Pumpkin Crumb Bars Recipe
These pumpkin crumb bars are everything I love about fall baking. They’re buttery, gently spiced, and incredibly easy to make. You get a soft, smooth pumpkin pie filling and a nutty brown butter shortbread crust. They’re simple to throw together. No rolling, no blind baking, no pastry. Just press the crumb into the pan, pour in the filling, and scatter the rest of the crumb over the top.
They bake into tidy squares with crisp edges and a custardy middle, and once they’ve chilled, they slice like a dream.
Ingredients you need
Here’s a run down of what you need. You can find the full amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step-by-step instructions
- Melt and brown your butter and pour it into a heat-proof bowl, keeping all those beautiful caramalized brown bits.
- Let the butter chill until solidified but still soft enough to press a finger into it.
- Whisk it until light and creamy with an electric mixer, then add in the brown sugar and whisk again. Mix in the flour and salt to form a crumbly dough.
- Press two-thirds of the crumb into a lined pan, and bake for 15 minutes. Once baked let it cool to room temperature.
The filling
- Whisk together the pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, salt and spices.
- Pour the filling over the base. Sprinkle the remaining crumb over the top, squeezing some together to make bigger clumps of shortbread.
- Bake until the centre is set and the top is golden.
- Let them cool to room temperature, then chill for at least four hours before slicing, or ideally overnight.
Let the crumb chill
Once it’s baked the shortbread and the filling will be very very soft. The pumpkin crumb bars need ample time to chill and firm up. Not only for clean slicing, but also because you want the shortbread to crisp up again in the fridge so it adds a textural difference to the soft and creamy pumpkin filling.
FAQs about pumpkin crumb bars
Tips & Tricks
- Brown the butter properly: Cook the butter over medium heat until the solids turn golden brown and it smells nutty. Keep stirring and don’t walk away because it can burn quickly near the end. See my post on how to brown butter.
- Don’t skip the black pepper: It won’t make the bars spicy. It just deepens the spice mix and makes everything taste warmer and more rounded.
- Chill before slicing: The bars are soft when warm but firm up nicely in the fridge. They slice clean and hold their shape when cold.
Variations
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling or crumb for texture
- Swap in pumpkin spice if that’s what you have on hand
Pumpkin Crumb Bars
These pumpkin crumb bars are everything I love about fall baking. They’re buttery, gently spiced, and incredibly easy to make. You get a soft, smooth pumpkin pie filling and a nutty brown butter shortbread crust.
Ingredients
Brown butter crumb (base + topping)
- 227 g unsalted butter
- 100 g brown sugar
- 290 g all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
Pumpkin filling
- 425 g pumpkin puree
- 395 g sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it foams and the milk solids turn amber brown. Pour into a bowl and let cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until solidified but you can still press a finger into it. 227 g unsalted butter
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 20×20cm (8×8 inch) pan with baking paper. Leave an overhang so you can easily lift the bars
- Cream the brown butter until fluffy, then add in the brown sugar and mix until combined. 100 g brown sugar
- Mix in the flour and salt until a soft, crumbly dough forms. It will be very crumbly but should hold together when pressed. 290 g all-purpose flour ,1/4 tsp salt
- Press about two-thirds of the crumb mixture evenly into the base of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove and let cool to room temperature while you prepare the filling.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, condensed milk, eggs, spices, salt, and black pepper until smooth. 425 g pumpkin puree, 395 g sweetened condensed milk, 2 large eggs, 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp fine salt, 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- Pour the filling over the base and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture all over the surface, clumping some together with your hands to make bigger chunks of shortbread.
- Bake for around 45 minutes until the centre is just set and the top is golden. If the top is browning too fast, loosely cover with foil.
- Let cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours before slicing.
Notes
Chill before slicing: The bars are very soft when warm but firm up nicely in the fridge. They slice clean and hold their shape when cold.
Both metric and US customary conversions are provided, use the toggle at the top of the recipe card to switch between the two.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 118mgPotassium: 188mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 4589IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 1mg
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