Pumpkin Pie Bars — Easy Sliceable Pumpkin Pie for a Crowd

Pumpkin pie bars give you everything people love about pumpkin pie — the smooth, spiced custard, the buttery crust — without the pie dish, the blind baking, or the wobble of slicing a deep pie at the table. The filling is pressed and baked in a single 9×13 pan over a simple shortbread crust, chilled until it sets cleanly, and cut into neat bars that can be picked up, stacked on a platter, and served to a crowd without a single cracked top. They travel better than pie, they freeze better than pie, and because they are made a day ahead as a matter of method — the chill is what makes them sliceable — they quietly remove one whole dessert from your Thanksgiving-day list. Top each bar with a small dollop of whipped cream and nobody at the table will ask where the pie went.

More one-pan pumpkin baking? Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake is the other crowd-sized option.

Why This Recipe Works

• A press-in shortbread crust instead of pastry: no rolling, no chilling the dough, no blind bake — you press it in, give it a short head-start bake so it stays crisp, and pour the filling straight over.
• The filling is the classic ratio — one large can of pumpkin to one can of evaporated milk — because that ratio is exactly what sets into a smooth, sliceable custard in a shallow pan.
• Baking in a shallow pan is the bar advantage: the custard layer is thinner than in a deep pie, so it bakes evenly, sets without cracks, and chills faster.
• The chill is part of the recipe, not an afterthought: warm bars cut ragged; fully chilled bars cut with clean edges and hold their shape on a platter.

Ingredients

Shortbread crust

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, melted

Pumpkin filling

• 1 can (29 oz / 822 g) pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling) — or two 15 oz cans
• 1 can (12 fl oz / 354 ml) evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup (150 g) packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

To serve (optional)

• lightly sweetened whipped cream

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides for lifting the slab out later.
2. Make the crust: stir the flour, sugar and salt together, then stir in the melted butter until a soft, even dough forms. Press it firmly and evenly into the base of the pan (the flat bottom of a measuring cup helps). Bake 18–20 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden.
3. While the crust bakes, whisk the filling: pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs and yolk, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla and salt — whisk until completely smooth, but stop once it comes together; over-whisking adds bubbles.
4. Pour the filling over the hot crust and smooth the top. Return to the oven and bake 40–45 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre still has a slight jiggle when the pan is nudged (a knife inserted near the centre should come out mostly clean).
5. Cool completely in the pan on a rack, then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight — this chill is what makes the bars slice cleanly.
6. Lift the slab out by the parchment, cut into 15 bars with a long knife (wipe the blade between cuts for clean edges), top with whipped cream if you like, and serve cold or at cool room temperature.

Tips, Substitutions & Storage

• Purée, not pie filling: canned pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and pre-spiced and will throw the whole recipe off. The can for this recipe should say 100% pumpkin. For more on the difference, see Martha Stewart’s guide to pumpkin purée vs. pumpkin pie filling.
• Cracked top? Usually overbaking or a too-hot oven. Pull the bars when the centre still jiggles slightly — the filling finishes setting as it cools and chills.
• Spice your way: no pumpkin pie spice on hand — use 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cloves in its place (keep the extra 1 tsp cinnamon in the recipe too, or adjust to taste).
• Crust variations: swap 1/2 cup (63 g) of the flour for finely crushed gingersnap crumbs for a spiced crust, or add 1/2 cup (45 g) finely chopped pecans to the crust mixture.
• Make ahead is the method: these bars are designed to be made 1–2 days before serving and kept refrigerated — the flavour deepens and the slices get cleaner.
• Storage: cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.
• Freezing: freeze the cut bars (without whipped cream) in a single layer, then pack into a sealed container for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Ideal for baking ahead of Thanksgiving week.

For pumpkin at breakfast, try Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.

FAQ

Do pumpkin pie bars need to be refrigerated?

Yes: the filling is an egg-and-milk custard, so the bars must be refrigerated — at least 4 hours to set, and stored covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can I make pumpkin pie bars ahead for Thanksgiving?

They are built for it: bake 1–2 days ahead, chill, and slice on the day. They also freeze well for up to 2 months.

Why did my pumpkin bars crack on top?

Overbaking is the usual cause. Take them out while the centre still has a slight jiggle; the custard sets as it cools. A shallow pan and an accurate oven temperature help too.

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?

Yes: roast and purée a sugar (pie) pumpkin, then drain the purée in a fine sieve for 30 minutes — fresh purée is wetter than canned and needs that step to set properly. You need about 3 1/2 cups (840 g).

How many bars does this recipe make?

Fifteen generous bars from a 9×13 pan (5 rows by 3), or 24 smaller two-bite bars for a dessert spread — one pan easily covers a holiday crowd, which is the point of bars over pie.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Pumpkin pie bars with a buttery shortbread crust and smooth spiced filling — all the flavour of pumpkin pie, sliced from one pan, no pie dish needed.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Chilling Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings: 15 bars

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Shortbread crust

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, melted

Pumpkin filling

• 1 can (29 oz / 822 g) pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling) — or two 15 oz cans
• 1 can (12 fl oz / 354 ml) evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup (150 g) packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

To serve (optional)

• lightly sweetened whipped cream

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides for lifting the slab out later.
2. Make the crust: stir the flour, sugar and salt together, then stir in the melted butter until a soft, even dough forms. Press it firmly and evenly into the base of the pan (the flat bottom of a measuring cup helps). Bake 18–20 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden.
3. While the crust bakes, whisk the filling: pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs and yolk, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla and salt — whisk until completely smooth, but stop once it comes together; over-whisking adds bubbles.
4. Pour the filling over the hot crust and smooth the top. Return to the oven and bake 40–45 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre still has a slight jiggle when the pan is nudged (a knife inserted near the centre should come out mostly clean).
5. Cool completely in the pan on a rack, then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight — this chill is what makes the bars slice cleanly.
6. Lift the slab out by the parchment, cut into 15 bars with a long knife (wipe the blade between cuts for clean edges), top with whipped cream if you like, and serve cold or at cool room temperature.

Notes

Total time includes cooling plus a minimum 4-hour chill (ideally overnight). The chill is what makes the bars slice cleanly — warm bars cut ragged, fully chilled bars cut with clean edges and hold their shape.