Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 2 cups butter (slightly softened)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (to be added to the top layer)
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix*)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
  • 3 tablepoons butter (melted)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour

Instruction

  • Make the shortbread crust. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 2 cups of butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
  • Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. Beat another minute until soft and fluffy. There should be no butter chunks.
  • Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.
  • Add the 4 cups of flour 1 cup at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides each time. You might think this is too much flour but I promise, it's not! Just use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides and work in all the floury crumbles at the bottom.
  • Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray. Divide the dough into two, one portion a bit larger than the other. Press the slightly larger portion of dough into the bottom and about an inch up the sides of the pan.
  • Chill the dough pressed in the pan for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Once the dough pressed into the pan has chilled, bake it at 350 for about 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool for a few minutes (it's okay if it's a little warm when you pour on the pumpkin.)
  • Meanwhile, add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts to the slightly smaller portion of dough. Mix it together, then cover and chill in the fridge. (I transfer this walnut-dough to a new bowl and store it in the fridge, so that I can use the mixer bowl for the pumpkin filling)
  • Make the pumpkin filling. You can do it in the same bowl that you did the shortbread in if you scrape it out well. No need to wash. Add 2 cups pumpkin puree*, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon cardamom (optional). Whisk it all together until smooth.
  • Pour the pumpkin filling into the baked crust. I spread it to within about a half inch of the edges.
  • Get the walnutty dough out of the fridge. Use your hands to break up the dough into chunks about the size of a quarter, some bigger some smaller. Cover the top of the pumpkin, it's ok if some pumpkin peeks through.
  • Make the streusel. In a small bowl melt 3 tablespoon butter. Add 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup flour and mix together with a fork to create small crumbles.
  • Sprinkle the streusel over the crumble evenly.
  • Bake the pumpkin pie bars at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, until the streusel it lightly browning and the bars don't jiggle when you shake the pan.
  • Let cool completely before serving at room temperature or chilled. You can stick it in the fridge to speed this up!