These pumpkin crumb bars are as delicious as they look.
The first layer is a light oatmeal crust with a creamy spiced pumpkin center and a layer of crumbly, buttery oats on top.
These bars are my favorite Thanksgiving dessert, and I think they'll become yours, too.
How to make pumpkin crumb bars
Featured Ingredients
- Flour and oats: Make up the base of the crust and crumble topping.
- Leavening agents: Baking soda and eggs.
- Sugar: Dark brown sugar is the best option in this recipe. The molasses flavor is perfect with the pumpkin and warm spices.
- Butter: You can't go wrong with melted butter, brown sugar and pie spices.
- Vanilla: Flavor, flavor, flavor.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Provides sweetness and richness.
- Evaporated milk: The perfect baking milk!
- Pumpkin puree: Grab a can of puree versus pie filling.
- Pumpkin pie spice: A delightful mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. YUM!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, salt and baking soda.
- Stir in the brown sugar and mix until no clumps remain.
- Stir the vanilla into the melted butter and pour mixture over dry ingredients.
- Using a spoon, stir mixture until evenly moistened. If it's too dry, add 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time until it has a pie dough-like consistency.
- Sprinkle half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased 8×8 baking dish and gently press into an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk, pumpkin puree, eggs and pumpkin pie spice until well blended.
- Pour mixture over crumb crust in baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle top evenly with the remaining crumb mixture.
- Bake an additional 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature.
- Once the bars are cool, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour, then remove and cut into squares.
- Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe Substitutions and Alterations
- For the flour: Use any baking flour, like all-purpose, whole wheat white, whole wheat pastry, oat or gluten free all-purpose flour.
- For the oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats.
- For the sugar: Use dark or light brown sugar (best option) or granulated sugar. For a lower sugar version, use a brown sugar substitute made with stevia or erythritol.
- For the sweetened condensed and evaporated milk: Use any variety (low fat, fat free, etc.).
- For the pumpkin pie spice: You can also use a mixture of ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and a pinch of ground cloves.
Nutrition Considerations
- To make these gluten free: Use gluten free all-purpose flour and certified gluten free oats. Be sure all other ingredients you choose are gluten free.
- To make these nut free: This recipe does not contain nuts. Be sure all ingredients you choose are nut free.
- To make these egg free: Try using an egg replacer such as Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer or make a flax 'egg' (although I have not tested this).
- To make these lower sugar: Try a brown sugar substitute made with stevia or erythritol
Fall desserts to swoon over
- Ginger Pear Coffee Cake
- Apple Crisp Shortbread Bars
- Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie
- Blackberry Pear Cobbler
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins
- Oatmeal Apple Butter Cookies
Pumpkin Crumb Bars
A layer of oat crumble, a layer of pumpkin pie filling and another layer of oat crumble, baked to perfection!
- Prep Time: 1 hr
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
- Yield: 12 Bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 ¼ cups flour*
- 1 ¼ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ice cold water (optional)
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, salt and baking soda.
- Stir in the brown sugar and mix until no clumps remain.
- Stir the vanilla into the melted butter and pour mixture over dry ingredients.
- Using a spoon, stir mixture until evenly moistened. If it's too dry, add 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time until it has a pie dough-like consistency.
- Sprinkle half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased 8×8 baking dish and gently press into an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk, pumpkin puree, eggs and pumpkin pie spice until well blended.
- Pour mixture over crumb crust in baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle top evenly with the remaining crumb mixture.
- Bake an additional 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature.
- Once the bars are cool, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour, then remove and cut into squares.
- Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Substitution Tip: Use any baking flour, like all-purpose, whole wheat white, whole wheat pastry, oat or gluten free all-purpose flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 229
- Sugar: 29g
- Sodium: 129mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 41mg
Keywords: crumb topping, healthy, canned pumpkin, easy, whole wheat, holiday, seasonal, simple
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