Fudgy Pumpkin Spice Bars đđ are rich, dense, and supremely moist, like pumpkin fudge crossed with fudgy brownies. A browned butter vanilla bean glaze makes them completely irresistible!
Easy Fudgy Pumpkin Bar Recipe
- Fudgy is the only word that describes the pumpkin bars. Theyâre like biting into a piece of super soft pumpkin fudge that’s crossed with the pumpkin equivalent of moist, fudgy brownies.Â
- They’re rich, soft, supremely moist, and tooth-sinkingly dense and satisfying. If youâre looking for a fluffy slice of pumpkin cake, theyâre not that.Â
- The bars are packed with rich pumpkin flavor and the glaze makes the bars go from really good to life-changing.Â
- Lately I’ve been topping everything I can with the glaze because it’s just that good. The secrets are browned butter and glorious vanilla bean seeds. They’re such powerfully flavored ingredients, and flavor just explodes from the glaze.Â
- Between the warming spices of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, coupled with the glaze, I was in fall comfort food heaven. I loved the bars, hoarded them, and was sad to see the last one go.
Ingredients in Fudgy Pumpkin Spice Bars
- White chocolate chips and unsalted butter: These make the bars extra rich, dense, and fudgy. Be careful when melting white chocolate because it can scorch or seize if overheated.
- Egg, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, since the two are not interchangeable as written. I use plenty of pumpkin pie spice for bold fall flavor, but you can adjust the spices to taste.
- All-purpose flour and salt: These dry ingredients give the bars structure while keeping them soft and fudgy.
- Confectionersâ sugar, browned butter, vanilla bean paste, and cream or milk: These make the browned butter vanilla glaze. Vanilla bean paste or vanilla bean seeds give the glaze the best flavor, but vanilla extract works in a pinch.
- Optional variations: You can top the bars with cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze, use homemade pumpkin puree if the batter consistency looks right, or stir in mini chocolate chips or finely chopped nuts.
How to Make Fudgy Pumpkin Spice Bars
- These soft, dense pumpkin bars are made with melted white chocolate for an extra fudgy texture, plus a browned butter vanilla glaze that soaks right into the warm bars.
- Melt the white chocolate, then stir in the egg, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin, and warm spices.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir until the thick pumpkin batter comes together.
- Turn the batter into an 8×8-inch pan and bake until the bars are set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Make the vanilla browned butter glaze while the bars finish baking, then pour it over the warm bars so it seeps in and makes them even softer, moister, and fudgier.
Fudgy Pumpkin Spice Bars with Vanilla Bean Browned Butter Glaze
đđ Rich, dense, and supremely moist, these bars are like pumpkin fudge crossed with fudgy brownies. A browned butter vanilla bean glaze makes them completely irresistible!
Equipment
Ingredients
Bars
- ž cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ž cups all-purpose flour
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
Glaze
- Âź cup unsalted butter, browned (how to brown butter tutorial
- 1 heaping cup confectionersâ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- about 1/4 cup cream or milk, or as necessary for consistency
Instructions
Make the bars:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl add the white chocolate, butter, and heat to melt, about 2 minutes on high power. Stop to check and stir after 1 minute, and then heat in 20-second bursts, stopping to stir after each burst, until mixture can be stirred smooth. White chocolate is very prone to scorching and seizing up, so watch it carefully and donât overheat.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you donât scramble it. Add the egg, sugar, vanilla, and whisk until combined.
- Add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and whisk until combined.
- Add the flour, optional salt, and stir until just combined; donât overmix.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. In the last 10 minutes of baking, make the glaze.
Make the Glaze:
- Brown the butter (click for tutorial). Cook butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan until itâs amber to brown in color, about 5 minutes depending on pan size, but watch it closely so you donât burn it. I swirl the pan in the last minute or so to make sure I can really see the color changes. Butter will go through stages of hissing, sputtering, and making noise until the water cooks off at which point the browning occurs. Butter will smell nutty and aromatic.
- Transfer butter, including brown bits at the bottom of the pan (theyâre flavor powerhouses, keep them) from pan to large mixing bowl which stops any carryover cooking.
- Add the confectionersâ sugar, vanilla bean paste, optional salt, and slowly add the milk, whisking until smooth or beat with a handheld electric mixer. As necessary, add additional cream (or confectionersâ sugar) to reach desired glaze consistency. Glaze should be of medium thickness and easily pourable.
