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Pumpkin Pie Cake Bars

These pumpkin pie cake bars are like two desserts in one. Cake like bottom topped with a moist pumpkin pie top sprinkled with powdered sugar. Perfect for Thanksgiving!

These pumpkin pie cake bars are like two desserts in one. Cake like bottom topped with a moist pumpkin pie top sprinkled with powdered sugar. Perfect for Thanksgiving!

As I type this I’m sitting in Gina’s living room drinking wine and watching Save the Last Dance.

Good lord I love this movie. Before tonight I had not seen it since high school. I always wanted to come into a club and dance around the haters. But, in reality I really dance Uncle Buck. You know the scene – where John Candy is dancing around with the neighbor. He is holding out his arms and just sorta shuffling from side to side.

Yeah, that’s me.

I will never pop into a club and be able to get down (and actually look cool) to a Ice Cube song. But I will play said Ice Cube song on repeat and pretend to dance amazingly in my living room. With the shades closed. Obvi.

These pumpkin pie cake bars are like two desserts in one. Cake like bottom topped with a moist pumpkin pie top sprinkled with powdered sugar. Perfect for Thanksgiving!

Oh and did you remember Kerry Washington was in this movie? It dawned on me right before we started to watch. She goes from teen mom/dancing enthusiast to Olivia Pope extraordinaire.

How is that for a change.

These pumpkin pie cake bars are like two desserts in one. Cake like bottom topped with a moist pumpkin pie top sprinkled with powdered sugar. Perfect for Thanksgiving!

So what does a pair of 32 year old girls do while drinking wine and watching movies that were popular during our high school years? Eat, obvi #thisis32.

I brought over some of these pie bars because my husband happens to be out of town and I knew that if I left them at home I would just sit and eat them by myself. Real life yo.

These bars are pretty unique since they combine a bit of a cakey bottom mixed with a pie texture top. It’s the perfect combination of fall flavor for your face.

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Pumpkin Pie Cake Bars

These pumpkin pie cake bars are like two desserts in one. Cake like bottom topped with a moist pumpkin pie top sprinkled with powdered sugar. Perfect for Thanksgiving!

Yield: 8x8 pan

Prep Time: 20 minutes1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For crust:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 tablespoons browned butter

For filling:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 4 tablespoons browned butter
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper.

For crust:
In the bowl of a mixer add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Give it a little mix to combine.

Add in vanilla bean paste, egg and browned butter. Mix until the dough sticks together and can be pressed together. When you first start mixing it will be very crumbly looking. Just keep mixing and it will come together.

Take dough and press into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

Rinse out mixer bowl to use for the filling.

For filling:

In your mixer bowl add cream cheese and pumpkin puree. Mix until smooth and combine, about 1 minute.

Add in eggs, vanilla bean paste and browned butter. Mix until combined.

Finally, mix in dark brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.

When the mixture is smooth and combined pour into the pan with the crust.

Bake for about 1 hour until the center is just slightly jiggly.

Let cool until room temperature, cut into bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

Jennie @themessybakerblog

Friday 31st of October 2014

Yup, great movie. I'm all about dancing when no one is looking. These bars look amazing--so moist! Pinned.

Jessica (Savory Experiments)

Thursday 30th of October 2014

Pumpkin pie cake bars would be a super hit in my home. Your photo is gorgeous and so creative, too!

Samantha

Wednesday 29th of October 2014

Okay that second pic (as well as all of them, but especially the second!) is lovely! It has this dreamy quality to it and I love that green mug. Plus, the recipe sounds amazing. You're so cool.

Amanda@TheKitcheneer

Wednesday 29th of October 2014

These pumpkin pie cake bars are genius! I don't blame you for sharing! I would eat them all too!

kellie @ The Suburban Soapbox

Wednesday 29th of October 2014

I dance with the blinds wide open...I've reached the age where I just don't care anymore. My neighbors think I'm insane but I bet I could change their minds if I made them some of these cake bars. Pumpkin Pie Cake Bars that look like you could use to rob a bank. Holy cow these look amazing!

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