Is anyone else having a canned pumpkin shortage in their area? Because if there’s one thing I need at this time of year it’s canned pumpkin. And if there’s one thing I can’t find right now, it’s canned pumpkin. I’m starting to freak out. Luckily, I had one can on stock from last year and my mom donated one to me that she had. Phew.
Anyway, my point is, I have to be careful with my pumpkin until I know for sure I can find it. But when I saw Joy the Baker’s Pumpkin Pie Bars, I immediately knew I had to use one can for them. HAD TO. And I’m so, so glad I did.
The bars are fairly simple to make and are incredibly delicious.
Here’s what you need for Pumpkin Pie Bars:
- 1 1/3 C flour
- 3/4 C granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 C packed brown sugar
- 3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter
- 1 C old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
- 1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)
- 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
- 3 eggs
- 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
- 1 T pumpkin pie spice
- 1 t vanilla extract
- 2 t bourbon (optional)
- a handful of butterscotch or chocolate chips for sprinkling on top (optional)
I said the walnuts are optional mainly because I didn’t have any. I was going to use the chopped almonds you see above, but then I didn’t like the looks of them and just kept them out all together. A bit more crunch would have been fun, but not totally necessary. The bourbon is also optional. I have a ridiculous amount of alcohol in my kitchen and kind of just assumed I had bourbon in there. I did not. It would have made a nice touch though. Next time!
First you’ll make the crust. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, 1/4 C of the white sugar, and all of the brown sugar. Then cut in your butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I still don’t have a pastry cutter, so I usually use my (clean) hands; it’s the easiest for me!
Yes, it’s a lot of butter. But it’s fall. You need to keep warm somehow. Then you add in the oats and nuts if you so desire.
You’ll want an 8×13 inch pan. It’s fun if you put tinfoil in it with the ends extending over all sides. That way you can easily lift it out and if you grease the foil, nothing will stick! Save 1 cup of the oat mixture aside. Then take the rest and press it into your pan.
Bake that at 350 for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, you can make the pumpkin filling. Beat together your cream cheese, remaining white sugar, eggs, vanilla, bourbon (if you’re feeling a little crazy), pumpkin, and pumpkin spice until smooth and combined.
I had some cream cheese lumps in mine, but c’est la vie. I knew it would still be delicious.
Once your crust is ready to come out of the oven, pour the pumpkin mixture on top. Then sprinkle with the remainder oat mixture. AND butterscotch chips. They’re optional, but they’re really not. You could use chocolate too, but I’m telling you, butterscotch is the way to go!
I have no idea why I don’t indulge in this combination more often. Pumpkin and butterscotch is heavenly.
Bake that for another 25 minutes and then let it cool for 10.
And then dig in right away because it’s way too good not to.
These bars are basically just like pumpkin pie, but much more portable and fun. They’re like the updated, modern version of pumpkin pie.
Even better if you set it next to a pumpkin! This seriously made me feel so festive and happy. It’s perfectly chilly here in Boston today and pumpkin pie bars just felt like the right thing to do.
I have a feeling I’ll be making these Pumpkin Pie bars many more times this season. Assuming I can find canned pumpkin and majorly stock up on it. If any Boston-area people have pumpkin info. for me, please let me know! You’ll want to find it for yourself too; so you can make these!
Happy fall 
[Sues]
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Those look amazing- I love all things pumpkin! I just got some pumpkin at Shaws in the Prudential the other day.
We made a pumpkin bisque at my restaurant last week. It was very popular. When we needed to run out for more canned pumpkin, we hit the same roadblock you did. Apparantly, there is a nation wide pumpkin shortage… to much rain this summer. This could be a rumor, but it sounds reasonable, that the US is considering importing pumpkins from other countries to have enough for Halloween and Thanksgiving.
I can’t find pumpkin either! I’ve been searching the grocery stores for weeks now. I’ve even searched in other towns when we visited my family and my in-laws. Come back, pumpkin!
I absolutely love the past few blogs on pumpkin. Its one of my favorite things of fall – from pumpkin lattes to pumpkin ice cream to pumpkin cheesecake. I picked up a great pumpkin mandarin marmalade from Wholefoods last week. You should check it out. In the meantime, I’ll give this recipe a try!
mmmm i love all things pumpkin. i think that’s kind of a new englander requirement. ive made something similar to these, sans pumpkin- they were boozy blondies and i used jack daniels which you can always substitute for the bourbon too. mmm, cant wait to make them!
This makes me want to leave work immediately to go home and make them. Wow! I guess it doesn’t help that I haven’t eating breakfast yet!
I think I want to make these next weekend for a friends birthday.
seriously, yum! so bummed about the lack of pumpkin in stores though! i know the s&s in coolidge was out the last time i was there. don’t they know we need it??
There WAS a pumpkin shortage! But hopefully, it is now over. I just got some at S&S in Watertown. Funny, I thought I was the only person who thought this – check out my post from the other day. I talked to Libby’s! There was a shortage – you guys weren’t imagining things! http://healthychow.com/2009/09/30/hoard-the-gourd/
Wow that looks so good.
I found your blog recently and have enjoyed reading it (mostly because I also live in Boston and we seem to share the same love of food and good restaurants). Anyway, for the past two months I have been looking for canned pumpkin like nobody’s business….sadly, not to make delicious pumpkin bars, but rather to feed my dog (for any dog owners out there, canned pumpkin helps dogs become more ‘regular’ and ‘firm’. tasty). BUT, I recently discovered where all of Boston’s canned pumpkin lives…..the nasty, carpeted Johnny’s Foodmaster outside Inman Square in Somerville. They even have TWO sizes of cans – regular and jumbo. Please wait until tomorrow to go there so i can snag some cans after work…thanks a bunch. erin
Oooh, I made these last winter for a holiday party and my friends gobbled them right up! Gooooood stuff and a fun twist on pumpkin.
PS-there is a sweet potato cheesecake that i’ve made a few times that is TO DIE FOR (and has kind of a pumpkin taste, esp because I use half sweet potato/half pumpkin mix). YOU MUST TRY IT…http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1119574
I can’t find canned pumpkin either and it’s driving me crazy – ugh! Your bars look amazing!
wow, that looks incredible! there’s pumpkin at the store by me… maybe i should buy them out
Yum! I’ll be trying these this week!
Also, I second the Shaws in the Pru- I found canned pumpkin there recently (although they were running low).
A shortage of canned pumpkin at this time of year might be the most devastating thing ever! None at the Stop and Shop on Harvard, and just ONE CAN at the Shaw’s on Beacon. It is unbelievable, and I am desperate for the shelves to fill up again! Especially so I can try this recipe. Holy sweetness!
These look delicious and you are not the only person having trouble finding canned pumpkin!
I was in Stop and Shop yesterday and when I went down the baking aisle all I could find was the prepared pumpkin. Eeek… I started to fret! I asked one of the employees where all the pumkin was and he informed me there was a crop failure so there is a mega shortage. If you see any, buy it in bulk!!
what a great fall treat! love the new look of your blog too
These look yummy and rich. Love the chips and crispy topping.
I think there really is a canned pumpkin shortage in my area. I can’t find it anywhere! Need canned pumpkin pronto!!
I made this recipe last night for my roommates and they absolutely loved them! They ate the whole tray and I can wait to make another batch.