Pumpkin Pie Bars are easy dessert bars made with canned pumpkin pie filling and from-scratch crust and topping, that's made in one bowl. The cinnamon crumb topping is irresistible!
Crumb bars are my favorite dessert bars to make ( right next to cheesecake! ), starting with the sour cream bars, their lemon version and of course, the caramel apple bars that are pure indulgence!
These Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars are a cross between pumpkin pie and my coffee cake with crumb topping. The creamy pumpkin filling pairs perfectly with buttery crust and topping. They make for a perfect no-fuss and low-key Thanksgiving dessert or just as a treat with a cup of coffee. I make them for almost all of our fall gatherings and holiday parties. Everyone loves them!
Ingredients:
- butter
- brown sugar
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
- cinnamon
- cloves
- pumpkin pie mix (in a can)
- 1 egg
- vanilla extract
Instructions:
My favorite part of making these Pumpkin Pie Bars is that the crust and the crumb topping are made from one mixture. It's buttery with a perfect amount of cinnamon and cloves.
- Simply mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, reserve about ¾ cup of it for the topping and press the rest into the bottom of a parchment paper-lined baking pan.
- The filling is super easy since we are using a canned pumpkin pie filling, not a puree. Add one egg and ½ teaspoon of vanilla, whisk until smooth and pour over the crust.
- Sprinkle crumb topping over the filling and bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 32 minutes.
- Let cool completely before cutting. You can also cool the bars completely and then refrigerate for up to 2 days or until ready to serve.
Storing
These pumpkin bars can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to serve, up to 3 days. If you want to freeze them, wrap them tightly in saran wrap and place in a freezer-safe ziploc bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
Any leftovers should be covered with saran wrap and stored in the fridge. Let them sit in the room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
What if I don't have pumpkin pie mix?
If you don't have pumpkin pie mix on hand, mix pumpkin puree with ½ cup granulated sugar and 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice mix.
Pumpkin pie mix vs pumpkin puree:
Recipes for pumpkin desserts call for either canned pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin pie mix. You should not substitute one for the other and here is why. Pumpkin puree is just that - clean pureed pumpkin without anything added. Pumpkin pie mix has spices, sugar and milk added and most of the time you only need to add eggs to it and it's ready to be baked in a pie crust.
I bought a large can of pumpkin pie filling and used it to make this irresistible Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip. The rest was used to make these bars. If you are a huge fan of pumpkin desserts, go ahead and make both! You will love them!
More pumpkin recipes:
- My must-try Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
- Pumpkin Lush Dessert Bars
- Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Easy Pumpkin Pie Bars
Ingredients
for the crust and topping:
- ½ c unsalted butter melted cooled to room temperature
- ½ c light brown sugar
- 1 ½ c all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
for the filling:
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin pie mix from a can, not puree
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the 8" square pan by greasing the sides and the bottom. Line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Melt butter in microwave or on the stove and let cool to room temperature.½ c unsalted butter melted
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt.½ c light brown sugar, 1 ½ c all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Add melted butter and mix until crumbly dough forms.
- Reserve about ¾ c of the mixture for the topping.
- Press the remaining dough into prepared pan. Set aside.
- Place all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer and mix until all combined.1 ½ cups pumpkin pie mix, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour over crust.
- Sprinkle with the topping mixture.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
- Cool completely in pan. Cut into squares.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on October 23rd, 2017 and updated on September 7th, 2019.
Hannah says
Everyone loves them! they're so good and so easy.
I made mine in a 9" by 13" pan and just doubled the recipe. It worked great.
Kick says
Great stuff! Wish I could use less butter to cut calories, but no complaints from my family!!
Debbie says
Just made for thanksgiving today, super easy and super delicious. Everyone raved about it
Ashleigh says
Made this for the first time this Thanksgiving. Doubled the recipe and reserved double the crumble for the topping (could have reserved a tad more).
I added pecans to the topping on half of the pan and then drizzled the entire top with about 1.5-2 tbsps of maple syrup.
Increased baking time by about 7 mins. Even my littlest who doesn’t like pumpkin pie loves these. Will definitely make again.
Thanks for the recipe!
Alissa says
Think this would work without the cloves?
Anna says
Yep, feel free to skip cloves. I hope you enjoy the pie bars, Alissa!
LR says
I had some leftover pumpkin pie mix from Pie Academy's Maple-Pumpkin Pie. I used the recipes to make the bars, and OH MY GOSH. This is now a family favourite!
Thank you for the easy-to-follow recipe!
Anna says
I love that! Thank you so much for making my recipe!
kelley geiger says
These bars are baking at the moment. So excited to see how they turn out. I made a pumpkin purée with a sugar pie pumpkin:).
Anna says
Great! I hope you enjoyed the bars! Thank you, Kelley!
Jane says
Big success this Thanksgiving. My guests liked this better than pumpkin pie. I did add a half cup evaporated milk to the pumpkin mix and used 1 1/2 eggs to bind it. I added a cup of roughly chopped pecans to the the top crust before baking. So we had the taste of two TG pies (pumpkin and pecan) in one yummy dessert. Serve with cool whip.
Anna says
We always make these bars instead of the pie too! I am so glad they were a hit! Thank you, Jane!
Hita says
Excellent recipe
Christene says
Great recipe! Easy and fast and SUPER YUMMY! I did add 3-4 Tbsps of crushed hard gingersnap cookie to the crumb mixture as suggested by other reviewers and I liked it. I would not melt the butter - just use softened butter.
Anna says
Thank you for giving my recipe a try, Christene!
B.G. says
Yep, better and easier than pumpkin pie! These bars were a major hit!
Anna says
That's fantastic! Thank you for making my recipe!
Beth says
Hello!
These look scrumptious! I am planning on baking them this weekend for a family get-together. If I want to double the recipe in a 9x13 pan, should I adjust the baking time? Thanks so much for posting such a fun and easy fall dessert!
Teresa says
I took this to a family get together and it was a big hit! Very easy to make and very very good! Would highly recommend it
Anna says
Thank you so much, Teresa! I am so glad the bars were a hit!
Bun says
I accidentally bought pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin purée. I decided to try to find another use for this big can. Am I ever glad I did. I’m pretty picky and this was an absolutely amazing recipe. Illl definitely make it again 🤩
Anna says
I am so glad the bars were a hit! Thank you for making my recipe!