Bready or Not: Pumpkin Spice Bars
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
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.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Almond Croissant Bars
These Almond Croissant Bars can’t match the texture of the real-deal, but the flavors? Oh yeah. Honestly, I think of the pastry base here as a buttery conveyance for the glories of frangipane.
Frangipane is one of my favorite things on the planet. Oh, you ask, what is frangipane? To quote Wikipedia, which has scarily become one of the better media platforms in this doomed timeline: “…A sweet almond-flavored custard, typical in French pastry, used in a variety of ways, including cakes and such pastries.”
Frangipane can be part of some very fancy, complicated desserts. This bar recipe is incredibly straightforward. You don’t even need to wash the bowl between making the crust and frangipane. This is the kind of treat that works well as a dessert but is also a fantastic breakfast or brunch item.
Bready or Not: Almond Croissant Bars
Equipment
- 9×9 or 8×8 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
- uneven spatula
Ingredients
Crust:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Frangipane:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick) room temperature
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour or almond meal, sifted
Topping:
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- confectioners’ sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Melt the butter, either in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven at 350. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan foil to extends up all four sides. Apply nonstick spray to base and sides.
- Mix together the unsalted butter, brown sugar, egg, both extracts, and kosher salt. It will become smooth and glossy.
- Beat in the flour and baking powder to form a thick batter. Spread into an even layer.
Make the frangipane:
- Beat together the butter, white sugar, and kosher salt the mixture is pale and fluffy. Scrape the bottom of the bowl.
- Add the two extracts followed by the eggs one at a time. The mixture may look curdled. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl again. Fold in the almond flour, mixing until everything is smooth.
- Dollop the frangipane over the base layer and smooth out using an uneven spatula. Evenly sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top and gently press in.
Bake and finish:
- Bake until golden brown and passes the toothpick test in the middle, 38 to 42 minutes. Let cool completely. Speed process in the fridge.
- Use foil to lift the contents onto cutting board. Sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Cut into pieces. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Date Sugar Chocolate Chip Bars
I bought a bag of date sugar for a recipe and then had to figure out what else to make to use up the bag. Cue my experimentation with cookies, which then led to a superior version: these Date Sugar Chocolate Chip Bars.
The date sugar I used was very light and powdery in texture. It tastes sweet in a different way than other sugars, and tends to create a dense texture, kind of like brown sugar. I didn’t get any aftertaste from it.
My husband took my experiments to work, and people gobbled them up. These bars taste different, yes, but are also still delicious, and so people still ate them even though they didn’t know what made them strange.
Bready or Not Original: Date Sugar Chocolate Chip Bars
Equipment
- plastic wrap
- 8×8 or 9×9 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature
- 3/4 cup date sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
Instructions
- Cream together the butter and date sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything.
- In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until no white streaks remain. Fold in chocolate chips and date pieces.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for at least 8 hours, overnight, or a few days. Alternatively, it can also be frozen and then thawed in the fridge.
- When it’s baking time, line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with foil. Apply nonstick spray or coat with soft butter. Preheat oven at 325 degrees.
- The cold dough will be quite stiff. Leave at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then break into pieces to press into prepared pan, forming a thick, even layer.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test.
- Let cool completely. Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board. Slice into bars. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Browned Butter Rye Chocolate Chip Bars
I’ve made this Browned Butter Rye Chocolate Chip Bars recipe about, oh, five times as I type this up. I have witnessed people go absolutely bonkers over how good these things are.
This is not an especially photogenic recipe. At a glance, the bars look like they may be made of whole wheat, which doesn’t exactly excite people. But then they bite in.
Rye flour gives a complex, nutty flavor. The browned butter amps that up. There is not a ton of sweetness within the bars, though the coarse sugar on top adds some glitter and dazzles the tongue.
I’ve found this is a great recipe to make ahead of time, too, and freeze fully baked stacked inside gallon freezer bags.
Bready or Not Original: Browned Butter Rye Chocolate Chip Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
- waxed paper
- heavy glass
Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1 and a half sticks
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3 cups medium rye flour
- 2 cups chocolate chips any kind or a mix
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar for topping
Instructions
- Place butter in a pot on stove. Gently warm to melt, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the butter is browned. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, combine both sugars, salt, vanilla extract, and baking soda. Beat in the egg until everything becomes smooth and creamy.
- Add the browned butter, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything. Mix in rye flour. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Dollop the dough into the pan. Use hands to press out as evenly as possible. Place a small piece of waxed paper on top, then use a heavy glass on top of that to fully compress dough, making sure to get all of the edges. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top.
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until dough is set. Remove from oven. Cool completely before slicing into bars.
- These bars will keep well at room temperature, in a sealed container, for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen soon after baking, and will thaw fast for a treat at a future date.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Honey Nut Apple Bars
Most apple bars have, well, apples in them, the fresh sort. This Honey Nut Apple Bar recipe is different. It uses a small amount of apple butter or applesauce, and that little but goes a long way.
These bars are imbued with apple flavor, spice, and honey sweetness, all of which perfectly complement the crunchy walnuts throughout.
This is a bar that’d be great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Bready or Not Original: Honey Nut Apple Bars
Equipment
- 13×9 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Bars
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1/4 cup apple butter or applesauce
- 1/4 cup runny honey
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Icing
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 Tablespoons runny honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil. Add nonstick spray or grease with butter.
- In a bowl, combine both flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the oil, egg, apple butter, and honey. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, scraping the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the walnuts.
- Spread batter in pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the middle passes the toothpick test. Immediately make the icing. Spread over the bars; it may look lumpy at first, but the heat will smooth it out as it is evened.
- Cool bars completely, speeding the process in the fridge if desired. Use foil to lift bars onto cutting board to slice up; place waxed paper between stacked layers. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Mocha Almond Bars
If you enjoy soft, chewy, crunchy blondies, this Mocha Almond Bars recipe is for you! It looks pretty, too, thanks to glaze on top.
I hate coffee as a drink, but I love the flavor in baked goods. That’s very true here. There is something magical about the combination of vanilla, sugar, and almond with espresso powder.
This recipe makes a 9×13 pan, so perfect to feed a small crowd!
Bready or Not Original: Mocha Almond Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 cup sliced almonds divided
Glaze
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons half & half
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with aluminum foil. Spray nonstick spray or coat with butter.
- Beat butter in a large bowl. Add vanilla and egg. Add flour, sugar, and espresso powder. Scrape bottom to make sure dough incorporates everything. Fold in 3/4 cup sliced almonds.
- Press dough evenly into the pan. Sprinkle remaining almonds over the top. Gently press in.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the middle passes the toothpick test. Cool completely, speeding the process in the fridge, if desired.
- Combine the glaze ingredients, adding more confectioners’ sugar or half & half to reach a thick consistency. Drizzle glaze over the pan. Cool completely, until glaze solidifies.
- Use foil to lift onto a cutting board to slice into bars. Store in a sealed container, using waxed paper between stacked layers.
