Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars (Printable Version)
Buttery crust topped with spiced pumpkin maple filling and crumbly brown sugar streusel
# What You Need:
→ 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
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and salt. 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.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
05 - Pour filling over the pre-baked crust and spread evenly.
06 - Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the pumpkin mixture.
07 - Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center is set and the topping is golden.
08 - Cool completely in the pan, then lift out and cut into bars.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of maple and pumpkin creates this incredibly deep caramel flavor you cant get from pumpkin alone
- That buttery crust stays tender even after days in the fridge, which means these actually taste better on day two
02 -
- Cutting these before they're completely cool is the number one mistake, the filling needs time to set up properly
- The streusel will look too thick when you add it, but it bakes down into the perfect crumbly layer
03 -
- Use room temperature ingredients for the filling to prevent lumps from forming
- Let the crust cool for about 5 minutes before adding the pumpkin, so it doesn't melt the butter too much