Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars
Hi friends!
I hope today’s post finds you cozy & warm – it’s bloody freezing out there! I don’t know about where you are, but here in Dublin it feels like it could start snowing at any second. There’s frost on the grass in the mornings, the sun seems reluctant to share her warmth, and we’ve already broken out our hats & gloves for the winter ahead. I’ve practically been running from A to B just to stay warm.
All of this is to say.. anyone else in need of an autumnal themed recipe? I baked up a huge batch of these Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars for a party recently & they were such a hit that I couldn’t not share them here. Think: thick layer of pumpkin pie sandwiched between a brown-butter shortbread base & an oaty crumble topping.
I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t always the biggest pumpkin fan – it’s not a flavour you typically come across here in Ireland, & it took me some time to get used to – but after a series of successful bakes over the years, I am officially a pumpkin convert (thanks Boyfriend). And honestly, I kinda feel that these bars could win over even the most hardened pumpkin haters amongst us.
This is a super easy recipe that comes together in less than an hour. It makes 12 generous servings of lightly spiced, perfectly squidgy pumpkin pie crumble bars that are so buttery you won’t be able to stop at one.
What are you waiting for?
Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars
INGREDIENTS
for the base:
- 170 g salted butter
- 255 g plain flour
- 60 g light brown sugar
for the crumble topping:
- 125 g plain flour
- 45 g jumbo oats
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 115 g salted butter, at room temp
for the filling:
- 400 g pumpkin puree
- 400 g evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
- 2 large eggs, at room temp
- 1 cup caster sugar
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 180C & grease & line a 9 x 9-inch brownie tin with baking parchment; set aside.
- First, make the crust. Place the butter in a saucepan over a medium to high heat & leave to brown. Swirl the butter occasionally. After about 5 minutes, the foam should subside & you should start to see a light brown colour, & it should smell nutty. Remove from the heat & pour into a different bowl to cool to room temperature. (I’m impatient, so our butter was promptly put into the fridge to cool down.)
- In a large bowl, combine the flour with the brown sugar. Pour in the cooled brown butter & mix until a ball of dough forms. Neatly press the dough into the prepared tin until evenly dispersed & bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- Next, make the crisp topping. Using your fingertips, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl until crumbs start to form. Set aside.
- Now the filling. Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Once smooth, pour over the par-baked crust and bake in the oven for 15-minutes.
- After 15-minutes, remove the pumpkin bars from the oven and gently sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top. Return the bars to the oven for a further 20-25 minutes, until the middle still has a slight jiggle and the crumble is a golden brown.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cut into squares and serve with lightly whipped cream. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know! Please leave a comment & a rating below, or tag me on Instagram @imvcki. Thank you so much for supporting Passionate Baker!