Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars (Printable)
Buttery crust layered with spiced pumpkin maple filling and topped with brown sugar cinnamon streusel. A rich autumn dessert ready in one hour.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Crust
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
04 - 1/4 tsp salt
→ Filling
05 - 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
06 - 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
07 - 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
10 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
11 - 1/4 tsp salt
→ Streusel Topping
12 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
13 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
14 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
15 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
16 - Pinch of salt
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in cold butter using a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
03 - Bake crust for 10 minutes until lightly set. Remove from oven and set aside.
04 - Whisk together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt until completely smooth and well combined.
05 - Pour the pumpkin mixture evenly over the pre-baked crust. Spread with a spatula to create a smooth, even layer.
06 - Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in a small bowl until crumbly and well combined.
07 - Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the pumpkin filling. Bake for 30 minutes until the center is set and the topping is golden brown.
08 - Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, lift out using the parchment paper overhang and cut into 16 bars.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The combination of maple syrup and brown sugar creates deep caramel notes you cant get from regular pumpkin pie
- These bars strike that perfect balance between rich dessert and something you can eat with your morning coffee
- The three layer texture, crisp crust, velvety filling, and crumbly topping, makes every bite interesting
02 -
- Dont rush the cooling step, cutting these while warm is the number one mistake that makes them fall apart
- The center should still have a slight jiggle when you take them out, they firm up considerably as they cool
- Room temperature ingredients for the filling prevent little cooked egg specks in your smooth pumpkin layer
03 -
- Weighing your flour and pumpkin puree ensures consistent results every single time
- The parchment paper overhang is your friend, use it to lift the whole batch out before cutting