Easy Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars

Pumpkin pie bars with shortbread crust and oatmeal crumble topping are a fun twist off of classic pumpkin pie. Any pumpkin lover is going to devour these!

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Ingredients

FAQs

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Bars with Shortbread Crust

Imagine your favorite pumpkin pie filling sandwiched between buttery shortbread cookie crust and brown sugar oatmeal streusel. These dreamy pumpkin pie bars are the perfect combination of textures, flavors and deliciousness. Topped with homemade vanilla whipped cream… you’ll be licking your plate clean! Or using a fork like the distinguished person you are. But still. These pumpkin pie bars are heavenly and I wouldn’t put it past anyone.

This recipe was inspired by The Cozy Plum. When I saw Callan share her pumpkin pie crumble bars on Instagram, I knew I had to make my own version! Pumpkin pie has been one of my favorite desserts since I was a kid. I love crumble bars of any kind. And this concept speaks to me on so many levels. For one, I would bake everything in my 8x8" baking dish if I could. Plus, cutting a pie into squares is 10 times easier than cutting perfect slices from a round pie dish.

How To Make Shortbread Crust

Shortbread is the base of these bars. It reminds me of a sugar cookie and pie crust. To make the shortbread crust, beat softened butter and sugar for a few minutes. Next, add in flour, vanilla and salt and beat to combine. The dough will be sticky and dense. You’ll end up using your fingers to spread and press the shortbread dough in your baking dish to form the crust.

How To Make Pumpkin Pie Filling

This recipe is based on my go-to pumpkin pie filling! I made a few tweaks to the filling in my pumpkin pie with a gingersnap cookie crust. To make the pumpkin mixture, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, greek yogurt, milk, brown sugar, white sugar, salt and spices. Your mixture will be thin, smooth and easily pourable.

How To Make Oatmeal Streusel Topping

Now here’s where things get even more fun! You could just stop now and simply make the shortbread and filling. But, if you want to add even more flavor and texture to these decadent pie bars, you’re going to want to make this oatmeal streusel topping.

To make the topping, combine brown sugar, rolled oats, flour, melted butter, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Adding a crumble topping to these pumpkin bars is a fun way to switch things up if you’ve been baking the same old pie recipe for years. If you’re still not feeling the crumble topping, no worries! You can leave it out and these bars will still be amazinggg.

Topped with Homemade Whipped Cream

Fresh whipped cream is magical. It's so simple, yet so delicious. I think the only downside to making homemade whipped cream is that it often splatters a bit outside of the bowl, so my countertops need an extra wipe-down. But let me tell you… it’s so darn worth it, every time.

Freshly made whipped cream is so light and airy and has the perfect hint of vanilla. If you don’t typically make your own whipped cream, I encourage you to try it this time! It’s honestly super easy and comes together in just a few minutes.

Tips & Tricks

• Cool the crust: Let your shortbread crust cool before adding the pumpkin filling. If you add cold filling to a hot crust, you may get flecks of cooked egg in your pie filling.
• Use room temperature ingredients: Use room temperature eggs and milk when mixing your filling and let your filling mixture rest on the counter while you wait for the crust to cool down. This way, you won't have a cold filling that gets poured into a warm crust. Room temp ingredients are almost always the way to go! It's okay if your greek yogurt is straight from the fridge though.
• Making whipped cream: Use a mixing bowl that has tall sides when you beat your heavy whipping cream. This helps contain the heavy whipping cream and makes less of a mess.
• Serving: To make these bars look elegant and appetizing, use a piping bag and 1M piping tip to get perfect swirls of fresh whipped cream in the center of each bar.

Ingredients

• canned pumpkin
• eggs
• milk
• greek yogurt
• butter
• granulated sugar
• flour
• rolled oats
• cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• vanilla extract
• salt

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use a graham cracker crust instead of shortbread?

Definitely! A graham cracker crust would be delicious in this recipe. You could even use crushed up gingersnap cookies. Click this link to check out my gingersnap cookie crust recipe.

Can I use canned sweet potatoes or yams?

I have not tested canned sweet potatoes or yams. However, I think they would work great in this recipe. The flavor and texture will probably differ a bit, but I think you could make this work if that's all you have or you prefer these flavors to pumpkin.

Can I make this recipe into a traditional pie?

Yes! You could easily make this recipe in a pie dish instead of in bar form. I haven't tried this yet, so I'm not sure exactly how it would turn out.

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

You can make this recipe gluten-free by substituting all-purpose flour for a gluten-free all-purpose flour that is 1:1. I recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour. I have not tested this recipe with any other flour, but I think this one could work. You would also need to use gluten-free rolled oats.

More Fall Recipes:

• Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
• Sweet Potato Cornbread
• Healthier Pear Muffins
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you make these pumpkin pie bars, be sure to tag #bakedabundance on Instagram. We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below and rate the recipe. We appreciate you! 

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