A friend of mine brought a version of these Pumpkin Dessert Bars to my annual pumpkin party years ago. Ever since I have been playing with the recipe here and there trying to make a “from scratch” version. Well, I think I have finally cracked it, a little spicy, a lot pumpkiny, and the pecan and whipped cream put it over the top!
What you need
The ingredient list is fairly simple, I know it looks a little long, but that is just cause I like to really spice it up. I typically keep all of these spices in my drawer anyway so it is easy to amp up the flavor with them.
The recipe, when broken down, is a pumpkin custard bottom layer, the cake mix layer on top with some sprinkled on pecans and some butter. I am not really sure that I have ever made a true “dump cake” but a friend tells me that is what this is. Whatever it is, I call it delicious!
The custard is made up of pumpkin, eggs, milk, and sugar, simple ingredients that blend together to make THE BEST texture. Then you have what is essentially a spice cake mix that gets layered on top. The butter on layer makes the cake get a little crunch to it and toasts the pecan perfectly.
When it comes to baking, I like to use a very square pan so that I get nicely defined edges. THIS PAN is professional quality and one that you will reach for the rest of your life. It is an essential size in my opinion and every kitchen should have one!
Now if you want to roast your own pumpkin for these, I have a great tutorial on that HERE. And for all the PUMPKIN goodness you could ever want, share in my love for the autumnal gourd by checking out my PUMPKIN SECTION of the blog with all my favorite recipes.
These Pumpkin Dessert Bars one of my very favorite pumpkin recipes and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Pumpkin Dessert Bars
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can Pumpkin
- 1 12 oz can Evaporated Milk
- 3 lg Eggs
- 1 C Sugar
- 1 T Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 2 C AP Flour
- 1 t Baking Powder
- 1 t Baking Soda
- 1/2 t Kosher Salt
- 1 T Cinnamon ground
- 1 t Nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 t Ginger ground
- 1/2 t Allspice ground
- 1/4 t Cardamom ground
- 1/4 t Cloves ground
- 1 t Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 C Light Brown Sugar tightly packed
- 1 1/2 C Pecans chopped
- 12 T Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 C Heavy Cream + 1/4 C Powdered Sugar whipped for topping
- Pie Spice for dusting
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350˚F and grease a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and pie spice until smooth and pour into the bottom of the pan.
- Create the dry cake mix by combining the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cardamom, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar in a bowl. Whisk together until evenly combined.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the pumpkin mixture and top with the pecans. Pour the melted butter evenly over top.
- Bake 50-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. When in doubt, cook this one 5 minutes longer than you think, just to be sure that it is completely cooked through. Cool completely before cutting.
- Cut the cake into bars, dollop with whipped cream, and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice to serve.
Notes
If you make this recipe, please let me know by leaving a review at the bottom of this page!
And make sure to sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more KendellKreations!
MY LATEST RECIPES!
Get my NEW e-Cookbook here!! ⬇️
MY FAVORITE KITCHEN TOOLS!
Here are a few links to some of my favorite kitchen tools! You get a car, YOu get a car, YOU ALL GET A CAR…in my best Oprah voice
These Rösle Silicone Tongs are a little pricey but they will last you the rest of your life and are the softest in your hand. This is important for someone like m that cooks so much. It reduces strain, I have 4 sets in my kitchen!
These are my FAVE Nordic Ware Sheet Pans, every kitchen should have at least 2 sets of these! I think I have at least 4 of each of these.
This is my favorite pressure cooker, the Fagor is the same concept as the “Instant Pot” but easier to use in my opinion, if you don’t have one you NEED one, it will be your best friend in the kitchen!
A sharp knife is the most important tool in the kitchen, these Japanese steel “Shun” knives are my favorite! And this is a great starter set to build on. Once you try them you will be in love so use this as a foundation you can build on for years to come.
This Scanpan 11″ skillet is just the right size for almost anything you will need to cook and my best friend and a real workhorse in my kitchen, it’s also a great deal at $99. Scanpan is the best in the world for healthy cooking. It is coated with a proprietary ceramic-titanium coating that is durable while allowing you to use fewer fats and oils when cooking. It is a coating only they use. I could talk all day about my love for these pans, message me if you want more info. Here are some other sizes that are available if you are looking to outfit your kitchen with some new goodies. 8″ & 10″ Skillet set or 8″ Skillet, I still need this one for my kitchen Also, I don’t really know how to cook small so the 12.5″ is my other fave!
This giant vat of olive oil is my favorite, I decant it into a smaller bottle for my counter. Or put this spigot on top of a wine bottle!
My favorite baking dish that is so easy to clean even burnt on cheese slides right off!
This Tovolo jar scraper has to be my single favorite kitchen tool, it is definitely the most used tool in my kitchen. If you are NOT a gadget person, this is the only necessity I say is a MUST beyond the wooden spoon.
A great wood spoon is essential, this Olive Wood one is my favorite, I have more than I can count. But can you really ever have too many?
A food scale can be a very important tool in your kitchen, this one is the one I use every day!
If you love Joanna Gaines as much as I do then the ‘Magnolia Table Cookbook’ is a must in your kitchen, get a copy HERE!
Leave a Reply