Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars (Printable version)
Buttery crust meets spiced pumpkin maple filling topped with brown sugar streusel for ultimate fall comfort.
# Ingredient list:
→ 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
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
02 - Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
03 - Bake crust for 10 minutes until lightly golden.
04 - Whisk together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt until completely smooth.
05 - Pour filling over the pre-baked crust and spread evenly with a spatula.
06 - Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter until crumbly mixture forms.
07 - Sprinkle streusel evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Bake for 30 minutes until center is set and topping is golden brown.
08 - Cool completely in the pan, then lift out using parchment paper and cut into 16 bars.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture hits every note at once with crisp streusel giving way to creamy pumpkin filling that tastes like someone distilled fall evenings into dessert form
- These bars strike that perfect balance between impressive enough for guests but simple enough for a Tuesday night when you need something sweet
02 -
- Cutting these bars while they are still even slightly warm will give you jagged edges instead of clean squares, so I pop mine in the refrigerator for an hour before slicing
- The streusel might seem like too much when you are sprinkling it on, but it bakes down and the bars need that generous layer to balance the creamy filling
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients for the filling are non-negotiable because cold eggs can cause the mixture to separate slightly, creating a less smooth texture
- Let the bars cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating, because putting warm pumpkin directly into the fridge creates condensation that makes the crust soggy