The Best Pumpkin Pie Bars With Streusel

My daughter Charlotte and I got back from Science Camp a few weeks ago! Is this a thing where you live? In northern California it’s traditional to take a week long field trip to Santa Cruz with your 5th or 6th grade class. It was magical when I went as a kid, and it was even more magical going as an adult to chaperone. And by magical I mean hilarious. Who knew that getting hundreds of 10-year-olds together would be like watching slapstick and a soap opera combined?? On the first night we had meatballs for dinner. One of the boys thought he might get hungry later, so he shoved 8 or 9 meatballs in his pockets and then pulled them out at midnight for a snack. In the same cabin, another boy had not been in the room 5 minutes before he fell off the top bunk while wrestling, splitting his head open. And then the other half: every morning I could hear choruses of girls complaining, “I slept 1 hour last night, the boys were being SO LOUD.” The boys, in the background, “Let’s go BATTLE EACH OTHER!!!” The girls: “What should I wear? Does this beanie look good with my hair?” One of the girls resolved on the last day that she was “swearing off boys from now on.” 10 years old, my friend. I didn’t have the heart to tell her what’s in store. You think boys are ridiculous in 5th grade? JUST YOU WAIT GIRLFRIEND.

Pumpkin Pie Bars: so much better than Pumpkin Pie!

Okay guys, it’s the day before Thanksgiving and I have one last pumpkin dessert for you! I made these last year in my never-ending quest to make a Shortbread-Bar version of every pie known to man. It started with these Apple Pie Bars, then I moved on to making Easy Homemade Cherry Pie Bars, Cranberry Shortbread Bars, Rhubarb Shortbread Bars, Rainier Cherry Pie Bars, and Gooey Pecan Pie Bars with Toffee. I just CAN’T GET ENOUGH of the simple combination of a killer buttery shortbread, some kind of pie filling, and then a crumble on top. Pumpkin pie was obviously my next victim, and here we are. I made them last year and shared the recipe on Instagram (recipe sneak peaks: one of the reasons you should follow!) Several people made them and shared photos with me, which I love! We all agree: These Pumpkin Pie Bars (or Pumpkin Shortbread Bars if you like, let’s emphasize what’s important here!) are even better than pumpkin pie. I love a good pumpkin pie, especially when it’s my Crème Brulée Pumpkin Pie. But as much as I love the pumpkin filling, I’m almost always wishing there was more crust. These Pumpkin Pie Bars solve that problem! A thick shortbread layer on the bottom, and the same dough added in pieces on top. All topped with a light sugary streusel that is the perfect compliment! Let’s make them!

Ingredients you’re going to need:

Tips for making Pumpkin Pie Bars:

My biggest tip is to make sure you don’t over mix your shortbread dough! It will make it tough. (Can we all just take a moment to be irritated with the English language and the spelling/pronunciation of “dough” and “tough.” Sheesh.) Anyway, next tip chill your crust before baking it. It makes your shortbread crust SUPER tender and flaky. Cold butter hitting a hothothot oven does wonders for texture. Don’t skip it! Let’s dig into the details!

How to make Pumpkin Pie Bars

First start out with a whole pounda butta. Yup, the whole box. If you’re using a stand mixer you can just start beating the heck out of it, if you have a hand mixer, you need to let it soften a little bit. Add in the sugars, vanilla, salt and flour. 4 cups is going to seem like too much. It’s not! Use a spatula and scrape that bottom! Add a little more than half of the dough into the baking pan and save the rest for the crumble. Press it in, chill for 20 minutes (remember, don’t skip that!) and then bake for another 20 minutes, until nice and golden on top. Meanwhile, add some walnuts to the remaining dough and mix it together. Stick it in the fridge to chill. This is our glorious crumble! Now mix up the pumpkin filling. It’s so easy, just pumpkin, sugar, and some eggs and spices. You can play around with the spices however you like! Or replace with a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice! Pour it onto the cooled crust. Then top with chunks of the walnut dough. I like to use my fingers to just pick up pieces about the size of a quarter and sprinkle them on. And then we’re adding even more streusel because we are just extra like that. It’s so simple, just a little melted butter and flour and sugar. If you love spice, throw in some cinnamon. I wanted to keep it simple! And voila! Here she is all ready for the oven! Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the streusel it lightly browning and the bars don’t jiggle when you shake the pan. I like to serve these bars room temperature just like pumpkin pie. But warm or even chilled is amazing too! And who could say no to a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of Caramel Sauce??

How to store Pumpkin Pie Bars

These bars will keep for several days on the counter! Seal tightly to lock in moisture. After 2-3 days, put them in the fridge.

Can you freeze Pumpkin Pie Bars?

Yes you can! Let cool completely, then wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and then put in a ziplock. Freeze for 2-3 months! Let thaw on the counter and reheat in the microwave if you want. These are so easy!! I hope you get a chance to make them soon! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!