Ultra Fudgy Pumpkin Bars
First I made these bars using lemons, then bananas, now pumpkin. Why not? Everything is better after it’s been pumpkin-ified. Fudgy is the only word that describes the pumpkin bars. They’re like biting into a piece of super soft pumpkin fudge that’s crossed with the pumpkin equivalent of moist, fudgy brownies. They’re rich, soft, supremely moist, and tooth-sinkingly dense and satisfying. If you’re looking for a fluffy slice of pumpkin cake, they’re not that. They’re closer in texture to Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars, minus the chocolate chips, yet have an even fudgier texture. Funny how that works. The bars are packed with rich pumpkin flavor and the glaze makes the bars go from really good to life-changing. Lately I’ve been topping everything I can with the glaze because it’s just that good. The secrets are browned butter and glorious vanilla bean seeds. They’re such powerfully flavored ingredients, and flavor just explodes from the glaze. Between the warming spices of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, coupled with the glaze, I was in fall comfort food heaven. I loved the bars, hoarded them, and was sad to see the last one go.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Bars
To make these moist pumpkin bars, you’ll need:
White chocolate chips Unsalted butter Egg Granulated sugar Vanilla extract Pumpkin puree Pumpkin pie spice Cinnamon All-purpose flour Salt Confectioners’ sugar Vanilla bean paste Cream or milk
Can I Use Pumpkin Pie Filling Instead of Puree?
You could possibly use pumpkin pie filling rather than pumpkin puree if you were to re-adjust the sugar ratios and experiment with things. However, the two aren’t interchangeable as written.
How to Make Glazed Pumpkin Spice Bars
These really are the BEST pumpkin bars I’ve ever eaten. Here’s an overview of how they’re made: After pouring the glaze over the warm bars, it seeps down and soaks in, and makes the bars even moister, softer, and fudgier. As a bonus, they taste even better on the second and third day, if they last that long!
Can I Double This Recipe?
Very easily! Simply double the ingredients and use a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Can I Substitute the Glaze?
A few readers have commented saying they swapped out the brown butter glaze for more traditional cream cheese frosting. While I love the glaze as is, you’re more than welcome to top the pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting if preferred. I recommend making this cream cheese frosting recipe, if you want to go the homemade route. (You’ll need to halve the recipe!).
How to Store Pumpkin Bars
Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Recipe Variations to Try
Sub the glaze: Try frosting the pumpkin spice bars with cream cheese frosting instead of the browned butter glaze. Adjust the spices: I wasn’t shy with the pumpkin pie spice in this recipe, so feel free to add less (or more!) as you see fit. Use homemade pumpkin puree: Just note that homemade puree is sometimes thicker than the canned stuff, so you may need to tweak the ingredients slightly if the batter is too thick. Add mix-ins: These spiced pumpkin bars are perfect as is, but I imagine mini chocolate chips or finely chopped nuts could be stirred into the batter if desired.
Tips for Making Fudgy Pumpkin Bars
Browning the butter: If you’ve never browned butter, read this tutorial. The 5 minutes it takes to do is the best 5 minutes you’ll spend all month. I used vanilla bean paste but scraping the seeds of a vanilla bean works. Vanilla: Vanilla extract is okay, but won’t be as flavorfully intense as paste or seeds. White chocolate: Be very careful when melting the white chocolate in the microwave. It’s very prone to scorching and seizing up, so watch it carefully and don’t overheat.
More Pumpkin Spice Desserts:
ALL OF MY PUMPKIN RECIPES! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars — Super soft and are like biting into a piece of rich pumpkin fudge! Loaded with chocolate and crazy good!!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache – The softest, moistest and best pumpkin cake! Easy & everyone loves it!
Cream Cheese-Filled Pumpkin Bread — Pumpkin bread that’s like having cheesecake baked in! Soft, fluffy, easy and tastes ahhhh-mazing!
Soft Pumpkin Praline Bars – SUPER soft pumpkin bars studded with chocolate chips, candied pecans, and plenty of pumpkin pie spice!! A FAST and EASY dessert that feeds a crowd for your fall and winter celebrations!!
Pumpkin Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting – Soft, fluffy and so much better than another loaf of plain banana bread!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies — Between the molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin pie spice extract that I used, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies beautifully showcase the flavors of fall!
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — Moist pumpkin cake is topped with a creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. This easy fall dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween, and more!
