Featured comment
After making a recipe 3 times in the last month I figured I should at least comment and add to the amazing reviews. Super easy, even my friend who refuses to cook made these and loved them, and so delicious. We are down to our last two slices so batch #4 may be in our very new future! LOL
Danielle
Time for a quick poll.
Pumpkin Pie: yes or no?
How To Make Our Pumpkin Dessert Bars:
For me?
Pumpkin: Yes.
Pie: No.
But it feels like pumpkin pie is the right thing to do at Thanksgiving, so I usually take a piece and just eat the pumpkin filling, because hi, I’m 8 years old and I pick my food apart. And then even though I don’t love pie in general, I like the apple pie better than the pumpkin pie, which gets confusing because then which piece should I take? And then Grandma sometimes takes us all for a ride by bringing a chocolate French silk pie, which is so overwhelming and wonderful that usually I just end up with multiple slices of pie and the significance of pumpkin pie is lost somewhere between the caramel apple pie filling and the whipped cream with chocolate shavings.
I am totally in love with the idea of pumpkin pie, but I am not totally in love with pumpkin pie.
But this.
This golden brown buttery pan of glory is a staple at our house during Thanksgiving, and no, it’s not a pumpkin pie. It’s a soft, sweet pumpkin-pie-esque base (see the bottom?) topped with a dense buttery yellow cake topping that’s part crumbly, part cakey, part buttery. Oh, wait. Did I say buttery already?
Side note: this weekend I had a phone call with my best friend back home and at least three minutes of our long-distance conversation was spent talking about BUTTER. I.am.not.kidding. This is my life.
But these pumpkin dessert bars. It satisfies every pumpkin-loving bone in my body, and also every butter and cake craving I’ve ever had in my life. It takes Thanksgiving nostalgia to new heights.
Gahhh.
If you’re going to make this, you have to be ready to not have any leftovers. In theory that would be a good thing, but for this, not so much. My Filipino neighbors, who are usually the recipients of my baked goods, are only moderately excited about the taste and texture of pumpkin. That means there’s a lot of individual pumpkin dessert bar hoarding happening right now, right here, in this very apartment.
Even with the palm trees and the hot sun staring me down from the window, I knew it was fall as soon as I had a bite of this in my mouth.
This year I’m thankful for desserts that are easy and insanely good.
Pumpkin Dessert Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
Description
These pumpkin dessert bars are so easy! A yellow cake mix makes this a fast, simple, and totally addicting alternative to pumpkin pie.
Ingredients
- 1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 beaten eggs
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 tsp. cloves
- 1 15-ounce box yellow cake mix with pudding
- 2 sticks butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the pumpkin, evaporated milk, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Pour mixture into a 9 X 13 pan.
- Sprinkle dry cake mix over top and pour melted butter evenly over the top.
- Bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until the middle is set.
Notes
If you notice the top is browning more than you want during baking, just cover the pan with foil, making a tent shape so that the foil doesn’t touch the topping.This time, I just used a regular cake mix (not one with pudding) and it was still delicious!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 90 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin dessert bars, pumpkin bars, easy pumpkin bar recipe
One thing I forgot to acknowledge: the aluminum cake pan that I’ve been using (for this AND the chocolate cake) since I’m too cheap to buy a real cake pan that I would only use for 6 more months before we move back home.
So, there’s that.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Wow, these look amazing, Lindsay. 🙂 I happen to be a big fan of pumpkin pie, but I think I might like these even more.
That dense buttery yellow cake topping is where it’s at for me! Looks fabulous! I will always choose pumpkin bars of some sort over pie – more diverse and more going on, which I like!
I’ll eat pumpkin anything. Well, as long as it’s dessert. I don’t get down with pumpkin in real food. That’s just wrong, man.
But, this? This cake? Yes. I will eat every last piece.
This looks yummy, I hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving. I know what it’s like not being around family during the holidays. Glad you are making delicious recipes that remind you of home. I’m not a pumpkin pie lover myself, actually I’m only used to having pumpkin in savory dishes but I am embracing the American pumpkin desserts and trying a variety of recipes. Thanks for the post and I’ll come back and let you know how it turns out.
This dessert is definitely a YES!
It reminds me of a Pumpkin ooey gooey butter cake! Yummy!
Mmmmm this sounds so yummy!!
this is one of my favorite thanksgiving recipes – we call it pumpkin crunch instead though. it’s also amazing with a little dollop of whipped cream too. yum!
Anything with pumpkin and 2 sticks of butter is good in my book! I’ll have to make this for a large group or I would also eat the entire pan 🙂
I have the exact same feelings towards pumpkin pie! Especially the whole “multiple slice” phenomenon it seems to cause on my plate.
I love the idea of keeping pumpkin dessert (it IS Thanksgiving after all), but choosing your favorite pumpkiny treat. Who said it had to be pie? Pumpkin cheesecake is my pick this year!
Great recipe and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I’m really loving this! Pumpkin pie is good, but I’m actually thinking this is better!! May have to change things up this year (which seems to be the trend for my fam this year)
ooh man, the poll question. tough one. i love the IDEA of pumpkin pie, and i truly love pumpkins, but… i don’t know, i’ve never been crazy about pumpkin pie. maybe the portions are always overwhelming? these dessert bars are more appealing to me. though!
hehe, i just noticed how much capitalizing idea made it look like IKEA. (i know, random.)
I’m not much of a pumpkin pie fan but I can totally get on board with these cakey-bars! I’d eat every single last piece.
Yummy Yes I believe I will be making this instead of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert!
I am right with you; I love pumpkin but the pie just doesn’t do it for me. These bars sounds delicious.
Um. Did you just make a brownish-orange dish in foil pan look phenomenal? You ARE good.
Lol – I meant to call myself out on the foil pan and then forgot. I don’t have a rectangular baking pan here and I’m too cheap to buy one! 🙂
These look wonderful. Any ideas for a vegan substitute for the evaporated milk?
I will eat just about anything that has pumpkin in it! This looks so good and that crunchy top–yum!
this sounds like one of my recipes.nice spending time with the family for Romao and seeing your pics. G’ma R .
Thanks Grandma! I wish I could be there to have Thanksgiving day together with you!
Yes, on the pumpkin pie, but only on Thanksgiving. 🙂
This looks INSANELY delicious!!…sigh if only i liked pumpkin!!:/
Looks amazing! I definitely agree on the pumpkin pie thing… big fan of pumpkin, but somehow pumpkin pie never does it for me. Maybe this year will be different?
I pretty much love anything made with pumpkin. What a great dessert!
I am same way pumpkin – yes. Pie – no. This looks so good!
I just don’t care for pie crust – it does nothing for me. I would pick cake or cupcakes or a pastry over pie any day.
First time in your blog and you’ve got me hooked with this idea. I LOVE pumpkin pie and I might just have to try these out.
Can I use less butter and sugar without changing taste too much?
We haven’t tried that out yet, but we probably wouldn’t recommend it here.
this looks amazing!! I love your idea for crumbly on top of pumpkin!!