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Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie Bars: Easy Fall Dessert

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie Bars - featured image
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These salted caramel pumpkin pie bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, silky spiced pumpkin filling, and glossy salted caramel topping. They are easy to make, slice cleanly, and are perfect for fall entertaining.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin puree
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposite sides. Lightly grease the parchment with butter or cooking spray.
  2. Make the crust: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces still visible. If doing by hand, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly.
  3. Press the crust into the pan: Dump the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press it down firmly and evenly. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Make the pumpkin filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, heavy cream, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until smooth.
  5. Pour the filling over the crust: Gently pour the pumpkin mixture over the pre-baked crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles just slightly when you shake the pan. A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean.
  6. Cool completely: Place the pan on a wire rack and let the bars cool to room temperature (1-2 hours). Then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  7. Make the salted caramel: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and cream, whisking constantly until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and flaky sea salt. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
  8. Assemble and slice: Once the bars are fully chilled, lift them out of the pan using the parchment handles. Pour the slightly warm caramel over the top and spread evenly. Let the caramel set for about 15 minutes, then slice into 16 squares. Wipe your knife between each slice for clean cuts.

Notes

Don’t skip the chilling step before adding the caramel, or it will sink into the filling. Watch the caramel closely to avoid burning. Use cold butter for the crust. For a crowd, double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan, increasing baking time by about 10 minutes for the crust and 5-10 minutes for the filling.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bars, salted caramel, fall dessert, pumpkin pie bars, easy dessert, Thanksgiving dessert

Find it online: https://spoonluma.com/salted-caramel-pumpkin-pie-bars-easy-fall-dessert/