- Evenly pour glaze over bars (they donât have to be cooled first), smoothing it lightly with a spatula if necessary, but glaze will likely just slide into place.
- Allow bars to cool in pan uncovered for at least 2 to 3 hours, (or overnight and cover with a sheet of foil) before slicing and serving so glaze can set up.Â
Notes
To store: Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Adapted from Fudgy Banana Bread Bars and Lemon Lemonies.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 346cal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 58mg, Sodium: 60mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Pumpkin Spice Desserts:
If you havenât already pre-ordered it, Cooking With Pumpkin: Recipes That Go Beyond the Pie is my second cookbook. There are over 50 pumpkin recipes including sweets, savory, drinks, and a photo for nearly every recipe. Iâd be super grateful if you headed over to Amazon.
Soft Pumpkin Praline Bars â SUPER soft pumpkin bars studded with chocolate chips, candied pecans, and plenty of pumpkin pie spice!! A FAST and EASY dessert that feeds a crowd for your fall and winter celebrations!!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies â Between the molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin pie spice extract that I used, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies beautifully showcase the flavors of fall!
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting â Moist pumpkin cake is topped with a creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. This easy fall dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween, and more!
I thought the lemon and banana versions looked amazing….and now pumpkin! What a versatile recipe!! I’m having a hard time keeping up with all these fabulous bars. Jon is a little lukewarm about pumpkin when it comes to dessert (I think he’s had mediocre pie so has never been thrilled) but I have a feeling these could change his mind. The texture is right for his taste.
I didn’t know that about Jon and pumpkin. Scott was the same way when I was writing the cookbook but I honestly think he really came around. Maybe some of the recipes will sort of twist Jon’s arm. But these bars are definitely one I wish I had thought of two years ago when I was writing the book. Totally belong in it, IMO! :) They are so fudgy, dense. Like a fudgy pumpkin brownie, minus the chocolate fudge part!
I’m making these ASAP! I have leftover pumpkin from your pumpkin coffee cake that I made this weekend – my father-in-law said it was the best coffee cake he’s ever had! I’m loving your new book :)
Oh that is so awesome that you’re baking from my cookbook AND that it’s the best coffeecake your FIL has ever had! Thank you for LMK!
Mmmm, another tasty recipe topped with that perfect glaze!!
I can’t wait to make my first pumpkin dessert of the fall – this looks like the perfect recipe!!
First one? I started back in July…LOL :) Welcome to fall!!
I love all of your fudgy bars! This pumpkin version needs to happen soon! Gorgeous! Pinned!
Thanks, Anna!
Is it Oct6 yet? I’m sure your cookbook is going to fly off shelves and out of amazon!! Perfect timing for a perfect cookbook. And these “fudgy” bars look awesome! Wish I could sink my teeth into one right now.
Aimee I hoarded these things :) I loved them, wish I had put them in my book!
Amazon actually shipped my book to people already b/c Dorothy, Roxana, Chung-Ah and other friends have written to say they already have my book, which is pretty crazy that there’s that much difference in the in-store date vs. the Amazon shipping date!
Wowwww! Super fab and again I can only ask why this pesky job always interferes with my baking fun!
LOL that is so true. I hate it when real life gets in the way of making desserts too :)
What a perfect bars!
averie, I just love what you do with bars = so glad I have pumpkin still in my fridge
Perfect way to use it up! :)
You have taken fudgy to the max!!! I can’t get enough of these bars! And that glaze looks fabulous.
Oh, lawdy, I want a bite…or five! These bars look amazing.
Autumn recipes are the best. This looks like another winner. I’ve said it before … I can’t keep up with the number of great recipes you put out! Plus the ones I want to repeat because they are so good …
I canât keep up with the number of great recipes you put out! Plus the ones I want to repeat because they are so good ⌠<--- I kind of feel the same way. LOL I sometimes wish I could just re-make things, and re-post them, because I loved them that much. But that wouldn't exactly be super interesting for my readers :)
Everything is definitely better when it’s been pumpkin-ified!! These look like pure heaven, oh so fudgey and with a browned butter glaze – yea I wish I could reach into the screen right now!
These DO look so fudgy! And that glaze looks spectacular.
You’re all about bars lately and I’m LOVING it! I’d choose fudgy over cakey any day.
I go in spurts with them and lately it’s either bars or cookies :)
What the what?! I have to try this asap!! I’ve never baked with vanilla bean seeds, and you have me now running to the store to find them so I can make these. YUM!