Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars – A Delightful Dessert Treat

Delicious Two-in-One Dessert

If there’s one thing we love about Thanksgiving, it’s all of the desserts. Our family enjoys an assortment of traditional pies, including classic pecan pie, alongside less-traditional favorites like pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin cream cheese pie. This recipe for pumpkin pecan pie bars comes from my friend Erin over at Texanerin Baking. She shared the recipe with us several years ago, and it has remained a favorite ever since.

Combining two classic Thanksgiving pies into a single, mouthwatering dessert is a delightful experience that you won’t want to miss.

Fuss-Free Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars

After researching various combinations of pumpkin and pecan pies, I opted for creating bars instead of a pie or mini pies, which proved to be time-consuming. These pumpkin pecan pie bars bring together the best of both worlds with minimal fuss!

The star of these bars is the unique crust, reminiscent of a sugar cookie. It includes half a cup of sugar, making it far more delightful compared to ordinary pie crusts. Plus, if you have gluten-free family members, this treat can be easily adapted by using a gluten-free flour mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour.

How to Make Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars

Despite having three components—the crust, pumpkin pie filling, and pecan topping—these bars are simple to prepare.

Ingredients

• ½ cup room-temperature unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 gluten-free baking mix

For the pumpkin pie filling:

• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 large room-temperature eggs

For the pecan topping:

• ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 gluten-free baking mix
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup room-temperature unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
2. For the crust, cream together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, salt, and flour, mixing on low to combine.
3. Press the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 15-17 minutes, until it lightly browns around the edges. Allow cooling for 15 minutes.
4. Prepare the pumpkin filling by combining all ingredients except eggs. Once blended, add the eggs and whisk well.
5. For the pecan topping, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Incorporate the butter and combine with chopped pecans.
6. Evenly pour the pumpkin filling over the cooled crust and sprinkle the pecan topping on top.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, until the topping is crisp and the filling is set. Let cool completely before slicing into bars.