There’s no denying it’s pumpkin spice season, so let’s make it official with these Pumpkin Spice Bars.
They do not use pumpkin puree, but instead use pumpkin butter or pumpkin spread, the kind of thing that is found near jams or in special seasonal areas of grocery stores. For these pictures, I used Pumpkin Maple Spread from Aldi.
This is a fast recipe to put together. The confectioners’ sugar in the dough results in a powdery, soft texture. A lot of bars that look like this tend to be dense, but this reminded me more of a light coffee cake.
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Spice Bars
These Pumpkin Spice Bars don’t use pureed pumpkin, but instead use pumpkin butter or spread. I used Pumpkin Maple Spread, a seasonal item from Aldi.
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats also called old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks) room temperature
- 12 ounces pumpkin butter or spread, about 1 1/2 cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and add nonstick spray.
- In a big bowl, combine flour, oats, confectioners’ sugar, pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Use fingers or a knife with fork to mash in the butter until the mixture starts to turn clumpy.
- Press about 3/4 of the dough into the pan. Press down with hands, or use a piece of waxed paper and a heavy glass. Spread the pumpkin butter/spread on top using an uneven spatula. Crumble the reserved dough over the top.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Top should just be tuning golden and pass the toothpick test in the middle. Cool to room temperature, speeding process in fridge, if desired. Use foil sling to lift onto a cutting board to slice into bars.
- Store sealed at room temperature or in fridge. Best eaten within 2 days.
