Pumpkin Pie Bars

By Samantha Seneviratne

Updated October 24, 2023

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
50 minutes plus 5 hours’ cooling and chilling
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes, plus 5 hours’ cooling and chilling
Rating
4(650)
Comments
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Pumpkin pie bars boast the same creamy, spiced pumpkin filling as a classic pumpkin pie but in slightly different proportions. A traditional pumpkin pie has about 3 inches of filling and a mere quarter inch of pastry, but a pie bar offers a more even ratio of base to filling. This recipe starts with gingersnap cookie crumbs mixed with a bit of flour, butter and sugar to transform the bottom into something more akin to a soft cake. Topped with the perfect amount of sweet pumpkin filling, these bars are a lighter, more casual version of the classic. For a little extra flavor, add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger to the cream before whipping.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 to 24 bars

FOR THE CRUST

  • Butter, for the pan

  • 10 ounces/284 grams gingersnaps

  • ¼ cup/32 grams all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • ¼ cup/57 grams unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING

  • ¾ cup/165 grams packed brown sugar (light or dark)

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • Pinch ground cloves

  • 1 (15-oz) can pumpkin purée

  • 1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk

  • ½ cup/120 milliliters heavy cream

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 1 ½ cups/360 milliliters cold heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

29 grams carbs; 67 milligrams cholesterol; 285 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 1 gram fiber; 208 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 20 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two long sides.

  2. Step 2

    In a food processor, combine the gingersnaps, flour, sugar and salt and process until the crumbs are finely ground. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are evenly moistened.

  3. Step 3

    Tip the crumbs out into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake until the crust is toasted and set, 8 to 10 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and cloves. Add the pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, and cream and whisk to combine. Pour into the warm baked crust.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until the filling is set but still jiggles slightly in the center, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 4 hours.

  6. Step 6

    Make the topping: With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Using the parchment overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. To serve, top the bars with whipped cream and cut into bars. Cover and refrigerate any untopped leftover bars for up to 3 days.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
650 user ratings
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Comments

jess

Made these last night and just tried one! I did sub Biscoff cookies for the ginger snaps as that’s what I had (added 2tsp ground ginger). Came out great! However, I don’t think 20-30 min is accurate baking time. They were still basically liquid at 20 min, and at 30 they were closer to done but my guess is it’s more like 35 min at 350. I let them cool for 30 min in the oven with the oven turned off and door cracked and then finished the hourlong cooling at room temp before refrigerating.

Genevieve Ko

Apologies, all! Technical glitch, but the ingredients are all in now. Happy baking!

William Wroblicka

This is a great dessert for people who love dessert but may feel guilty eating dessert. Consider: It's relatively lean (if you don't count the cream), low in sugar (if you don't count the cookies), and even manages to incorporate almost a pound of a healthy vegetable rich in beta carotene, Why, it's practically a health food :-)!

Julie

These were a hit at my Thanksgiving. I started the bake at 425 for 10 minutes and then turned down to 350 for 20 minutes. No issue setting but I did cut the cream by 1/2 as it seemed very thin. Also did not cover w whipped cream as I had it available on the side.

Rose

The pumpkin custard was good, the crust wasn't that tasty. I'm going back to my regular pumpkin pie recipe.

Milan

While the flavor of these bars was lovely, I found they did not cook through and were near soupy in the middle! I cooked the bars 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe called for, but ended up having to cut and serve only the edges.

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