pie bars recipe is the perfect dessert to share whether we're hosting Thanksgiving ourselves, or we're contributing something cozy to a gathering.

Filled with all the flavorful notes we love in pumpkin pie, these bars are a mouthwatering goody to lay out on a platter, top with a dollop of whipped cream, a dusting of cinnamon, and watch 'em disappear!

My recipe for pumpkin pie bars

Making these deliciously sweet and spicy pumpkin pie bars is very easy and very fun—my favorite combination when making homemade desserts!

There are only two components to prep—the graham cracker crust and the filling—both of which are a breeze...

I actually like to make these pumpkin pie bars a day or even two before I plan on serving them, because it gives them a chance to be completely cold and set, which makes the slicing much easier. They can be kept in the fridge, in their slab form, then sliced into bars, and topped with whipped cream before serving.

The crust takes just minutes to mix together, and only about 10 minutes to bake. And the filling is equally easy, requiring only a bowl and a whisk for blending before being poured into the crust.

Here's a glance at my pumpkin pie bars recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get stared, I prep my graham cracker crust and bake that off. I allow the crust to cool almost completely, which takes about 1 hour or so.
2. Next, I whisk together my pumpkin custard filling using pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), then pour that into my prepared graham cracker crust.
3. I bake for roughly 44 minutes, or until the custard is still slightly jiggly in the center. Then, I allow it to completely cool at room temp.
4. Once cooled, I transfer the whole thing to the fridge to completely chill (typically overnight).
5. When ready, I then carefully remove the pumpkin pie bars (or “slab”, at this point) from the baking pan, cut into 16 bars, and place the bars onto a platter topped with whipped cream and sprinkle of cinnamon.
6. I serve the pumpkin pie bars chilled.

Recipe

Pumpkin Pie Bars

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These rich and creamy pumpkin pie bars have all the sweet and spicy flavor of pumpkin pie, made easy with a graham cracker crust!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 16 pumpkin pie bars

Nutrition Info: 210 calories per pumpkin pie bar

Prep Time: 25 minutes (does not include cooling time for crust)
Cook time: 44 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 9 minutes

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulate sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon (slightly heaping) ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon (slightly heaping) ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• Whipped cream, for optional topping when serving

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 11 or 12 whole graham cracker sheets)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• Pinch cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 7 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your graham cracker crust ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 9 by 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, plus a list misting of cooking spray.
3. To make the crust, add the graham cracker crumbs, plus the remainder of the ingredients to a medium bowl, and using a fork, mix together until moist pliable. Add the crumbs to the bottom of the prepared baking pan, and pat them down gently (can use your fingers or the bottom of flat glass or measuring cup) until even and smooth. Place into the oven to bake for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Leave the oven on.
4. While the graham cracker crust cools, gather and prep all of your filling ingredients according the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
5. To prepare the filling, add the pumpkin as well as the remainder of the ingredient up to and including the cloves to a large bowl, and whisk together to combine. Add in the heavy cream and the eggs, and gently whisk those in just until smooth and blended, taking care not to whisk too aggressively as to not incorporate too much air into this custard base.
6. Once the crust is cool, pour the pumpkin filling base into the baking pan, smoothing out the top of any excess air bubbles. Place onto the rack in the lower third of the oven, and bake for 42 to 44 minutes, or until set but still a bit jiggly in the center.
7. Allow to cool completely, for at least a few hours. (Keep chilled in the fridge if making ahead.)
8. Once things are cool, cut into 16 pumpkin pie bars, and place onto a serving platter. (Place into fridge to keep chilled if not serving immediately.) Top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon, if desired, before enjoying. Keep cold until ready to serve.

Tips & Tidbits for my pumpkin pie bars recipe:

• Pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling: When purchasing your canned pumpkin, take care to make sure you are choosing pure pumpkin (or pumpkin puree) and not pumpkin pie filling, which has other ingredients added to it. You want only pumpkin listed in the ingredients.
• Favorite graham crackers for sweet crust: I like to use organic ingredients whenever possible, and love Annie's organic honey graham crackers for this crust—they're really tasty! But feel free to use your favorite graham crackers. You will need roughly 11 or 12 whole cracker sheets to make the crumbs.
• Don't over-whisk your filling: When preparing your pumpkin filling, take care to use a gentle hand when whisking the cream and eggs in, as to not incorporate too much air into the custard. Too much air may cause the filling to “souffle” up and possibly crack, so mix just enough to make sure everything is smooth and blended.
• Make these pumpkin pie bars ahead: I actually prefer to make these bars a day or two ahead of when I want to serve them, because it takes time for the baked filling to cool completely, typically a few hours. This way, you can cool the custard, then place the whole thing into the fridge to keep it completely cold before slicing into pumpkin pie bars, topping with whipped cream, and serving.

Craving more sweet, spicy, and cozy desserts? Check out my classic Pumpkin Pie recipe, my Pumpkin Oatmeal Cream Pies, or my recipe for Apple Cranberry Pie, Caramel Apple Pie Bars, Pumpkin Parfaits, Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel, or even my recipe for velvety Pumpkin Cake!