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Pumpkin Pie Bars

Moist pumpkin pie bars with spiced filling and buttery shortbread crust.
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All the cozy flavor of classic pumpkin pie—no fussy crust. Buttery shortbread base, ultra-smooth spiced pumpkin filling, and optional whipped cream. Easy to make, easy to slice, perfect for sharing.

Ingredients

Scale

Shortbread Crust

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Pumpkin Filling

  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Optional Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

No pumpkin pie spice? Mix 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cloves.

Instructions

  1. Prep pan: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment, leaving overhang for easy lifting.
  2. Make crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter; pulse to coarse crumbs. (Or cut in butter with a pastry cutter.) Press firmly and evenly into pan. Bake 15 minutes until lightly golden at edges.
  3. Filling: In a large bowl whisk pumpkin and eggs until smooth. Whisk in heavy cream, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt.
  4. Bake: Pour filling over hot crust. Bake 35–40 minutes until edges are set and center still has a slight jiggle (like set gelatin). A knife near center should come out mostly clean.
  5. Cool & chill: Cool in pan to room temp (about 2 hours). Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to fully set.
  6. Finish: Lift out via parchment, slice into bars, wiping knife between cuts. Whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks and dollop on top if desired.

Notes

Approx per bar (1/16 pan): 215 kcal, 3g protein, 20g carbs, 14g fat, 1g fiber, 12g sugar. Tips: Use pure pumpkin, not pie filling. Don’t overbake—slight center jiggle prevents cracks. For cleaner slices, chill overnight and use a hot, dry knife. Variations: gluten-free—use 1:1 GF flour; dairy-free—coconut oil in crust + full-fat coconut milk in filling; lower sugar—reduce crust sugar to 1/4 cup and sub brown sugar with coconut sugar or monk fruit blend. Storage: fridge up to 5 days; freeze individually wrapped bars up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin pie bars, shortbread crust, fall dessert, easy pumpkin dessert, Thanksgiving bars

Find it online: https://harmonymeal.com/pumpkin-pie-bars/