These Pumpkin Pie Bars are a heavenly cross between pumpkin pie and pecan pie with a delicious streusel topping. Boxed cake mix is combined with pumpkin pie mix and spices, then topped off with crunchy pecans. The perfect Fall dessert – a Thanksgiving favorite!
Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe (in a bar!)
I love fall. As soon as the pumpkin spice latte starts being sold at Starbucks I know I’m about to be in Pumpkin heaven! I often make pumpkin pie as it’s a family favorite over here, but I wanted to play around with a bar variety, and my Pumpkin Pie Bars were born!
These are the perfect item to break out for a Halloween gathering or Thanksgiving dinner. Or, if you’re like me and you love pumpkin so much, you can totally eat them all year round!
Why We Love This Pumpkin Pie Bar Recipe
- Easier than making a traditional pumpkin pie.
- Full of the traditional spicy pumpkin flavor.
- Perfect for fall gatherings and holidays.
- Delicious homemade steusel crust topping.
- Cake mix in the middle layer adds depth to bars, making for healthy serving sizes.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Butter golden cake mix -If you’re struggling to find this cake mix, yellow cake mix will work great as a substitute.
- Canned Pumpkin
- Evaporated milk
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Salted butter -unsalted butter would work as well.
- Chopped pecans – You can choose to leave out the pecans if you have a nut allergy or simply aren’t a fan of pecans. You could also replace them with a different type of nut, such as walnuts.
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Salt
Substitutions and Additions
- WHIPPED TOPPING: I think these bars are best when they are topped off with a dollop of whipped topping! My favorite kind is my homemade whipped cream.
- Ice Cream: Who can argue with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?
- Caramel Drizzle: I love a bit of caramel drizzled on top!
Recommended Tools
- 13 x 9 Dish
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Bars Recipe
- Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl and mix until smooth.
- Pour into a baking pan.
- Sprinkle the cake mix evenly all over the top.
- Drizzle butter over the top of the cake mix.
- Mix together the pecans, flour, sugar, and salt.
- Sprinkle over the top of everything.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees.
PRO-TIP: Use a toothpick to test if it’s ready. It should come out clean when inserted into the middle. - Allow bars to cool before placing them in the fridge to chill for 3 hours to overnight.
Storage Tips
- To Store: It’s not really required to refrigerate these bars, but it’s recommended. The bars will hold together better when they’re chilled
- To Freeze: These bars can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s best to chill them to help them firm up. Also, in my opinion, they just taste better chilled! But, if you like them warm you could pop them in the microwave and top them off with a scoop of ice cream!
Yes, they can be frozen for up to 3 months
It’s not really required, but it’s recommended. The bars just hold together better when they’re chilled.
You can substitute with a yellow cake mix as well.
Other Easy Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte (Starbuck Copycat Recipe)
- Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffins
- Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Delight Dessert – BEST Pumpkin Dessert!
- Pumpkin Bars
- Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats
Pumpkin Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 29-oz can pumpkin
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 1½ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 package butter recipe golden cake mix
- 1 cup salted butter melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Combine the Pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a bowl and beat on a medium speed until smooth.
- Pour into an ungreased 13 x 9 in. baking pan. Sprinkle the cake flour evenly all over on top of the pumpkin.
- Drizzle the butter all over the top of the cake mix.
- Take the chopped pecans, flour, sugar and salt and mix well. Sprinkle evenly over the top of everything.
- Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes. You can take a toothpick to test if it’s ready. It should come out clean when inserted into the middle.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for an hour or so. Then place into the refrigerator for 3 hours, or overnight if possible.
- Serve with a whipped topping if desired.
Can I substitute evaporated milk and flour to make them gluten and dairy free?