With the start of fall we welcome cooler temperatures, changing leaves, and warm autumn spices. To celebrate the season and all of its spiced glory, let’s make pumpkin streusel bars. They’ve got big pumpkin flavor and 3 decadent layers—like pumpkin pie bars or pumpkin bars all dressed up. You’ll love the crunchy gingersnap crust, creamy pumpkin/cream cheese filling, and brown sugar cinnamon streusel topping. Don’t forget the vanilla icing!
These Pumpkin Streusel Bars Are:
The epitome of dessert bars Perfectly pumpkin spiced and you can absolutely use a homemade pumpkin pie spice blend A texture lover’s dream Drizzled with vanilla icing Simple to make and serve Easier than baking an entire pie or cheesecake
Overview: How to Make Pumpkin Streusel Bars
Here’s a quick overview of the process—scroll down for the full recipe.
Make the gingersnap crust. It’s a pretty thick layer so be sure to pre-bake it before adding the filling. I also love using a gingersnap cookie crust in my pumpkin swirl cheesecake. For an alternative, try the graham cracker crust included in my lemon blueberry cheesecake bars recipe—it yields the perfect amount of crust for today’s bars. Make the pumpkin filling. Spiced pumpkin pie meets creamy, thick cheesecake. I like to add cream cheese to this layer not only to get that cheesecake taste, but to give the center some structure. You’ll appreciate how creamy the filling is—the perfect contrast to the crunchy crust and crumbly streusel topping. (By the way, here are recipes to make with leftover pumpkin puree!) Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust. Make the streusel topping. It’s actually the same topping we use for apple pie bars! Sprinkle this evenly over the filling. Bake. The bars are done when the edges are lightly browned and the center is set. Chill the bars. Cut into squares. To serve, you can drizzle with vanilla icing or top with whipped cream.
Optional Icing
A drizzle of sweet vanilla icing is totally optional and definitely encouraged. 🙂 I like to prepare the icing just before cutting the bars into squares, then drizzle onto each before serving. You can also use whipped cream instead.
More Perfect Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Muffins & Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies & Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Pumpkin Roll Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipes to Make With Leftover Pumpkin Puree
For even more inspiration, here are my 30+ best pumpkin dessert recipes.
